2018 Formula 2 Championship

The 2018 FIA Formula Two Championship, otherwise known as the 2018 Formula Two Season, was the second season of the FIA Formula Two Championship, and the fourteenth for the "GP2 Series" format. The 2018 Season would see the debut of the new Dallara F2 2018 chassis, an evolution of the old Dallara GP2/11, with a new turbocharged Mecachrome 3.6L V6 engine, replacing the old, normally aspirated, 4.0L V8.

According to Formula Two rules, reigning Champion Charles Leclerc was unable to defend his crown, although the Monegasque racer had secured a seat in Formula One for 2018. Elsewhere defending Teams' Champions Russian Time had hired F2 rookie Tadasuke Makino to partner their lead driver Artem Markelov.

However, neither Markelov nor Makino would emerge as title favourites, as pole, victory and fastest lap in the Bahrain Feature for Lando Norris, arriving in F2 as the reigning FIA Formula 3 European Championship Champion, made the Brit the favourite for the crown. Yet, fate would have it that the future McLaren F1 racer would only take one victory, leaving a fellow future F1 racer to come to the fore.

That man appeared in the form of the 2017 GP3 Series Champion George Russell, although the Mercedes F1 backed youngster had to wait until the Baku Sprint to claim victory. From then, however, Russell would barely lose his grip on the top of the F2 standings, picking up five further wins to head into the final pair of races in Abu Dhabi with a huge lead.

Indeed, ahead of the penultimate race of the season only one other driver could deny Russell the crown, and only if they had a perfect weekend. That man proved to be Alexander Albon, whose momentum had steadily built throughout the season, although it was ultimately too late for the Anglo-Thai ace to realistically challenge. Indeed, victory in the penultimate race of the season ensured that Russell claimed the title with a race to spare, while Norris' team Carlin secured the Teams' Championship.

Across 24 races on the 2018 calendar there would be nine different winners representing six different teams, including two making their debuts in F2. There would also be a wave of mid-season seat changes as drivers were either banned, dropped or found employment elsewhere, with more than a dozen new faces to F2 making their debuts across the season.

Calendar
The full calendar for the 2018 FIA Formula Two Championship is shown below:

Entrants
The full 2018 FIA Formula Two Championship entry list is outlined below:

Round I: 2018 Bahrain Formula Two Round
The 2018 FIA Formula 2 Championship would open with a pair of races at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain, on the 7-8 April 2018.

Race One: 2018 Bahrain Feature Race
The opening race of the season would see F2 rookie Lando Norris claim a maiden pole position, ahead of debutante George Russell. However, when it came to start the race there would be a myriad of issues, as the new Dallara F2 2018 car proved to have a very tricky clutch bite point. Indeed, the race required two attempts to get going, with Artem Markelov and Roberto Merhi both stalling at the original start.

When the race did get under way it was Norris who claimed an early lead, sprinting clear of Russell as the #8 ART got passed by Sérgio Sette Câmara, Nyck de Vries and Nirei Fukuzumi. Norris hence established a small advantage at the head of the field, while teammate Câmara squabbled with de Vries for second. Indeed, their fight would allow Alexander Albon to move in contention for the podium as he moved past Russell and Fukuzumi, while Markelov was storming up the field having started from the pitlane.

Their fight would last through to the stops, with the majority of the field switching from medium to soft compound Pirelli tyres. At the end of the stops Norris was left with a clear lead over Câmara, while Markelov was on the warpath, reaching the back of the de Vries/Albon fight for third. The Russian racer would take both of them to secure third behind Norris and Câmara, while Russell managed to get back ahead of de Vries for fifth.

Race Two: 2018 Bahrain Sprint Race
Maximilian Günther started the Sprint race from pole, although his getaway was overshadowed as the stalling problems from the Feature struck again. Indeed, front-row started Sean Gelael had stalled on the formation lap, while Russell, Jack Aitken and Santino Ferrucci all remained stationary at the start, causing chaos in the middle of the field. Miraculously none of the trio would be collected by the sixteen other cars on the track, and were all pushed into the pits before the completion of the opening lap.

Away from the stragglers and de Vries had emerged at the head of the field ahead of Günther, having stormed past the German youth at the start. The Dutchman quickly established an early lead, pushing very hard, while Markelov immediately jumped up to third, before making an early move on Günther stick. The Russian racer would subsequently hunt down de Vries during the middle phase of the race, with the Dutchman ultimately surrendering the lead by making a stop for softs as his pace collapsed.

