F2 prepares for final UK round of the season

Alex Blundell

After a four week mid-season break, the final UK round of 2009 takes place at Donington Park this weekend (15/16 August) and it marks the beginning of the second half of the FIA Formula Two Championship season.

The action gets underway today (Tuesday) as all 24 drivers take part in an official test day at the Derbyshire venue – with nearly four hours of testing running scheduled, today will provide some valuable track time to many drivers who are making their first visit to the future home of the British Grand Prix.

The race for the championship is already proving to be an intense battle as drivers fight for the prize of a full test with the AT&T Williams F1 Team. Andy Soucek currently holds the advantage, but there are a host of talented rivals snapping at his wheels. The Spaniard’s win last time out at Brands Hatch consolidated his place at the top of the standings, but he is closely followed by the Red Bull-backed Canadian driver Robert Wickens and also Austrian Philipp Eng. Wickens has seen an upturn in fortunes in the two most recent F2 events but he has not stood on the top step of the podium since the inaugural round in Valencia, whilst Eng took his maiden victory at Brands Hatch.

A trio of drivers are lying joint fourth in the standings – Julien Jousse, Tobias Hegewald and Mirko Bortolotti will be hoping to relaunch their championship challenge with good results at Donington Park, whilst Mikhail Aleshin and MiloÅ¡ Pavlović remain in touching distance of the leading pack.

The first half of the F2 season has been extremely close and competitive with five different drivers scoring victories in the opening eight rounds, whilst the podium has already seen ten different visitors. 19 drivers have scored championship points – a statistic made all the more staggering when you consider that F2 follows the Formula One points system of awarding points to the top eight finishers only.

For the first time this season, both races will take place on the Sunday as F2 headlines the event and spectators are set for an enthralling double-header day of racing. Special 2 for 1 admission tickets are available until Wednesday at midday for just £16 – equivalent to £8 per person – and one lucky advance purchaser will win a pair of exclusive VIP access passes including full hospitality in the F2 race centre and a meet and greet with the next generation of F1 stars. Children under 16 are admitted free.

The main raceday will also include a special tribute to Henry Surtees, who tragically died after an accident during the second F2 race at Brands Hatch in July.

2 for 1 tickets for the FIA Formula Two Championship at Donington Park on 15/16 August cost from £16 per adult, with free entry for children under 16. For more information call 0870 950 9000 or visit www.formulatwo.com/dp