Not since the class of 2018, with George Russell and Lando Norris, have I looked forward so much to watching the second-tier category
MICHAEL SKEET
Second tier promises top-notch entertainment
What an exciting season of racing we have coming up, starting with Bahrain this weekend. So many quality drivers, who should, and no doubt will, be duking it out for the championship. No, I am not talking about F1, unless Red Bull has slackened and the RB20 turns out to be merely competitive and not dominant.
I am, though, talking about the F2 championship. Not since the class of 2018, with George Russell and Lando Norris, have I looked forward so much to watching the second-tier category. Although Andrea Kimi Antonelli has been dominating the media coverage, he will not have an easy ride. Victor Martins, Ollie Bearman, Zak O’Sullivan, Zane Maloney, Ritomo Miyata, Kush Maini and Gabriel Bortoleto, I’m certain, will have a large say in the matter. With the likes of Richard Verschoor, and Enzo Fittipaldi more than capable of taking occasional race wins as well, that’s 10 drivers who could be capable of being championship challengers.
If F1 does turn out to be a bore-fest (and I really hope it doesn’t), do tune into the F2 races, as this could turn out to be a blockbuster season.
Michael Skeet Lordswood, Southampton
Time to loosen restrictions on testing?
The current, restrictive, F1 testing regime was introduced to curb the vast amount of cash being spent on endless testing before, during and after the season. Now there is a budget cap that rationale no longer applies, so why not allow teams complete freedom to test whenever they wish if they can do it within budget?
It would throw an interesting variable into the mix – someone might discover a demon tweak and leap up the grid plus, perhaps, only novice drivers could be allowed, giving the next generation a chance to shine.
The teams could use the sessions to develop the next cohort of race engineers, etc. The injection of more unpr