With that Markelov was in the lead, and after fending off a brief challenge from Günther would ease away to claim an impressive victory given his difficult start to the Feature. Behind, Günther claimed his maiden F2 podium in a secure second ahead of Câmara, while de Vries managed to climb from thirteenth to fifth on his softs.

Round II: 2018 Azerbaijan Formula 2 Round
The second round of the 2018 FIA Formula 2 Championship would see the F2 paddock assemble at the Baku City Circuit in Baku, Azerbaijan, on 28-29 April 2018.

Race Three: 2018 Baku Feature Race
Alexander Albon secured pole position for the Baku Feature, in a session that was interrupted by a pair of red flags. Fortunately there would be no issues at the start of the race, as George Russell sprinted past Albon to secure the lead into the first corner, on for the Anglo-Thai racer to sweep back ahead. Yet, it was not long before the Safety Car was called upon, as Luca Ghiotto smashed into the barriers at turn sixteen.

The race resumed on lap five, with Albon and Russell easing away at the head of the field, before the latter opened the pitstop phase at the end of the following lap. The undercut would work perfectly for the Brit and hence left him ahead of Albon after the former Red Bull protege completed his stop a lap later. Yet, as the rest of the field made their stops a second safety car was required, this time to remove Roy Nissany from the circuit as he crashed defending from Artem Markelov.

The restart saw Russell, Nyck de Vries and Albon all run wide at the first corner, and hence open the door for Antonio Fuoco to snatch the lead. Of the trio Albon would scramble back onto the circuit fastest to secure second, while Russell and de Vries tumbled down the field. Albon quickly hunted down and passed Fuoco to claim victory, the Italian having been unsighted by smoke from Markelov's expired engine, while Jack Aitken also slipped ahead of Fuoco for second.

Race Four: 2018 Baku Sprint Race
Roberto Merhi started the Baku Sprint from pole, but made a miserable start to gift the lead to Nicholas Latifi. Ralph Boschung and Sérgio Sette Câmara would also sneak past the Spaniard, with Merhi eventually getting up to speed in fourth ahead of Russell and Lando Norris. The top three, meanwhile, would try and break clear, with Câmara getting ahead of Boschung before challenging and passing Latifi for the lead.

Russell and Norris quickly got ahead of Merhi, before both moved past Boschung with ease to go hunting down the leaders. Norris led their charge onto the back of Latifi, although his first lunge ended with the #19 Carlin sliding down an escape road and hence gift third to Russell. Russell was more patient and duly dived past Latifi with the aid of DRS, before sprinting away to hunt down Câmara's #20 Carlin.

Indeed, Russell's pace was so strong that he was able to catch onto the back of Câmara within a lap, and would once again use DRS to complete a dive inside the Brazilian to secure the lead. With that the race was over with Russell building a two second lead to claim victory ahead of Câmara, although the Brazilian was disqualified after the race for failing to provide a fuel sample. de Vries was hence promoted to second after making a late move on Latifi, with the Canadian racer himself inheriting third.

Round III: 2018 Spanish Formula 2 Round
F2 moved into its full European season on the 12-13 May 2018, with the Championship arriving at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya for the third round of the campaign.

Race Five: 2018 Barcelona Feature Race
Alexander Albon secured his second pole position in a row for the Barcelona Feature, although a mistake at the start left the Anglo-Thai racer limping off the grid at the start. George Russell and Luca Ghiotto would also take positions away from Albon before the first corner, only for the race to be brought under Virtual Safety Car conditions almost instantly. The source would be Maximilian Günther, who had been spun into the gravel at turn two and got himself stuck.

de Vries and Russell would break clear when the race resumed, while Albon attacked Ghiotto for third, and hence allowed Lando Norris to challenge both of them. Norris duly overcame both of them to secure third, and duly began to reel in de Vries and Russell as the Brit challenged the Dutchman for the lead. Russell would seize the lead on lap six, before a second VSC was required to remove debris from an inter-MP Motorsport collision between Ralph Boschung and Roberto Merhi.

Indeed, VSCs would become the order of the day, with the third VSC period coming when Arjun Maini threw his Trident into the barriers. That ended just as the first drivers made their compulsory stops, with Albon the big loser. Indeed, a fourth VSC would be thrown in the midst of the pitstop phase, as Sean Gelael took himself out while fighting with Louis Delétraz.

Out front, meanwhile, Russell would escape the confusion to claim an impressive victory, while de Vries managed to keep a charging Norris at bay to secure second.

