ABU DHABI: The Formula 1 isn’t the only race to look forward to at Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina this weekend — the addition of the Formula 2 and an F4UAE Trophy Round to the on-track action will be sure to delight motorsport lovers. Read on for a guide to the young drivers to keep an eye on this weekend.
F4UAE
This is the first time the category has accompanied the Formula 1 Grand Prix weekend and will showcase an important step on the motorsport ladder in Abu Dhabi.
Formula 4 is a relatively new addition, only starting in 2014, and sees championships in individual countries as opposed to a world championship.
For many of the next generation of drivers, their career in open-wheel racing starts in F4 after breaking out of the karting scene.
The cars are identical in each championship but four chassis and four engine manufacturers are homologated by the FIA. Those engines are limited to four cylinders and a maximum output of 160 horsepower.
This season sees 10 drivers competing including three from the region itself, including Emirati racers Manaf Hijjawi and sisters Amna and Hamda Al-Qubaisi, who are both making their debut in the supporting F4UAE series.
Also competing in the F4 Trophy Round grid is Jeddah-born Reema Juffali, who was the first Saudi woman to race in the Kingdom, British-born Alex Connor, and Dutch rising star Tijmen van der Helm, who scored eight podiums in his first year of F4 in Spain.
Formula 2
The F2 is the final step before Formula 1. This means that the drivers competing in the Formula 2 are the potential F1 drivers of tomorrow.
Competing racers looking to make a mark on motorsport this weekend include 2019 champion Nyck de Vries, Canadian F2 driver Nicholas Latifi, Italian series veteran Luca Ghiotto and 20-year-old Mick Schumacher, son of seven-time F1 champion Michael Schumacher.
