The Australian Oscar Piastri (20) won the championship title in Formula 2 early. With third place in the first sprint race in Abu Dhabi, the Prema driver secured the top position before the last two races of the season against his Russian team-mate Robert Schwartzman.
As a newcomer, Piastri, Formula 3 champion 2020, was by far the most consistent driver. He won five of the eight qualifying sessions, celebrated five victories, finished on the podium ten times and only missed points four times in 22 races to date – but one of them after a collision in his first race as the new champion on Saturday afternoon.
On Sunday (10.00 a.m. CET / Sky), Piastri has the chance to end the season positively from pole position in the main race. The victories on Saturday went to Jehan Daruvala (India / Carlin) and Zhou Guanyu (UNI-Virtuosi), who will be the first Chinese in Formula 1 for Alfa Romeo next year. In the previous year Mick Schumacher had won the title in the substructure of the premier class. Unlike the German, who is now driving for Haas, Piastri will not have a regular cockpit in Formula 1 in 2022 – he is planned as a test and replacement driver at Alpine. According to the regulations, the Formula 2 champion is not allowed to defend his title. The two German pilots David Beckmann (Iserlohn) and Lirim Zendeli (Bochum) are or were no longer present at the last two season stops in Jeddah and Abu Dhabi. Both have lost their cockpits due to a lack of sponsor payments.