Race Six: 2018 Barcelona Sprint Race
The Barcelona Sprint would see Artem Markelov start from pole position, although the Russian racer would tumble down the field after making a poor start. Jack Aitken hence emerged as the race leader ahead of Sérgio Sette Câmara, while Nyck de Vries spun out early on to cause the first VSC of the day. Indeed, the circuit was damp after rain overnight, although all of the drivers had started the race on medium compound slick tyres.

Aitken aced the race restart to secure his lead, while Câmara's challenge was ended when he slid wide at turn one, and hence let Albon and Norris slip past for second and third. However, moments after the restart the race was brought under the Safety Car's control, as Nirei Fukuzumi and Tadasuke Makino clashed at the back of the field. Their clash was particularly significant, as Fukuzumi's car had climbed over the top of Makino's car and ridden across the new-for-2018 Halo device, the first real-world test of the device and one that showed its effectiveness.

The safety car restart would be followed almost instantly by another VSC, this time a result of Câmara grinding to a halt with a mechanical failure. VSC number three would follow soon after as Ralph Boschung littered the circuit with debris after a puncture, leaving the field in a three-lap sprint to the finish. Aitken duly won the battle by breaking clear at the restart, with Albon and Norris completing the podium.

Round IV: 2018 Monaco Formula 2 Round
The Circuit de Monaco in the city of Monte Carlo, Monaco, would host the fourth round of the 2018 F2 Championship, hosting two races on the 25 and 26 May 2018.

Race Seven: 2018 Monaco Feature Race
Alexander Albon swept to his third straight pole position for the Monaco Feature, and duly translated it to an early lead ahead of Nyck de Vries. They hence escaped the accident behind them as Luca Ghiotto and Antonio Fuoco smashed into each other, bringing out the Safety Car. At the restart Albon and de Vries would manage to escape up the road, leaving Arjun Maini to attack Artem Markelov for third.

Elsewhere, George Russell crashed out of the race at the back of the field, while Lando Norris would lead the field into the pits for the compulsory tyre change. Norris then destroyed his race by feeding Ralph Boschung into the barriers on lap thirteen to trigger a second safety car period, which prompted Albon and de Vries to pit. Yet, that decision proved futile for both, as the pair managed to collide in the pitlane and destroy their races.

That left Markelov at the head of the field on the alternate strategy, with the Russian racer blasting clear to establish enough of an advantage to pit and retain the lead in the closing stages. Sean Gelael led the counter charge but put up no fight against the Russian en-route to second, while Roberto Merhi scored his maiden F2 podium in third. Louis Delétraz was next ahead of Maini, Norris and Jack Aitken, while Sérgio Sette Câmara had sat out the race after a heavy accident in qualifying left him with hand injuries.

Race Eight: 2018 Monaco Sprint Race
Fuoco would start the Sprint from pole position, and duly held his advantage into the first corner as Norris challenged for the lead into Sainte Devote. Aitken, meanwhile, would throw away second by making a poor getaway, while Ghiotto nailed the back of Tadasuke Makino as the Japanese racer struggled to pull away. That accident instantly brought out a VSC, which lasted for a single lap before a full safety car was required at the restart.

This time it was Sean Gelael who caused the issue, smashing into the barriers at Piscine to leave bits of Pertamina Prema scattered across the circuit. After a seven lap interruption the race resumed, with Fuoco just holding the lead ahead of Norris and Delétraz. Behind, Markelov would charge up through the midfield, with his climb up the field only halted by Delétraz at La Rascasse as the race reached mid-distance.

With that the fight for the lead would come to an end, as Norris had used the best of his tyres but failed to find a way past Fuoco. As that fight ended a second VSC was thrown, caused by Russell, only for Fuoco and Norris to both jump the restart and earn themselves time penalties. Fortunately for Fuoco he would have enough in hand to survive a third VSC (thrown to cover the clearing of an accident between Albon and Roy Nissany) and claim victory, while de Vries was dumped to third behind Delétraz.

Round V: 2018 French Formula 2 Round
The Le Castellet circuit in southern France would host a pair of F2 races on 23 and 24 June 2018, with F2 supporting the French Grand Prix for the second season in succession.

Race Nine: 2018 Le Castellet Feature Race
George Russell would start the Le Castellet Feature from pole position, with the Brit duly acing his start to secure an early lead. However, as the Brit led the field through turn three the dark skies above Le Castellet burst, with heavy rain thundering onto the circuit. The rest of the opening lap proved treacherous as conditions rapidly deteriorated, with Luca Ghiotto and Nicholas Latifi having significant offs onto the run-off areas.

Indeed, the early stages would see almost every driver make a mistake, culminating in Sean Gelael spinning and stalling to bring out a VSC. That duly prompted several drivers to pit for wets, including Championship leader Lando Norris who had been mired in the midfield. However, as soon as they stopped the sun broke through the clouds and the rain stopped, resulting in the circuit quickly drying and destroying their respective races.

