The landscape of junior motorsport is ever-changing, with natural talent cycles dictating the strength of each Formula 2 season. Some years might feel less vibrant, marked by a scarcity of standout performances. However, the 2022 Formula 2 championship defied any such expectations, proving to be an exceptional year brimming with fresh talent and seasoned expertise.
The season was distinguished by a robust crop of rookies who immediately challenged at the front of the grid, complemented by experienced drivers consistently demonstrating their merit. While the intense title battle between Felipe Drugovich and Théo Pourchaire reached its conclusion prematurely at Monza, the captivating five-way fight for third place, which extended right to the final round in Abu Dhabi, underscored the championship’s profound competitiveness. Throughout the season, a remarkable 12 different drivers claimed race victories, and six managed to secure pole positions, illustrating the depth of skill on display. Here, RaceFans spotlights the ten drivers who truly left their mark on the 2022 Formula 2 season.
10 – Richard Verschoor – Trident
Securing sufficient Web3 funding allowed Richard Verschoor to contest a full Formula 2 season in 2022, a significant achievement after his disrupted 2021 campaign. Despite this newfound stability, Verschoor finds himself ranked slightly lower on this year’s list compared to his previous showing. While it might seem unfair to weigh performances from a race-by-race seat higher than those from a relatively secure position, it’s also true that he didn’t consistently deliver the same breathtaking, standout drives that occasionally punctuated his more turbulent 2021 season.
Verschoor began the year with immense promise, clinching a victory in the Bahrain sprint race and immediately putting Trident on the scoreboard. However, this promising early form proved difficult to sustain. His mid-season was plagued by a prolonged dry spell where points were hard to come by, significantly muting the impact of his overall performance. Despite these challenges, Verschoor was undeniably the backbone of the Trident team, scoring an impressive 96% of their total points and securing four podium finishes. His ability to extract results, even when momentum was scarce, showcased his underlying talent and determination, solidifying his position as a tenacious competitor in the F2 field.
9 – Frederik Vesti – ART
Entering Formula 2 as a rookie is a daunting challenge, but having one of the championship contenders as a teammate amplifies the pressure considerably. This was precisely the scenario for Mercedes junior Frederik Vesti at ART Grand Prix. While his teammate Théo Pourchaire was making an early claim for the top spot in the standings, Vesti’s F2 season began with a noticeable quietness, as he struggled to convert his raw speed into championship points in the opening two rounds.
However, Vesti’s adaptability and potential soon shone through. His breakthrough arrived with a well-deserved podium finish in the Barcelona feature race, signaling a turning point in his rookie campaign. This was swiftly followed by a commanding victory in the Baku sprint race, further demonstrating his ability to capitalize on opportunities. A pole position in Spielberg hinted at even greater potential, though it didn’t quite translate into a race win. Perhaps his most impressive performance came at Monza, a circuit renowned for its high-speed challenges and unpredictable nature. There, Vesti secured second place in both the sprint and feature races, a truly remarkable accomplishment given F2’s partially reversed grid system. This late-season surge highlighted his growing confidence and refined racecraft, proving his mettle in one of the most competitive junior series.
8 – Enzo Fittipaldi – Charouz
Based on the opening rounds, few would have predicted Enzo Fittipaldi’s inclusion on this list. His 2022 Formula 2 season with Charouz Racing System started without points in the first two rounds, and the third was largely unremarkable. Yet, as the championship entered its rapid-fire European stages, a period when many drivers found themselves adrift in a points-less no-man’s-land, Fittipaldi’s star began its steady ascent. He demonstrated remarkable consistency, frequently scoring points and establishing himself as a formidable presence in the midfield.
This consistent points haul kept Fittipaldi surprisingly high in the championship standings, showcasing a strong mid-season run that truly defined his year. His on-track performances underwent a significant transformation; initially appearing somewhat tentative and lacking in wheel-to-wheel confidence within the competitive F2 pack, Fittipaldi evolved into a driver renowned for his aggressive yet precise overtaking maneuvers. By the season’s close, he was regularly slicing through the field with impressive ease, a testament to his rapid development in racecraft. The only minor blemish on an otherwise stellar improvement arc was a disappointing final round in Abu Dhabi, where he failed to add to his points tally. This missed opportunity was the sole factor preventing him from climbing even higher in the final standings, but it doesn’t detract from his impressive journey from an overlooked contender to a consistent performer.
