So the day has finally come to get the 2020 FIA Formula 2 Championship underway. The InsideF2 Team have their own opinions for who may finish at the top of the Drivers’ Championship.
But do you agree? Comment @F2inside on Twitter to get the arguments going ?
Ed Spencer (@EdSpencer99)
Well if I was given some money to put a bet on at the bookmakers and predict who I think will be this year’s Champion, I would be spending several hours going from one driver to another due to the depth of quality in this year’s lineup.
But if I had to make a prediction I would have to go with Mick Schumacher who I feel will prove plenty of doubters wrong and will come good in his second season of Formula 2 after a testing rookie season.
However, he will be pushed by Guanyu Zhou who was 2019 Rookie of the Year. He drove fantastically well in his first season of F2 and can only improve.
Rounding out the top three will be Jack Aitken whose pace and experience will be a huge advantage for him and Campos for the upcoming season.
Adam Newton (@adampnewton)
In no particular order, my three tips for drivers to watch during the 2020 season are Guanyu Zhou, Robert Shwartzman and Artem Markelov.
Zhou showed excellent promise in his first year of Formula 2, scoring four podium finishes and taking a stunning pole position at Silverstone. With a year under his belt and at a reliable team in UNI-Virtuosi, it seems likely he’ll be right in the mix for race wins or even the title.
L.A has been brave and has predicted in order.Â
Champion: Jack AitkenÂ
I’ve chosen Jack because of his fifth finish last season, and his Testing experience with F1’s Renault and Williams. If Jack’s sim skills are anything to go by, regarding him playing the long game on pit-stops, and his double overtaking manoeuvres, then he’ll be an exciting prospect in the live races this year for Campos Racing. He’s got a Championship in him and I feel this year might just be his.
2nd Place: Marcus ArmstrongÂ
I’ve gone with Armstrong in the Art Gand Pix team because I’m persuaded by the amount of top eight finishes he’s achieved in his career (11/16). The odds are good for him to do well this season despite him being a rookie. A definite talent to watch closely this season and in the future.
3rd Place: Luca GhiottoÂ
I’m taking a leap of faith with Ghiotto and Hitech Grand Prix because of Luca’s impressive record. I’d tip him for the Championship win but I feel Campos and Art may have the edge this year.
If I could choose a wildcard it’d be Robert Shwartzman – He won the F3 Championship with PREMA Racing in 2019 and is no stranger to the podium over his short career. I feel he’ll have an extra spark that will spur him on this year because of the incredibly sad passing of his father. I’ll be shouting the loudest for Robert and wishing him a great season.
Ryan Schwartz (@Schwartz_RA)
With the caliber of talented drivers entered into this year’s Formula 2 Championship, this is not an easy prediction.
My pick would be Jack Aitken for the title. With his experience and taste of wins from the 2019 season, he is going to be very motivated to add to that 2019 success and I think he will probably be the one to beat.
I believe the challengers to Aitken will be Guanyu Zhou and Mick Schumacher. Zhou was consistent during 2019 and won the Anthoine Hubert award for being the top rookie. He will want to prove this year that he is no longer a rookie and challenge for the title.
Mick Schumacher showed some good pace last season and also tasted the Champagne in his rookie Formula 2 season. Unfortunately he was plagued with a lot of bad luck. With better luck and his desire to move up into the Formula 1 ranks, I believe he will deliver in season 2 and in so doing be a title contender.
There are a few other drivers that are going to spring a surprise and I think we are in for a thrilling F2 title fight.
Alessio Romito (@zemaniac)
All the drivers are out to impress this season and the field is full of top class drivers. But for me the main title contenders are Guanyu Zhou, Marcus Armstrong and Robert Shwartzman.
Zhou entered Formula 2 as a rookie last year and it didn’t take him long to catch up with his teammate. Staying with Uni-Virtuosi for a second year he has a good chance to succeed this year.
While Armstrong and Shwartzman are both rookies the past few years have shown that it doesn’t matter. They both performed well in Formula 3 last season with Shwartzman dominating the series and winning it, and Armstrong also looking like he adapted quickly to the new series by finishing second. Last year they proved themselves in their respective series and it will be exciting to see what they can do in Austria when Formula 2 returns.
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Amirhaziq Amiruddin (@amirhaziq111)