Russell, meanwhile, would establish a dominant lead at the head of the field, pitting on lap eighteen for his compulsory stop without losing the lead. However, it was Sérgio Sette Câmara who starred in the final phase of the race, managing to get onto Russell's tail to set-up a last minute duel for victory. Yet, Russell would hang on to claim the win ahead of the Brazilian, while Roberto Merhi came across the line in third, only to be disqualified as his car failed post-race scrutineering.

Race Ten: 2018 Le Castellet Sprint Race
Tadasuke Makino started the Sprint from pole, although a clutch issue saw him limp away from the grid and lose the lead. He was more fortunate than some, however, as Russell, Nirei Fukuzumi and Jack Aitken would start from the pitlane after stalling on the formation lap, while Merhi, Ralph Boschung and Artem Markelov stalled at the full start. Miraculously all three stranded cars were missed by those behind them, as Latifi sprinted into the lead ahead of Louis Delétraz.

Latifi's lead was only a brief one however, as both Delétraz and de Vries would breeze past the Canadian racer using DRS down the Mistral. The duly duelled for the lead as Latifi slipped back behind Ghiotto, while Makino's race was ruined by a trip to the pits. The battle for the lead would last for several laps, before de Vries finally eased past Delétraz's trimmed out Charouz to secure the lead.

With that de Vries was away, securing a dominant victory as he sprinted away from Delétraz in the second half of the race. Delétraz himself would run in a lonely second, while behind Ghiotto was left in a clear third ahead of Fuoco. Indeed, the only source of entertainment in the closing stages would be a charge up the field from Norris, who secured fifth with a late move on teammate Câmara.

Round VI: 2018 Austrian Formula 2 Round
The Championship's annual trip to the Red Bull Ring in the Styrian Mountains would be staged on the 30 June and 1 July 2018, forming the sixth round of the season.

Race Eleven: 2018 Red Bull Ring Feature Race
George Russell won the battle for pole for the Red Bull Ring Feature, and would duly lead the field off the grid behind the Safety Car, as the FIA deemed the clutch problems for the Dallara F2 2018 too dangerous to allow standing starts. Regardless, Russell aced the "start" of the race to claim an early lead from Lando Norris, with the duo easing clear to fight a private duel for victory. Indeed, by lap five the pair were on their own with Russell half-covering moves from Norris, before their advantage was demolished by Ralph Boschung.

Indeed, Boschung's engine failure ensured that the safety car needed to make its second appearance, with the Swiss racer's #10 MP Motorsport car stranded on the track. That prompted everyone bar Arjun Maini, Artem Markelov and Sean Gelael to stop under the SC, and hence left them at the head of the field at the restart on the alternate strategy. Maini and Markelov duly sprinted clear at the restart to duel for the lead, although their hopes of establishing a gap to those who had already stopped were ended when Russell and Norris eased past Gelael.

Yet, a third SC intervention threatened to turn the race on its head again, with Jack Aitken having pulled up with a suspension failure after a kerb strike. When the race resumed Markelov managed to scramble ahead of Maini, with Russell and Norris both passing the Indian racer within a lap of each other, albeit after Norris had slipped behind Roberto Merhi at the restart. Once Markelov pitted Russell was left with a commanding lead and duly claimed victory ahead of Norris, while Antonio Fuoco mugged Merhi in a sprint to the finish line to secure third.

Race Twelve: 2018 Red Bull Ring Sprint Race
Markelov had secured pole position for the Sprint race, and was duly gifted an early lead ahead of teammate Tadasuke Makino when the SC peeled off for the rolling start. Makino was hence left to fend off the attentions of Sérgio Sette Câmara, while feature winner Russell stormed up the order in the early stages with a series of excellent moves. Indeed, by lap five the Brit was scything past Makino to claim second, and duly went charging off after Markelov out front.

Makino continued to slide down the field after Russell's move, with Câmara barging his way through with Fuoco in his wake. The cause of Makino's lack of pace was soon shown to be tyre degradation, with the pace of the rest of the field soon dropping at the same rate as the Japanese racer's. Indeed, one other driver whose pace notably dropped would be Norris, who tumbled out of the points fight as other his trouble later.

Out front, meanwhile, Markelov would maintain a five second lead over Russell through to the chequered flag to secure an impressive victory, while Russell himself secured the lead in the Championship. Câmara was a distant third ahead of Fuoco, who just fended off Alexander Albon on the line to claim fourth. Makino was next ahead of Santino Ferrucci, while Nicholas Latifi secured the final point in eighth.

