F2 / GP2 champions: what happened to them?

Very close to arriving in Formula 1, Nyck de Vries could join the list of F2 / GP2 champion drivers who have obtained a seat in the premier category. A look back at the careers of these titled drivers in the antechamber of F1.

Published on 20/09/2022 à 13:10

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F2 / GP2 champions: what happened to them?

De Vries - Russell - Norris: two are already in F1, the third could arrive soon... © Sebastiaan Rozendaal / DPPI

2005: Nico Rosberg

The very first GP2 champion in 2005, Nico Rosberg, was immediately propelled into Formula 1 in 2006, in the stable Williams. After a remarkable start from his first race, in Bahrain (7th, two points and the fastest lap in the race), he then got stuck in the middle of the pack with an uncompetitive Williams, despite a few successes and two podiums in 2008. . He then exiled himself to Mercedes, freshly arrived in Formula 1 in 2010. He helped the German team develop during its young years until the hegemony of the Silver Arrows during the hybrid era. In a duel with his teammate Lewis Hamilton, he became F1 world champion in 2016, at the age of 31, and announced his surprise retirement a few days later.

F1 track record: world champion (2016), 23 victories, 206 Grands Prix.

ALSO READ > 2005: Nico Rosberg, the birth of a champion (1/5)

2006: Lewis Hamilton

Already considered a diamond in the rough during his younger years, the 2006 GP2 champion became a true Formula 1 legend. From his first season with McLaren, in 2007, Lewis Hamilton made his mark by finishing vice-world champion. A title which will finally return to him in 2008, in the last lap of the last Grand Prix of the season, against Felipe Massa. A first championship that calls for others: after a few years of frustration at McLaren, Hamilton enjoyed immense success with Mercedes, which he joined in 2013. The Briton won 6 other world championship titles, broke records for victories and pole positions in F1 and is today considered one of the greatest drivers in history.

F1 track record: 7x world champion (2008, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020), 103 victories, 297 Grands Prix (ongoing).

ALSO READ > 2006: Lewis Hamilton, the beginnings of a legend (2/5)

2007: Timo Glock

Crowned GP2 champion in 2007, Timo Glock has had a rather strange career. The German had already had a taste for F1 in 2004 with Jordan, three years before his GP2 title. In 2008, he joined the team Toyota alongside Jarno Trulli. He would become the reluctant hero of the epic finale between Lewis Hamilton and Felipe Massa at the 2008 Brazilian Grand Prix. Glock, overtaken by Hamilton in the final corner of the last lap of the last race of the season, was the main factor in the Briton's first title. Despite his 3 podiums with Toyota, he was not renewed and left for the new Virgin – Marussia team in 2010. An unsuccessful collaboration, with no points recorded in 3 years. Since then, Glock has gone into exile in DTM with a best result of 5th place in the championship during the 2018 season.

F1 track record: 3 podiums, 91 Grands Prix.

2008: Giorgio Pantano

Just like Timo Glock, Giorgio Pantano first experienced F1 before being crowned GP2008 champion in 2. The Italian driver had already raced 15 Grands Prix with Jordan in 2004 before returning to the antechamber. However, his GP2 title took 4 seasons to arrive: too long a wait which did not convince the F1 teams to give him a second chance. He found refuge in the fanciful Superleague Formula in 2, with the AC Milan team. Pantano then left for the United States to do some freelance work IndyCar, without success. Since then, the native of Padua has disappeared from the radar screens, after some experiences in Grand Touring…

Results in F1: 15 Grands Prix.

2009: Nico Hulkenberg

Compared to Michael Schumacher during his years in promotion formula, Nico Hulkenberg will not have had the success that was expected of him. He started in Formula 1 in 2010 with Williams, and even achieved his first (and only) pole position of his career, at Interlagos. Not renewed by the Grove team, the German became a starter at Force India in 2012, before moving to Sauber in 2013 then returning to the Indo-British team between 2014 and 2016. In 2017, Nico Hülkenberg gets a golden opportunity: join a factory team with Renault. Although he performs regularly, he is unable to pass the threshold to obtain podiums with the French team. It is not renewed by enstone at the end of 2019 and became a reserve driver for Racing Point, which became Aston Martin since then, where he plays the role of “luxury joker”. Hülkenberg holds an unenviable record: that of the greatest number of Grands Prix without a podium (181).

