Max Esterson will race in Formula 2 for the final two rounds of this season, making the step up from Formula 3 to race in Qatar and Abu Dhabi. The American started out in sim racing and only began karting shortly before turning 16, going on to race …
Max Esterson will race in Formula 2 for the final two rounds of this season, making the step up from Formula 3 to race in Qatar and Abu Dhabi.
The American started out in sim racing and only began karting shortly before turning 16, going on to race in Formula Ford and GB3 in the United Kingdom. He made his full-time debut in international competition in this year’s Formula 3 championship – scoring a best result of sixth place – and will now race for Trident in F2 in place of Richard Verschoor, who has joined MP Motorsport.
“It’s great to be making the step up to Formula 2, even if it’s a little sooner than I had imagined,” Esterson said. “Just two years ago I was running a Formula Ford and winning the FF Festival, and now I’m about to make my debut in Formula 2. It’s all happened quickly but the people closest to me are all confident about my ability to successfully make the jump.
“I’ve been working hard with the team at Trident and feel I’m well prepared and ready to go. I want to give a special thanks to Maurizio Salvadori and Giacomo Ricci for making this happen, and to the rest of the Trident team for making me feel so welcome.”
Trident team manager Ricci says the 22-year-old has impressed whenever the team has worked with him, and praised Esterson’s performances for a Jenzer Motorsport outfit that finished bottom of the F3 teams’ standings this year.
“We are excited to finally be working with Max in a race situation,” Ricci said. “We first met him over two years ago when he was still driving Formula Fords and have closely followed his progress since then. He had some very strong outings this year in FIA Formula 3, his first year in international competition, especially as he was with one of the smallest teams, and on circuits which were almost all new to him.
“He is smart and has a mature, calm personality; he is hard working, and while he has already shown great pace, he is only in his fourth full year of racing and still learning – so we’re excited to see his progress this year.”
Esterson joins Jak Crawford and dual-nationality Juan Manuel Correa as the Americans on the F2 grid this season.
Jak Crawford has left the Red Bull junior team setup and suggests he was pushed through the ranks too quickly, as he maps out his updated path towards Formula 1. The American joined Red Bull in 2020 and completed one year in German and Italian …
Jak Crawford has left the Red Bull junior team setup and suggests he was pushed through the ranks too quickly, as he maps out his updated path towards Formula 1.
The American joined Red Bull in 2020 and completed one year in German and Italian Formula 4 before moving up to Formula 3 for two years. Promoted to Formula 2 this season, Crawford has one win and one pole position as well as four further podiums, but sits 11th in the championship with one round remaining.
He has now confirmed he won’t be with Red Bull in 2024, and in announcing his departure, the press release suggested the way Crawford was moved up rapidly and has never spent consecutive seasons with the same team was not beneficial to his development.
“Once he was moved early to F3, it became nearly impossible to slow his upward progress inside of the Red Bull junior program,” the release stated. “While the 2023 season has seen rapid acclimatization to the incredibly competitive F2 landscape that has included, to date, a race victory, a handful of podiums and a pole position, it could be argued that the debuts in both F3 and F2 each came one year too early.”
Quotes attributed to Crawford himself say he will now try and take a more patient approach to gaining experience, with a 2024 seat in F2 already agreed.
“We are thankful for the Red Bull funding for four years, and honestly, we could not have done much of it without their substantial support,” said Crawford. “We were wanting to make key decisions and we let them know mid-year. After that, they didn’t pick up my fifth and final year, so we are in control now. I truly appreciate everyone at Red Bull, especially Rocky (Guillaume Rocquelin). I really enjoyed the last two years with him at the factory.
“Everyone has a different path, but mine has been to be moved up fast and to a different team every year. In two years, I will be only 20 years old, so we are going to slow it down and work a more thoughtful plan. That is all I can say about our plans at this point in time. Again, I am grateful for Red Bull for four years of support.”
The new Formula 2 car from 2024 onwards has been revealed ahead of this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix. The car has been designed with revised steering demands to try and make the championship more accessible. The car features an unusual curved rear …
The new Formula 2 car from 2024 onwards has been revealed ahead of this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix. The car has been designed with revised steering demands to try and make the championship more accessible.
The car features an unusual curved rear wing design as well as a front wing similar to the Formula 1 designs that are currently in use. The revised aerodynamics are designed to encourage close racing, while the safety systems have also been strengthened, including cockpit safety packages for a range of driver sizes.