7 – Jehan Daruvala – Prema
For aspiring Formula 2 champions between 2020 and 2021, Prema Racing was unequivocally the team to be with, a dominant force synonymous with title success. When Jehan Daruvala, backed by Red Bull, secured one of the highly coveted Prema seats for 2022 alongside reigning F3 champion Dennis Hauger, it seemed his path to a serious championship challenge was finally clear. The opportunity to leverage Prema’s historical prowess offered a tantalizing prospect for the Indian driver.
However, the reality of the 2022 season proved to be a stark departure from expectations. Despite Formula 2 being a spec series, teams can interpret and optimize the regulations differently, and Prema’s golden touch seemed to have momentarily vanished. Both Daruvala and Hauger struggled with qualifying pace, a fundamental aspect of F2 success, and the team’s previously rock-solid reliability began to falter, leading to missed opportunities. Daruvala, benefiting from his prior F2 experience, was able to adapt and extract more from the challenging package than his rookie teammate. While Hauger claimed two sprint race victories, it was Daruvala’s feature race win at Monza – a circuit that often rewards experience and strategic prowess – that felt like a more definitive statement of his enduring capability and determination in a difficult season. His performance demonstrated resilience in the face of unexpected team struggles, a crucial attribute for any top-tier driver.
6 – Théo Pourchaire – ART
Théo Pourchaire concluded his second full Formula 2 season in an impressive second place overall, comfortably ahead of any other driver vying for the podium positions, leaving the rest of the field to battle fiercely for third. He was the sole driver capable of consistently challenging Felipe Drugovich’s dominant performance, and at times, Pourchaire showcased flashes of inspired speed and exceptional racecraft that reminded everyone of his immense potential. Yet, despite his high finishing position, even Pourchaire himself would likely acknowledge that the 2022 season fell short of his own lofty expectations.
Having entered F2 at a remarkably young age, barely 17, and immediately contending for a title in 2021, the immense pressure and expectations may have inadvertently hindered Pourchaire’s progression. Throughout the 2022 campaign, he openly spoke about the self-imposed pressure that led to crucial mistakes, compounded by the lingering psychological impact of a violent crash in Jeddah at the end of the 2021 season. Reliability issues further compounded his woes, chipping away at his confidence and costing him valuable points, including a frustrating retirement in the final race due to a mechanical problem that seemed to symbolically encapsulate the struggles of his year.
His season began to unravel significantly from the Red Bull Ring onwards. A series of poor qualifying performances often placed him in the thick of the midfield battles, leading to frequent contact in races. While he did manage a final, hard-fought victory in the Hungary feature race, any realistic hope of catching Drugovich seemed to evaporate. His points tally dramatically dropped in the final three rounds, scoring a mere two points, ultimately finishing a substantial 101 points behind the eventual champion. This season, despite the P2 finish, served as a tough learning curve, highlighting the mental and mechanical challenges that even the most talented young drivers face.
5 – Liam Lawson – Carlin
Liam Lawson’s second year in Formula 2 with Carlin arrived at a curious juncture in his burgeoning career. From a vast pool of talented Red Bull junior team members, he had clearly emerged as a front-runner for a potential Formula 1 promotion. Paradoxically, despite this strong position, he appeared to be in a less favorable light for an F1 seat than after his near-miss with the DTM title the previous year. His 2022 F2 season was characterized by solid, consistent podium finishes and a notable absence of gigantic errors, which are often season-enders in this competitive series.
However, a key narrative of Lawson’s season was being initially outperformed by his rookie teammate, Logan Sargeant, in both race pace and qualifying. This unexpected dynamic persisted for much of the year, raising questions about his ultimate F1 readiness. It wasn’t until an impressive end-of-season uptick in form that Lawson managed to snatch third place in the championship standings by the narrowest of margins – just a single point. Driving a modern Formula 2 car demands exceptional skill and adaptability, and Lawson’s first practice outings for both the Red Bull and AlphaTauri Formula 1 teams likely served as a stark reminder of the superior equipment available at the pinnacle of motorsport. For the majority of the season, prior to the dramatic final weekend in Abu Dhabi, Lawson often found himself solidly within the midfield pack, battling for points rather than outright wins. His resilience and late-season surge ultimately secured him a top-three finish, but his overall performance left a lingering sense of unfulfilled potential given the high expectations.