Round VII: 2018 British Formula 2 Round
F2 headed to the home of modern Grand Prix racing, the Silverstone Circuit in Northamptonshire, UK, on 7-8 July 2018, supporting the British Grand Prix.

Race Thirteen: 2018 Silverstone Feature Race
Russell secured pole position for his home feature race at Silverstone, and would lead the field away from the rolling start behind the Safety Car to claim an early lead. Alexander Albon gave chase in second ahead of the two Charouz, with the rest of the field getting away in grid order. Indeed, the only real change to the order on the opening lap came when Artem Markelov screamed past Arjun Maini into Becketts, only for the Indian racer to ease back ahead through the exit.

The early stages saw Russell open out a small lead over Albon as they pulled clear of the chasing field, while Lando Norris was struggling for pace and slipped down the field. Indeed, the majority of the field would quickly hit tyre trouble on their soft compound Pirellis, with all of those on the soft-hard strategy pitting before the end of lap six. It was here that Russell made his first mistake, for in making up for a slow stop that allowed Albon to scramble out of the pits ahead of him, the Championship leader would speed in the pitlane.

With that Albon was in control, and duly eased to the chequered flag at the head of the field with Russell on his tail. Indeed, Russell was working hard to maintain a five second gap back to third place, and duly secured second with fastest lap ahead of Antonio Fuoco. Elsewhere, Sean Gelael and Nirei Fukuzumi had tangled to bring out a Virtual Safety Car in the closing stages, while Sérgio Sette Câmara suffered a last minute engine failure.

Race Fourteen: 2018 Silverstone Sprint Race
Maximilian Günther would lead the field around for the rolling start for the Silverstone Sprint, and duly eased clear to secure a small advantage over Nyck de Vries. They were initially chased by Luca Ghiotto, although the Italian was soon mugged by both Charouz drivers, Louis Delétraz leading Fuoco past the #14 Campos Vexatec. Russell would also get involved in that fight early on and moved ahead of Ghiotto, while Norris made a barnstorming start to run in sixth.

Russell continued to climb up to third in the opening laps, while Norris moved ahead Ghiotto, only to clash with Fuoco and break his front wing. That halted his charge but did not force him to stop, with a VSC thrown to cover the retrieval of debris from their clash. When the race resumed he was able to fend off an early look from Ghiotto and hold fifth, as up front de Vries entertained a challenge for the lead.

Yet, de Vries would find Günther in no mood for a fight, and after swatting aside the Dutchman's early attempt, the German racer would simply ease clear to establish a race winning margin. de Vries duly succumbed to the pressures of Russell in the closing stages and lost second, before Norris mugged the Dutchman for third as de Vries' pace collapsed due to tyre wear. He duly tumbled back to seventh behind Markelov, Delétraz and Ghiotto, while Alexander Albon secured the final point.

However, the immediate aftermath of the race would be overshadowed by an unsavoury incident between Trident teammates Santino Ferrucci and Arjun Maini. Indeed, having fought on track for most of the race, Ferrucci decided to drive into the side of Maini on the slow-down lap after the race, earning himself a two round ban and a €60,000 fine. Yet, Ferrucci would further sour the atmosphere in the team by making remarks about Maini on social media, prompting Trident to terminate his contract.

Round VIII: 2018 Hungarian Formula 2 Round
The F2 Championship would use the Hungaroring near Budapest, Hungary, for its eighth round of the season and last before the summer break, with two races on 28-29 July 2018.

Race Fifteen: 2018 Hungaroring Feature Race
Sérgio Sette Câmara secured pole position for the Feature race at the Hungaroring, with pre-race rain leading to three formation laps before the field made their first standing start in over a month. Câmara would slither away to secure and early lead, while Nyck de Vries surged ahead of Jack Aitken to secure second. Elsewhere, Lando Norris would carve his way up the field after a poor qualifying performance, moving into third by lap seven.

Indeed, Norris was soon playing his part in the fight for victory, for he would harass de Vries hard for second as the circuit began to dry. That allowed Câmara to escape up the road, although once the #19 Carlin head dealt with de Vries it was not long before it was dancing in the wake of Câmara's sister car. Indeed, on lap ten Norris tried an audacious move around the outside of turn five, before cutting back and seizing the lead through the chicane.