While there is no power steering, that final point hints at the work done by F2 to comply with the FIA 2024 specifications in terms of braking, steering effort and ergonomics, all intended to ensure it’s not just the strongest and most physically able drivers who can be successful in the category.
The rear wing design elements aim to provide improved aerodynamic wake performance to aid close racing.
The 2024 car is powered by a 3.4-liter turbocharged Mecachrome engine, that will once again run on 55% bio-sourced sustainable fuel next year — as this year’s car does — before switching to a synthetic sustainable fuel developed by Aramco in 2025, with the target of 100% synthetic sustainable fuel two years later.
“F2 consistently delivers excellent racing and acts as an important training ground for future members of the Formula 1 grid, and by bringing the design philosophies of the two cars closer together we will support this development further,” F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali said.
“The new F2 car is also an important symbol for our sustainability journey as the series continues to pioneer advanced sustainable fuel which will become a part of F1 from 2026. I want to pay tribute to Bruno (Michel, F2 CEO) and his team as well as the FIA for our continued strong collaboration in this category. I can’t wait to see the car on track next season.”
Updates to the F2 survival cell include a front anti-intrusion panel, increased load strength for both the sidewall and frontal impact.
Former F2 driver Tatiana Calderon completed a successful shakedown of the car in July in Varano, and testing will continue with multiple drivers including reigning champion Felipe Drugovich before teams take delivery of the first Dallara-built car before the end of December. Each team is scheduled to then receive a second car in mid-January.
“The launch of this next generation of FIA Formula 2 car marks the start of an exciting new chapter for the championship,” FIA deputy president for sport Robert Reid said. “A huge amount of work has been done by the FIA, Formula 2 and its partners to put together what is a truly impressive package focused on close racing, the latest safety technologies, even greater environmental sustainability and better accessibility for drivers than ever before.
“This significant step will bring Formula 2 closer to the pinnacle of motorsport, ensuring that the next generation of drivers get the best possible preparation for the future and also put on a fantastic show for the fans around the world.
“Seeing how design philosophies and technologies are cascading down from Formula 1 to the junior categories is a great testament to the FIA single-seater pathway that guides young talents from around the world towards a successful career in top-flight competition, and we are all looking forward to seeing this car in racing action next season.”
Mercedes has announced that Formula 2 title contender Frederik Vesti will make his FP1 debut for the team at the Mexico City Grand Prix later this year. Teams are still mandated to run a rookie on two occasions in FP1s during the season, but only …
Mercedes has announced that Formula 2 title contender Frederik Vesti will make his FP1 debut for the team at the Mexico City Grand Prix later this year.
Teams are still mandated to run a rookie on two occasions in FP1s during the season, but only McLaren, Williams and AlphaTauri – through rookie race drivers Oscar Piastri, Logan Sargeant and Nyck de Vries – have so far completed one of the two sessions courtesy of the season opener in Bahrain. Mercedes has become the first team to announce a future run, with Vesti – who led the F2 championship until crashing on the way to the grid before the feature race in Spa – in the car in Mexico.
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“I’m incredibly proud to be doing the FP1 session in Mexico City with the team – it’s a dream come true,” Vesti said. “To think in less than three months that I’ll be doing my first official Formula 1 session with Mercedes, who have won eight consecutive constructors’ championships, is amazing.
“This has been my dream since I was very young and something I’ve been fighting for through my whole junior career. It’s taken a lot of hard work, and this is a very important step for me on my journey.
“To be able to develop myself in an F1 car alongside some of the best drivers in the world is something I’m looking forward to. I want to thank Mercedes for this incredible opportunity, as well as my sponsors and manager for always believing in me. I can’t wait to be driving W14 for the first time.”
Vesti is currently second in the F2 championship – 12 points behind Theo Pourchaire – and the Mercedes junior took part in the young driver test in Abu Dhabi last year, with team principal Toto Wolff saying an FP1 is a natural progression.
“Fred has executed an impressive Formula 2 campaign so far this season,” Wolff said. “Driving in an FP1 session is the next step in his development and we’re looking forward to giving him that opportunity. He is a talented young driver, not only quick but thoughtful, and he understands exactly what the team is looking for from him in the car. I am sure he will perform well and provide a solid starting point for our work over the weekend.”
Vesti has also worked with Mercedes at its factory as one of the team’s simulator drivers alongside Mick Schumacher, and trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin believes that role will be boosted by the experience of the current car.
“Fred acquitted himself faultlessly in the young driver test last year so we’re looking forward to having him in the car once again,” Shovlin said. “He’s shown what he is capable of in F2 this year, combining strong pace with consistency. Fred has been part of the team for several years now and has been a key part of our simulator development and set-up programme.