Results in F1: 181 Grands Prix.

ALSO READ > 2009: Nico Hülkenberg, the Germanic phlegm (3/5)

2010: Pastor Maldonado

Pastor Maldonado has become a real figure in Formula 1. GP2 champion in 2010, he joined the Williams team in 2011, thanks in particular to the financial support of the Venezuelan state. A driver with a “fearless” temperament, he quickly earned a reputation as “Crashtor Maldonado” after his numerous accidents. Fast but too often beyond the limit, he still won a race to everyone's surprise, during the 2012 Spanish Grand Prix, which still remains Williams' latest success in F1 today. In 2014, he left the Grove team to join Lotus. With a difficult car to drive, Maldonado squatted at the back of the grid and was not renewed by Enstone after the team was bought by Renault. He will then do a few races in LMP2 and he will participate twice in the 24 Hours of Le Mans with DragonSpeed, in 2018 and 2019.

F1 track record: 1 victory, 96 Grands Prix.

2011: Romain Grosjean

The first French GP2 champion is Romain Grosjean. The native of Geneva, after a hasty first experience in Formula 1 replacing Nelson Piquet Jr. at Renault, was forced to take a step back to better return to the premier category. Promoted to Lotus in 2012, he also acquired a reputation as “Crazy of the first corner”, as designated by Mark Webber at the time. But Grosjean also appears to be a very fast driver and gleans 10 podiums in his Lotus period, between 2012 and 2015. He is chosen by Haas to lead the American project in F1 from 2016. Although he did not score any podiums, he achieved a few highlights, including the first race in the history of Haas, in Australia (6th). Romain Grosjean remained with Haas until his terrible accident at the end of 2020, in Sakhir. Since then, the Franco-Swiss has been driving in IndyCar, with the Andretti team.

F1 track record: 10 podiums, 179 Grands Prix.

2012: Davide Valsecchi

Davide Valsecchi had a rather strange career after his GP2 title in 2012. Reserve driver at Lotus in 2013, he was not chosen by Enstone to replace Kimi Räikkönen, absent from the last two races of the season. A choice which hurts the Italian driver, who cannot integrate the grid of the premier category and who will quickly move away from the circuits. After some freelance work in Grand Touring, Valsecchi decided to become a television consultant for the Sky Sports channel, commenting in particular on racing races. Formula 2.

Results in F1: -.

2013: Fabio Leimer

Just like his predecessor, Fabio Leimer never had his chance in Formula 1. The Swiss, champion after 4 seasons in the lobby of the premier category, never really convinced an F1 team. Not supported by a manufacturer, he first went into exile in WEC with Rebellion in 2014 and participated in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. After a little experience in Formula E, Leimer then moved to GT with a Trofeo Pirelli title in 2017.

Results in F1: -.

2014: Jolyon Palmer

Jolyon Palmer has always been a maligned driver. GP2 champion in 2014, he arrived at Renault in 2016 after the acquisition of the French brand from the Lotus team. Regularly beaten by his teammates, Magnussen then Hülkenberg, Palmer did not even finish his second season with Renault, replaced by Carlos Sainz. In two years, Palmer will have only scored 9 small points... Unable to find other seats, the Briton retrained as a consultant for English television and for Formula 1.

Results in F1: 35 Grands Prix.

2015: Stoffel Vandoorne

How to describe the domination of Stoffel Vandoorne during his 2015 season? The Belgian shattered all records in the category during his coronation, winning the title with 4 races to go before the end of the season. Protected by the McLaren team, he arrived in F1 in 2017 as a starting driver (he had already completed a Grand Prix, in Bahrain in 2016, and scored a point). Placed alongside Fernando Alonso, Vandoorne was in the spotlight from his first season. Unfortunately, with a McLaren-Honda lacking pace and within a team dedicated to Alonso's cause, the Belgian was unable to show his full potential and was soundly beaten by the Spaniard. He will not be renewed by McLaren at the end of 2018 and is leaving F1 through the back door. After experience in WEC and LMP1, Vandoorne will find refuge in Formula E, where he will be crowned world champion in 2022. He is today a reserve driver at Mercedes.

Results in F1: 42 Grands Prix.