With that the Brit was away, establishing a twelve second lead in five laps to prompt Câmara to lead several drivers into the pits for slicks. Norris followed a lap later and maintained a healthy margin over a now second placed de Vries, who had jumped early-stopper Câmara. The Dutchman spent the next few laps carving away at the Brit's lead, before securing first place and ultimately the race victory with a well timed lunge into turn one. Norris was hence left to defend second from Câmara in the closing stages, although the Brazilian ultimately earned himself a ten second time penalty for tipping Antonio Fuoco into a spin.

Race Sixteen: 2018 Hungaroring Sprint Race
It was dry on Sunday morning for the Sprint race, although that was of no help to pole sitter Artem Markelov, who was instantly mugged off the line by Luca Ghiotto. Indeed, the Italian hooked up his getaway beautifully to storm into the lead, taking Alexander Albon with him as they dived into the first corner ahead of Markelov. Yet, before they could fully break clear the race was brought under the Virtual Safety Car's jurisdiction.

A collision at turn three between Ralph Boschung, Roy Nissany and Alessio Lorandi was the trigger, which had left Boschung and Lorandi suffering terminal damage. The restart was also rather messy as Fuoco slammed into the back of Câmara as the Brazilian sent a late lunge on Markelov for third, although Câmara would still make the move stick. Out front, meanwhile, Ghiotto would catch Albon out and break clear of the Anglo-Thai racer, with those two quickly pulling clear of third placed Câmara.

Albon would rally back however, and as the effects of tyre wear came into play would suddenly find himself with the upper-hand. With four laps to go the #5 DAMS dived inside the #14 Campos Vexatec to secure the lead, before easing clear to claim victory with a ten second margin. Behind, Câmara secured a lonely third, while Norris battled his way up to fourth after a race long fight with Roberto Merhi and Nyck de Vries.

Round IX: 2018 Belgian Formula 2 Round
F2 was to return from its summer break with a pair of races at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Spa, Belgium, on 25 and 26 August 2018.

Race Seventeen: 2018 Spa Feature Race
Nyck de Vries claimed a dominant pole position for the Spa Feature, and duly aced his getaway on slick tyres despite a pre-race rain shower making the circuit damp. He eased clear of teammate Sérgio Sette Câmara, who jumped George Russell at the start, while Lando Norris, Alexander Albon and Luca Ghiotto ducked and dived for fourth. Norris would ultimately emerge ahead to secure the position, while Albon and Ghiotto continued to battle and hence slipped behind Antonio Fuoco.

Those two would also slip behind Artem Markelov as the early laps ticked away, the Russian racer the first of those drivers on the alternate strategy and hence had started on medium compound Pirellis. Indeed, Markelov was the only driver able to match de Vries' pace before those on the softs dived in for their swaps, with Russell and Norris triggering the en-masse sweep after the former had dealt with Câmara. de Vries would wait for a further two laps before making his stop, and would rejoin safely ahead of Russell as Markelov assumed control.

Markelov dropped back to fifteenth when he made his stop, although his hopes of getting back to the front of the field were aided when Nirei Fukuzumi came to a stop at Blanchimont with fire fanning out of the back of his car. That triggered a late Safety Car as Fukuzumi's car was removed, with the race resuming with six laps to go. de Vries duly broke clear at the restart to secure the race victory, Câmara secured second having jumped Russell during the stops, while Markelov barged up to sixth with a series of late moves.

Race Eighteen: 2018 Spa Sprint Race
Nicholas Latifi started the Sprint from pole position, and duly aced his getaway to claim an early lead from Ghiotto. The Canadian racer subsequently broke clear as Ghiotto came under attack from de Vries, whom had rocketed up to third from eighth on the grid at the start. Behind them Norris and Markelov would exchange a series of blows on the opening lap, as would Russell and Albon just behind.

de Vries moved past Ghiotto on lap two to go chasing off after Latifi, whom had established a healthy lead at the head of the field. Behind, Norris would finally overcome Markelov for third, before going on to harass Ghiotto for third, leaving Markelov to fend off Albon. Indeed, little fights were being conducted throughout the field, although de Vries would be unable to engage Latifi before his tyres began to fade.

Indeed, de Vries soon tumbled back towards the chasing pack, leaving Latifi out front to claim a dominant victory. Norris would duly catch the Dutchman in the closing stages, although when de Vries defended the Brit was put under immediate pressure from Albon behind. They both scythed past de Vries at the start of the final lap, with Norris just fending off Albon's last lap assault to secure second ahead of the Anglo-Thai driver.

Round X: 2018 Italian Formula 2 Round
The Autodromo Nazionale Monza would host the final pair of European races for the 2018 F2 Championship, with the Series hosting its two races on the 1 and 2 September.