“We’re therefore looking forward to giving him his first running in an F1 session on a grand prix weekend; that will be another useful step in his development and prove useful in being able to correlate the real-world car with his work back in Brackley. I’m sure he will enjoy the experience.
Jak Crawford came home a winner for the first time in FIA Formula 2 competition, with the 18-year-old rookie from Texas capturing Saturday’s Sprint Race at the home race for sponsor Red Bull. He then backed it up with a big drive in the feature race …
Jak Crawford came home a winner for the first time in FIA Formula 2 competition, with the 18-year-old rookie from Texas capturing Saturday’s Sprint Race at the home race for sponsor Red Bull. He then backed it up with a big drive in the feature race to score his season-best feature race result.
The Red Bull Racing Junior started from the pole and dominated the 27-lap Saturday Sprint for Hitech Pulse-Eight Racing. On Sunday, an alternate tire strategy led the Red Bull Junior rookie driver to an eighth-place finish in the Feature, gaining seven positions over the final eight laps.
The seventh event of the campaign opened the busiest stretch of the season for the Formula One hopeful, with F2 set to stage four two-race weekends during the month of July as Crawford opened the month with a big weekend.
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“It was my best F2 weekend so far, a pretty crazy weekend,” Crawford said. “It was pretty cool to hear the National Anthem at the podium, especially in Formula 2. It was a great race, and I’m so happy with the results. The Red Bull people are happy – I did a lot of stuff with them after the race and it was quite fun.”
After what seemed like a slow start to the weekend as Crawford 19th of 22 drivers in the lone practice, the young American still came away happy from the session.
“I had lap times deleted (due to exceeding track limits), so my lap time wasn’t really representative,” he explained. “I was in the top five for most of practice, so I was actually pretty happy with the practice.”
Qualifying was more difficult, but the results were better. Crawford timed in 10th fastest, good enough to put him on the pole position for the Sprint Race’s inverted grid for the second time this season. It was his sixth-consecutive top-10 qualifying result.
“Qualifying was tough, and it was really close as well,” Crawford said. “I think we missed the setup a tiny bit, and we ended up in 10th. I think we could have had more, but it was super tight.”
Rain an hour before the event soaked the circuit. With a light drizzle nearing the start, competitors were faced with the choice of going with rain tires or gambling with slicks to tackle the damp 10-turn circuit.
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Crawford started on slicks. While he got off to a great jump at lights-out, he was sixth and struggling by the end of the opening lap. The conditions led to two early safety car interventions. He managed to get up to second between the cautions, and took the lead when the driver in front opted to pit for slick tires. When racing resumed, Crawford again got a great start and built up a gap of more than one second – preventing his rivals from gaining a DRS advantage. From that point, he managed the gap and led the final 22 laps for his maiden F2 victory.
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“It was a bit of an unknown going into the Sprint Race,” he said. “We had to do what was best for the future, and in the end, it all worked out like we planned. It was a smooth race. The track was very wet at the start, it was hard to get temperature (into the tires]. Considering the conditions, I had a really good start and managed to keep the lead for two corners. Despite all that, everyone knew that in the end, slicks would be better. Once I got the lead, I was just taking it easy, trying not to get any track limits penalties, and making sure the gap was not coming down.”
Sunday, Crawford started 10th in the 40-lap Feature Race but got bumped and fell back on the opening lap. Starting on harder-compound tires, he was up to sixth by lap 11 as drivers began switching to the alternate tire.
“I had an incident at the start of the race,” he explained. “I was fighting for seventh place going into turn one and I fell all the way back to 17th. I was using the tires up trying to get back up. But near the end, there was a safety car that allowed me to put on my good tires, and I was able to come back through the pack and score some points.”
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Halfway through his rookie F2 campaign, Crawford moved up to 13th in the standings with 38 points. He now has four podiums – all in Sprint Races – and seven points-paying finishes.
“Obviously, we still have a bit of work to do,” he said. “I feel we have more to come in the Feature Races. We need to work on qualifying time and making sure we score big in the Feature Race, but we’ve done a lot of work over the break and we made a big improvement.”
Next up is the British Silverstone circuit. After a weekend off, F2 has back-to-back weekends, in Budapest July 22-23 and Spa July 29-30.
“Silverstone is a bit of a home race for Hitech and I,” Crawford said. “I’m really looking forward to that track. It has a lot of high-speed corners; it’s really tough on tires, and I’m looking forward to being there for the first time in a Formula 2 car.”
