The F2 championship heats up as Robert Shwartzman, Richard Verschoor and Guanyu Zhou take victories at a sweltering Silverstone

The Formula 2 championship resumed with another cracking weekend of racing at a very sunny Silverstone. Robert Shwartzman picked up his second victory in as many rounds by winning the first Sprint Race. Richard Verschoor picked up his first victory in F2 in the second Sprint Race and Guanyu Zhou dominated the Feature Race from start to finish to round out the weekend.

A super Shwartzman leaped off the line, jumping from fourth to first in a matter of metres, before going onto control the rest of the race. 

Reverse polesitter Christian Lundgaard fell to third after a sluggish start and could only watch Shwartzman and Juri Vips drive off ahead of him when the lights went out. The trio would end the race in that order, despite four safety cars.

Finishing fourth, Felipe Drugovich took UNI-Virtuosi’s only points of the morning race after Zhou spun himself out of the race on the opening lap – a retirement that would cost him the championship lead. He was overtaken by Oscar Piastri who finished sixth just behind Theo Pourchaire, who had just come off a fractured arm. 

In the second Sprint Race, it was MP Motorsports rookie Richard Verschoor who put on a show as he picked up his maiden Formula 2 victory, and his first victory in any category since 2019. 

The Dutchman controlled the race from start to finish, beating out the experienced duo of Marcus Armstrong and Dan Ticktum.

A late lunge on Liam Lawson earned the new championship leader, Piastri, a fourth-place finish.

It wasn’t a good race for Piastri’s PREMA teammate and race one winner Shwartzman. The Russian failed to gain any points after a spin on the penultimate lap saw him tumble down the order. While Zhou could only make his could only make his way to 11^th.

However, Zhou’s luck would completely turn around on Sunday in the Feature Race, where he dominated the field to pick up his third win of the season. 

Starting from second, the Chinese driver got the jump on championship rival Piastri and drove off into the distance. 

Piastri pitted before Zhou, attempting the undercut and hoping to gain some ground. But that would be the PREMAs undoing as a rapid Ticktum overtook the Australian. 

Piastri found himself in more peril at the end, but he survived a two-lap onslaught by Verschoor to finish third. 

Piastri has the Drivers’ Championship lead at the halfway point of the season, with 108 points. Zhou is up to second with 103, with Shwartzman in third on 91. Ticktum is fourth with 89 and Vips fifth with 85. 

F2 now hits the summer break, with no action until the 10^th September.

By Charlie Parker