Race Nineteen: 2018 Monza Feature Race
George Russell returned to the front of the field in Monza as he claimed pole position for the Feature race, and when Sérgio Sette Câmara pulled into the pits at the end of the formation lap he was left on his own on the front row. However, the Brit would struggle with his clutch off the grid and hence slipped behind Artem Markelov and Alexander Albon, with the former emerging in the lead after they duelled on the brakes for the Rettifilo. Russell scrambled away in third, although he was unable to get on terms with them during the opening laps.

Indeed, the only driver in the field who could match the lead duo's pace was Tadasuke Makino, who would run in eighth early on despite using the medium compound tyres. Furthermore, as those on supersofts hit tyre wear related pace issues, the Japanese racer would pick his way up the field, moving into third by lap five, and was soon on the back of the fight for the lead. A little over a lap later and Makino was in the lead having passed both Markelov and Albon, prompting the majority of the field to pit at that point.

Yet, despite having fresh tyres those who had switched to mediums still could not match Makino's pace, and found themselves stuck behind Ralph Boschung and Dorian Boccolacci, also on the alternate strategy. As a result Makino was able to pit and rejoin without losing the lead alter in the race, having had a 45 second lead at the halfway point over teammate Markelov. Makino duly collected his maiden F2 win ahead of the Russian racer, while Albon finished third having been unable to challenge Markelov.

Race Twenty: 2018 Monza Sprint Race
Boshung's strategy choice in the Feature race paid off as he finished eighth, and hence secured pole position for the Sprint the following day. However, when it came to the start of the Sprint the Swiss racer would make a mess of his start, and duly slumped to ninth as he limped off the grid. Nicholas Latifi hence streaked into the lead ahead of Russell and a fast starting Markelov, while Albon battled with Câmara for fourth.

The top three would soon break clear, with Markelov pushing Russell hard for second as the Brit challenged Latifi for the lead. Russell duly made his bid for the lead on lap five but Latifi ran him wide at the Rettifilo, and hence allowed Markelov to sneak through. Behind, Lando Norris would pick-up some front-wing damage on the opening lap but was able to match the leaders' pace, and would move up the order when Makino slid wide.

Markelov would duly take the lead on lap six, with a recovering Russell duly sweeping past Latifi himself a few laps later. He subsequently caught back up to Markelov and lunged past the Russian for the lead mid-race, with Markelov spending the rest of the race desperately trying to retake the lead. Ultimately there would be no passing Russell as he swept across the line to secure victory ahead of the Russian racer, while Câmara broke clear of the fight for fourth, took third from Latifi, and then got onto the back of the lead fight in the closing stages.

Round XI: 2018 Russian Formula 2 Round
The Sochi Autodrom in the Sochi Olympic Park in Russia would host the penultimate round of the season, with two races on the 29 and 30 September.

Race Twenty-one: 2018 Sochi Feature Race
Nyck de Vries mastered qualifying for the Sochi Feature, and duly left the rest of the field to fight for second into the first chicane as he blasted clear. Lando Norris should have been the man to claim second, but a mess of a start dumped him back to seventh and allowed title rival George Russell to move into second. Fellow title combatant Alexander Albon followed Russell through, with those two easing onto the back of de Vries to leave Nicholas Latifi in a lonely fourth.

Artem Markelov also kept his slim title hopes alive after a strong start on the harder, soft, Pirelli tyres, picking his way up the field as those on supersofts began to struggle. Indeed, by lap three the Russian racer was up into the top ten as Albon sent a lunge past Russell to secure second at the head of the field, just as their pace began to waver. Indeed, Albon would soon be caught by Jack Aitken and Antonio Fuoco, the lead drivers on the alternate strategy, with their rise prompting an en-masse sweep into the pits for tyres moments later.

Aitken, Fuoco and a charging Markelov were left on their own at the head of the field, with Markelov scything past the pair of them to secure the lead. However, those on fresh softs were running quicker, and when the top three stopped they were out of the hunt, with Markelov particularly punished by a slow stop. That left Albon at the head of the field after the Anglo-Thai racer had jumped de Vries during the stops, while Latifi got ahead of Russell to secure third.

Race Twenty-two: 2018 Sochi Sprint Race
It was a dry morning in Sochi for the Sprint race, as Nirei Fukuzumi was to lead the field away from pole position in his BWT Arden. He duly eased clear at the start to secure an early lead, with the rest of the field left squabbling in his wake. This ultimately concluded with Alessio Lorandi and Nicholas Latifi colliding at turn five, bringing out the Safety Car.

