The Ferrari Driver Academy revealed names of the teams Mick Schumacher, Robert Shwartzman, Marcus Armstrong, Giuliano Alesi and Callum Ilott will drive for in 2020 FIA Formula 2 (F2) Championship.
In an announcement spree ahead of the final round of the 2020 F2 season at Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi, Ferrari Driver Academy released the names of the teams that it junior drivers Schumacher, Shwartzman, Armstrong, Alesi and Ilott will drive for.
Schumacher will continue with Italian outfit Prema Racing for his second F2 season in 2020 and he will be joined by the 2019 FIA Formula 3 (F3) Championship winner, Shwartzman, in the second seat as the Russian replaces veteran Sean Gelael.
Also staying in F2 for their second season will be Alesi and Ilott but both have changed teams with the former moving on from Trident to HWA Racelab, while the latter moving on from Sauber Junior Team by Charouz to race for UNI-Virtuosi Racing.
With Alesi’s announcement, the line-up for HWA Racelab is complete as they already signed Artem Markelov in the first seat. The final piece of the Ferrari Driver Academy puzzle is 2019 F3 runner-up Armstrong, who will race for ART Grand Prix.
“I am entering my second F2 year with very valuable lessons learned, both in the way to handle the car and tyres but also to work in a bigger team environment,” said Schumacher. “I will certainly build up on this experience when I go into 2020 that I cannot wait to start.
“Teaming up again with Prema seems only natural, since we work and grow together since so long now, and I can only thank them for again giving their trust in me. I’ll definitely give anything to prove them right.”
Shwartzman added: “I am really happy to move up to F2 as it is the final step before Formula 1 and obviously a very important one. On the other hand, I am delighted to continue my relationship with PREMA Racing.
“It will be the third consecutive year for me with the team, so we know each other well and there is great chemistry. Our goal is to win the championship as this year we showed that, even with a new car, a lot of unknowns and high-level competitors, it is possible to be at the front right away. I’m sure we have what it takes to do it all again in 2020.
“I will do my best to learn the tires and car as quickly as possible so we will be at the top of our game from the very beginning. I want to thank Ferrari, the Ferrari Driver Academy and SMP Racing for helping and supporting me. I hope to reward their continued trust with some great results.”
Moving on to the other drivers, HWA Racelab’s Alesi stated: “I would like to thank HWA AG for the magnificent reception and for the faith they are putting in me. I am overjoyed to be part of this impressive company.
“All the employees are already highly motivated and I am looking forward to working with a great team – that is the most important thing for me. I cannot describe how I feel at the moment – I am over the moon.”
The new UNI-Virtuosi Racing driver Ilott added: “I’m really excited to be joining UNI-Virtuosi for 2020! I believe this is the best place for me to fight for the championship title as winning is in the team’s DNA and I share the same hunger for success.
“The professionalism within the team, from the management to the mechanics, is second to none and it’s easy to see why they’re always mentioned in the fight for the championship.
“The three-day test is the perfect opportunity for me to get to know the team and get up to speed, so, when we arrive in Bahrain for the first race we can hit the ground running.” And finally, F2 newcomer ART’s Armstrong stated:
“It’s an honour to join ART Grand Prix for many reasons. Mainly because of the team’s huge history. It’s been a driving force in GP2 and F2 over the last fifteen years and a lot of F1 drivers have come from the ranks of ART Grand Prix.
“Secondly, I met the team in Paris to meet everybody and my first impression was that everybody is really professional, they try to find small advantages everywhere… and there is a little pressure to be honest.
“I’m confident we can be successful together because the team wants to teach me all the right things and one of my strengths has always been to adapt to news situations. I will have to learn pit stops and race strategy.
“I’m determined to do a good job straight away. We will be in Abu Dhabi for the three-day test session and after some nice preparation with simulators and computers I can’t wait to take to the wheel of the F2 car with ART. I want to thank them, as well as the Ferrari Driver Academy and Ferrari management for giving me the best possibility to enter into F2.”
2020 F2 line-up so far:
Prema: Mick Schumacher & Robert Shwartzman
HWA Racelab: Artem Markelov & Giuliano Alesi
ART Grand Prix: Marcus Armstrong
UNI-Virtuosi Racing: Callum Ilott