F2 Sakhir, an opening desert challenge
Action! The 2024 FIA Formula 2 Championship season will kick off in the Bahrain desert, to open a 14-round season that will keep the FIA F2 teams busy for nine months. Bahrain International Circuit has become a classic feature in the season as it hosted the preseason test and is home to the series opener, in a contest that is expected to be extremely tight, with multiple rookie drivers, who will battle against the ones who have one season of experience or more. The introduction of a brand-new car will contribute to leveling the values. The drivers and teams who will find the right chemistry first will create a critical advantage, at least in the early stages of the season.
Trident Motorsport will field a well-tested pair of drivers. Dutchman Richard Verschoor is returning to the Ossona-based team after a convincing 2022 season that handed him one win, four podiums, and three fastest laps. Verschoor will share the team’s box with the twenty-year-old Czech Roman Staněk, who will represent Trident Motorsport for the third consecutive year.
Staněk achieved four podiums and a pole position in the 2022 FIA Formula 3 Championship before moving up the ladder last year to score 15 points. Both drivers worked profitably with the team’s technical staff during the preseason test carried out from the 11th to the 13th of February. It is now time to wait for the outcome of the first round of the season.
Giacomo Ricci, Team Manager: “A new season offers new opportunities and we are all very motivated to get back on track. The test with the new FIA F2 Championship car was very demanding, and we focused on the activities necessary to better understand the new car together with our drivers. I am not in a position to make predictions, given that it is difficult to accurately read the values in pre-season testing, but we are ready to face the first race of the championship with the best possible preparation. This year we will field two drivers who we know very well, Richard Verschoor and Roman Staněk: I am sure the conditions are there to deliver a competitive season, which will require maximum consistency, determination, and focus."
The FIA Formula 2 Championship will go on track on Thursday at 12.05 for the 45-minute free practice session, while Qualifying is scheduled for the same day, at 16.55.
The Sprint Race will start on Friday at 5.15 pm. The Feature Race, which will conclude the weekend, will start on Saturday at 1.30 pm. The activity on the track will be fully broadcast live by the Sky Sports F1 networks. Times are local (GMT+3).