4 – Jack Doohan – Virtuosi
Jack Doohan was a prominent member of the impressive trio of strong rookies that graced the 2022 Formula 2 grid, alongside Ayumu Iwasa and Logan Sargeant. His inaugural F2 season with Virtuosi Racing was undeniably strong, perhaps only marginally hampered by the lack of a truly competitive teammate against whom he could benchmark his performances. Doohan comprehensively overshadowed his teammate Marino Sato, much in the same way Clement Novalak struggled to match Felipe Drugovich at MP Motorsport, making Doohan’s dominant display even more remarkable given his status as the less experienced driver of the two.
His raw speed was evident from the outset, as he stunningly claimed pole position in the very first round in Bahrain. However, as is often the unpredictable nature of Formula 2, pole positions don’t always translate into immediate race victories. Doohan had to patiently watch Drugovich convert poles into wins, including one from Doohan’s second pole in Barcelona, before finally tasting victory himself for the first time during the Silverstone sprint race. Throughout the season, Doohan arguably maintained the most consistent front-running pace among the highly-placed rookies. His main flaw was a tendency not to convert his multiple pole positions into outright feature race wins, suggesting an area for refinement. Nevertheless, his innate confidence with the demanding F2 car and his undeniable speed were consistently apparent, marking him as a driver with significant future potential and an impressive rookie campaign.
3 – Logan Sargeant – Carlin
Logan Sargeant stands as the sole graduate from the 2022 Formula 2 grid to Formula 1, now a confirmed Williams junior and grand prix driver. His rookie F2 season saw him significantly outperform initial expectations, solidifying his status as a remarkable talent. For the majority of the year, Sargeant consistently led his experienced teammate, Liam Lawson, in the championship standings, frequently out-qualifying and out-racing him. Many would argue that he was only denied a deserved third place – or even a realistic shot at challenging for second – in the final standings due to a cruel streak of bad luck.
A staggering five retirements across the final six rounds of the season provided Lawson with the crucial opportunity to close the gap and ultimately snatch third place by a single point. Despite this setback, Sargeant’s consistent qualifying prowess and strong race performances throughout the year justly earned him the necessary superlicence points for his F1 promotion. His victories in both the Silverstone and Red Bull Ring feature races were particularly illustrative of his strengths as a complete driver, showcasing his ability to manage tires, execute strategy, and maintain blistering pace under pressure. Furthermore, his ability to resist immense pressure in the final round to secure fourth place demonstrated a maturity and mental fortitude essential for success at the highest levels of motorsport. Sargeant’s season was a masterclass in resilience and raw talent, paving his way to Formula 1.
2 – Ayumu Iwasa – DAMS
Among the substantial contingent of Red Bull-backed hopefuls competing in Formula 2 in 2022, Ayumu Iwasa might reasonably have been considered somewhat of an outlier. While Dennis Hauger and Jehan Daruvala secured the then-coveted Prema seats, and Liam Lawson along with Jüri Vips (then a Red Bull favourite) landed with Hitech Grand Prix, Iwasa found himself assigned to a DAMS drive. This was a team that, despite its historical prestige, was a long way from its previous dominant form, raising questions about the strength of his opportunity.
As one of the final intakes to the Honda Formula Dream Project and with Red Bull seemingly less compelled to appease the manufacturer following Honda’s reduced involvement in F1, Iwasa’s chances of making an impact might have appeared slim. However, his rookie season in F2 proved to be nothing short of a revelation. After finishing 12th in Formula 3 the previous year, Iwasa truly found his stride in the more powerful F2 machinery. A breakthrough podium in the Barcelona sprint race offered an early glimpse of his potential, though this was followed by a frustrating mid-season run. He spectacularly returned to form from Silverstone onwards, culminating in his maiden F2 victory in the Paul Ricard feature race. While making teammate Roy Nissany look ordinary might not be considered the greatest challenge in Formula 2, Iwasa’s consistent and impressive results mark DAMS’ strongest performance since the 2019 season, underscoring his extraordinary talent and successful adaptation to the demanding championship.