The restart came on lap three, with Fukuzumi able to escape up the road from Russell who had jumped up the order as Latifi and Lorandi caused chaos. Once his tyres were fully up to temperature the Brit soon elbowed his way past Fukuzumi for the lead, swiftly followed by Sérgio Sette Câmara. However, just as Russell set about building a lead the dark clouds over Sochi burst, causing Niko Kari and Jack Aitken to spin out and cause a Virtual Safety Car.

An en-masse sweep into the pits resulted, with everyone bar the two Charouz opting to swap to wets. However, both Louis Delétraz and Antonio Fuoco would tumble out of the points in the closing stages, as Russell swept past to claim the race victory, leaving him on the verge of the title. Câmara was a comfortable second ahead of Albon, with the Thai racer leaving Sochi as the only man who could deny Russell the Championship.

Round XII: 2018 Abu Dhabi Formula 2 Round
The 2018 FIA Formula 2 Championship would be concluded the 23-24-25 November at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, UAE, with two races in support of the 2018 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Race Twenty-three: 2018 Yas Marina Feature Race
George Russell secured pole position for the final Feature Race of the season, a result which meant he only had to claim eighth in the race to claim the F2 Championship. He would, however, make a poor start and slip down to third at the start, although main title rival Alexander Albon had an even worse start, being one of three drivers to stall on the grid. Indeed, three high-placed cars stranded on the grid caused chaos in the midfield, resulting in Arjun Maini flying over the top of a stationary Nicholas Latifi.

That brought out an immediate Safety Car as Nyck de Vries led the race ahead of Artem Markelov, with Russell in third. When the race resumed they duly blasted clear to engage in a three-way fight for the lead, which lasted through until lap nine when Russell triggered the pitstop phase of the race. Russell duly emerged ahead with the undercut as de Vries and Markelov stopped on following laps, leaving Luca Ghiotto at the head of the field.

Indeed, Ghiotto was having an incredible run from sixteenth on the grid, and would enter the final phase of the race with a 24 second advantage over Russell, giving him real hopes of claiming victory. However, after a mistake at turn eight/nine saw him cut a corner and gain an advantage, the Italian driver incurred a five second time penalty, which he had to serve at this stop. He duly dropped from fifth with the addition of the penalty when he did stop, although it was not long before the Italian racer was scything back towards the podium.

Out front, meanwhile, it was Russell who swept across the line to claim the race win and the Championship title, having run unopposed since his stop. Markelov was a lonely second while Ghiotto made late moves stick on Lando Norris and de Vries to secure third, while also taking fastest lap. Albon, meanwhile, would finish down in fourteenth after being allowed to un-lap himself during the safety car, and hence headed into the season finale in a fight for second in the Championship with Norris.

Race Twenty-four: 2018 Yas Marina Sprint Race
Roberto Merhi would start the season finale in pole position, although a slow start allowed Antonio Fuoco to sweep into the lead unopposed. Indeed, a clean getaway saw no repeat of the huge accident at the start of the Feature race, although a collision later on during the opening lap saw Sean Gelael tip Niko Kari into a spin. That duly escalated when Tadasuke Makino found Kari in his path and had no-where to go, resulting in a heavy accident that brought out the Virtual Safety Car.

The restart came two laps later, with Fuoco sprinting clear of Merhi, while Louis Delétraz jumped freshly crowned Champion Russell. Markelov also made early progress with a move on Dorian Boccolacci, before Russell rallied back against Delétraz before taking de Vries. That left the Brit in fourth behind Lando Norris, who was himself crawling all over the back of Merhi for second as Fuoco checked out at the head of the field.

However, Russell's podium collapsed when his tyres faded, leaving Norris clear to attack and pass Merhi for second. However, the Brit would be unable to catch Fuoco at the head of the field, who duly swept across the line to claim victory in what was his final F2 race. Norris and Merhi completed the podium in their final races, while Russell bowed out of F2 with fourth place.

Regulations
The technical and sport rulebooks for the FIA Formula 2 Championship remained stable for the 2018 season, with no major changes to either rule set.

Technical
The F2 Championship from 2018 would see all twenty drivers use identical Dallara F2 2018 chassis, all powered by identical Mecachrome V634 3.4l V6t engines.

Sporting
Outlined below is a full breakdown of the point scoring system for the 2018 FIA Formula 2 Championship:
 * * The fastest lap points were only awarded to the driver who set the fastest lap in the top ten of each race.

2018 FIA Formula Two Championship for Drivers
The full standings for the 2018 FIA Formula Two Championship for Drivers is outlined below:

2018 FIA Formula Two Championship for Teams
The full standings for the 2018 FIA Formula Two Championship for Teams is outlined below: