Piastri secures 2021 FIA Formula 2 driver title as PREMA Racing takes double podium finish

With a podium finish in race 1, Oscar Piastri secured the 2021 FIA Formula 2 Driver Championship for PREMA Racing at Yas Marina. The 20-year-old Australian put up a stellar recovery from P12 on the grid to take a podium finish at the revamped Abu Dhabi Grand Prix venue in front of team-mate Robert Shwartzman. In Race 2, Piastri found himself battling within the pack, and contact eventually forced him to retire. 

On the other hand, Shwartzman delivered a brilliant Race 2 run to take second place, his eighth podium of the season, to defend second place in points. The 22-year-old Ferrari Driver Academy racer had a flying start and then elbowed his way to P2 after a safety-car situation. From that point on, he stayed in control until the end. 

Piastri secured his third driver title in as many seasons, after winning the 2019 Formula Renault Eurocup and the FIA Formula 3 Championship last year with PREMA Racing. On the other hand, for the team, it is the fourth driver title in six years after joining the series in 2016. 

#1 ROBERT SHWARTZMAN

“We scored two good points finishes today with positive and fun races. In Race 1 we got a decent start, and in the beginning, the car felt really strong compared to the others and I got up to P4. The balance shifted a bit throughout the race, but still, the pace was really good. With five laps to go, I made a mistake in turn 12, with a lock-up that allowed Oscar to come close. I didn’t really expect the attack, so he went in, and I didn’t want to take any risk so I finished in P4. In Race 2 I gained two positions straight away, and then I managed to pass Ticktum. We had two safety-car situations in a row and it was really tricky to keep the temperatures, but I gained great momentum out of the VSC for Armstrong’s stoppage to take P2. I was hoping to have the pace to battle with Zhou, but the balance was a bit off, with my front right suffering a lot. I couldn’t really manage to attack. Tomorrow we start Race 3 at the same time of the day as Race 1, where the balance was better. Hopefully we will have a clean run tomorrow to end the season on a high.”

Qualifying: P4

Starting grid Race 1: P7

Starting grid Race 2: P7

Fastest Lap: 1:35.360

Race 1: P4

Race 2: P2

#2 OSCAR PIASTRI

“I’m very very happy to be F2 Champion, and what a race to do it on, getting to the podium from 10th place! I think that getting the title that way sums up the year perfectly. The car was good the whole way through, I had a mega start, and I was sixth after the first corner. Robert and I had some pace in hand, which was very nice, but I could see that he was struggling a bit towards the end, so I moved on him and made it stick. Race 2 was not my finest of the year. I was a bit too ambitious on the first lap with Lawson, and unfortunately, we made contact. Then I was involved in a three-way contact with Vips and Nissany. According to the stewards, it was a race incident and I pretty much agree with that. Now we have another chance to round out the year on a high tomorrow.” 

Qualifing: P1

Starting grid Race 1: P10

Starting grid Race 2: P8

Fastest Lap: 1:35.077

Race 1: P3

Race 2: DNF

Source | Photo: PREMA Racing