1 – Felipe Drugovich – MP
Entering his third year in Formula 2, Felipe Drugovich, notably unbacked by any Formula 1 junior programme and having largely flown under the radar in his previous two seasons, made the strategic decision to return to MP Motorsport. This move proved to be a masterstroke. Drugovich’s 2022 campaign came alive with a stunning podium and victory at the second round in Jeddah, and from that point, he never lost his relentless momentum, asserting his dominance with unwavering consistency.
Right down to the final corner of the final lap of the season, Drugovich consistently demonstrated an unparalleled ability to extract more performance from the notoriously tricky Formula 2 car than any other driver on the grid. While MP Motorsport’s engineering undoubtedly played a role, attributing all credit to the team would be an oversight. His teammate, Clement Novalak, struggled significantly to find similar pace, with Drugovich single-handedly scoring an astounding 87% of the team’s total points, thereby securing the team’s championship title as well. Drugovich’s approach was characterized by patience, hard work, and impeccably clean driving on track. He expertly avoided radio meltdowns, costly collisions, disastrous traffic incidents, or poor strategy calls, ultimately securing a truly well-earned title. Formula 2 can often be accused of concealing genuine talents due to persistent reliability problems (in both clutch and engine) and erratic team errors during races, such as botched pit stops that saw drivers leaving with unattached tires. However, Drugovich’s season was largely flawless, benefiting perhaps from the absence of external pressure from a junior programme (only that of journalists inquiring about his F1 prospects), which allowed him to focus purely on his F2 performance and enjoyment.
A superb weekend in Barcelona saw him clinch both race victories and the fastest lap, a performance that effectively sealed his championship fate, allowing him to pull away definitively. Despite only adding two more wins to his tally thereafter, Drugovich’s consistently strong qualifying performances ensured he was always in contention for points in every race. He finished outside the top ten on only two occasions throughout the entire season, a testament to his remarkable consistency. Consistently maximizing MP Motorsport’s performance capabilities, Felipe Drugovich stands as an extremely worthy champion and the undisputed standout driver of the 2022 Formula 2 season, leaving an indelible mark on the junior category.
And the rest…
The 2022 Formula 2 season also saw several other notable performances and narratives unfold, impacting the careers and perceptions of talented drivers beyond the top ten. Jüri Vips, a driver of unquestionable speed, unfortunately, has no one but himself to blame for the loss of his coveted place on Red Bull’s young driver programme. His use of a racial slur during a live video broadcast led to his dismissal from the programme, a stark reminder of the responsibilities that come with being a public figure. Despite this, Vips often proved to be incredibly quick, squandering a number of opportunities for wins and pole positions throughout the year. Hitech Grand Prix ultimately opted to retain him, allowing him to complete his season, but his F1 dreams suffered a significant blow.
Ralph Boschung deserves immense praise, if perhaps not for his wisdom, then certainly for his extraordinary bravery. By his own admission, Boschung raced on despite strong medical advice to the contrary, battling severe health problems throughout 2022. Facet Syndrome, a serious spinal neck condition, forced him out of the Barcelona feature race and several subsequent rounds. Yet, with incredible resilience, he returned to secure a hard-fought sprint race podium in Belgium. His 15th place finish in the overall standings is a remarkable achievement that truly reflects the strength and raw speed of his performances whenever he was physically able to compete, showcasing a level of determination rarely seen.
Last year’s FIA Formula 3 champion, Dennis Hauger, initially seemed to struggle significantly with the transition to Formula 2. The Prema car, which had been so dominant in previous years, certainly didn’t work its magic for him in the opening rounds. A combination of challenging qualifying sessions and frequently finding himself entangled in the more aggressive, push-and-shove battles in the middle of the pack saw him struggle for consistent points in a number of races. However, his undeniable talent was reaffirmed with impressive victories in the prestigious Monaco and Baku sprint races, proving he hadn’t lost any of his championship-winning abilities. Despite moments of struggle to score points, Hauger concluded the season on a high note, securing two solid fourth-place finishes in Abu Dhabi, indicating his growing comfort and adaptation to the F2 machinery.
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