2016: Pierre Gasly

The last GP2 champion is also the last French champion in the antechamber of Formula 1. Pierre Gasly, protected from the sector Red Bull, won the championship in 2016 and obtained his place in F1 at the end of the 2017 season, replacing Daniil Kvyat. Impressive from his first races, including a 4th place in Bahrain in 2018, Gasly was promoted to Red Bull in 2019. But the experience went wrong, the Frenchman was unable to keep up with the pace of Max Verstappen. He is demoted to Toro Rosso at mid-season, before returning to the top with 3 podiums including a fantastic victory with AlphaTauri in Italy, in 2020. Still at AlphaTauri this season, Gasly is coveted by several teams including Alpine for 2023.

F1 track record: 1 victory, 102 Grands Prix (ongoing).

2017: Charles Leclerc

Impressive during his coronation season in 2017, in the now called Formula 2, Charles Leclerc was propelled into Formula 1 with the Sauber team. Protected by Ferrari, Charles Leclerc is considered a future world champion in the making. After a solid season with the Swiss team, with several appearances in Q3 with a car from the back of the grid, Leclerc joined the prestigious Team Ferrari in 2019. After a remarkable 2019 season, where he scored 2 victories and 7 pole positions, he suffered the difficulties of the Italian team in 2020 and 2021 and could not fight for victory. This season, Charles Leclerc has won 3 Grands Prix and, although he could have hoped to fight for the title at the start of the season, the Scuderia's errors relegated him far from Max Verstappen.

F1 track record: 5 victories, 97 Grands Prix (ongoing).

ALSO READ > 2017: Charles Leclerc, in the name of the father (4/5)

2018: George Russell

George Russell may have won the Formula 2 championship with one of the toughest fields in history. The Briton managed to beat names like Lando Norris ou Alexander albon in 2018, before arriving in Formula 1 at Williams the following season. A member of the Mercedes academy, Russell takes his troubles patiently at the back of the grid, in a Williams team in distress. Despite this, the young Englishman shines with his great performances, culminating in a podium at the grotesque Belgian Grand Prix 2021. He replaces Valtteri Bottas at Mercedes in 2022. Still looking for his first victory, the Briton impresses with his maturity and consistency.

F1 track record: 8 podiums, 76 Grands Prix (ongoing).

ALSO READ > 2018: George Russell, leader of the golden youth (5/5)

2019: Nyck de Vries

He is the man at the center of discussions for the 2023 transfer window. However, Nyck de Vries has long been the forgotten champion. Titled in Formula 2 in 2019, the former McLaren protégé did not experience the same opportunity as Leclerc and Russell before him. Without the support of a manufacturer, De Vries first experienced the WEC in LMP2 then Formula E with Mercedes. He became world champion in electric competition in 2020 before becoming a reserve driver for the Silver Arrows. The Dutchman is experiencing his first Grand Prix in F1, replacing Alexander Albon at the Italian Grand Prix. At the end of a solid and mature race, De Vries scored his first points in his first experience. A great performance which caught the eye of certain teams for 2023…

Results in F1: 1 Grand Prix.

ALSO READ > De Vries on the way to AlphaTauri, clear path for Gasly at Alpine ?

2020: Mick Schumacher

The son of the seven-time world champion had a straight trajectory towards Formula 1. Champion of F3 in 2018, F2 champion in 2020, he was recruited by Haas to start in F1 in 2021. Supported by Scuderia Ferrari, the German cannot prove his value at the back of the grid, with a car outdated compared to the rest of the field. grid. Dominant Nikita mazepin in 2021, Mick Schumacher is logically renewed for 2022, alongside Kevin Magnussen, where the comparison is more painful. He scores his first F1 points at the British Grand Prix, but will it be enough to stay in F1 in 2023?

F1 track record: 38 Grands Prix (ongoing).

2021: Oscar Piastri

Oscar piastri. The man who, despite himself, caused such a stir during the Silly season this year, and who is nevertheless perceived as the future diamond of Formula 1. The Australian has had an incredible journey in the promotional formula, being titled in his first season in F3 and F2. Member of the academy Alpine, it will be with McLaren that the young Aussie will experience his first Grand Prix in Formula 1 next season, following a series worthy of the greatest soap opera...

Results in F1: -.