Future of Motorsports: Where Are The Formula 2 Champions Now?

The way to reach the pinnacle series of motorsports goes through the feeder series and for most of the time, Formula 2 is considered to be the last stepping stone before Formula 1. However, this may not be the case from time to time and in this article, we’ll cover where our modern Formula 2 champions have ended up in their careers so far.

(Image credits to formula1.com)

Formula 2 is a feeder series where stars of the future go up against each other to be noticed by bigger teams and step into far greater competitions. F2 might have many differences compared to F1, but it’s safe to say that it’s the closest experience to F1, before stepping into an F1 car. What makes this feeder series so close and competitive is that all the drivers are using the same chassis of the Italian manufacturer Dallara and also the same engine provided by the French company Mechacrome. So, since their cars are structurally the same, drivers’ performances rely so much more on their own skills and preparation than on their cars. Being a champion in Formula 2 isn’t only a huge privilege but also a great display of a driver’s skill and potential. This potential not only attracts F1 teams, but teams from other motorsports series as well. So without further ado, let’s have a look at what happened to the champions of the modern era of Formula 2.

Charles Leclerc (2017)

After a dominant run in F2 with Prema and becoming the first champion of the modern FIA F2 World Championship in 2017, Alfa Romeo Sauber invested in Leclerc by giving him a seat alongside Marcus Ericsson in 2018. He scored points in 10 out of 21 races and outscored his more experienced teammate. His performance opened the gates to his childhood dreams, a Ferrari seat. The Monegasque driver has been racing for Ferrari since 2019. He has taken 8 Grand Prix victories, including his home race Monaco, 27 pole positions and stood on the podium 50 times in 150 races for Ferrari. He has a contract with the Prancing Horse until 2029, making him the driver with the longest contract in Ferrari’s history. 

(Image credits to skysports.com)

George Russell (2018)

Russell finished the 2018 F2 season as champion with 7 wins, 5 pole positions and 11 podiums for ART Grand Prix, outscoring the fellow Brit and future World Champion Lando Norris by 68 points. Next season, he made his F1 debut with Williams, but his first experience coincided with Williams’ difficult times. He was unable to score points for the team in his first 2 seasons, instead scoring his first F1 points with Mercedes in 2020, while he was replacing a COVID-infected Lewis Hamilton. Eventually, his first points with Williams came in the following year in the chaotic Hungarian GP. Around this time, Russell’s special qualifying ability became known and he was nicknamed “Mr. Saturday” for it. That performance became incredibly obvious in 2021 when he put his Williams in the top 3 starting positions twice, turning one of them into his first podium despite being in a less competitive team. His talent got him a Mercedes seat in 2022 and he’s still driving for them. In 93 race starts with Mercedes, he's won 5 races, taken 8 pole positions and 24 podiums.

(Image credits to formula1.com)

Nyck de Vries (2019)

De Vries was crowned champion in his third F2 season and much like his championship, the Dutch driver’s chance for an F1 seat was also gonna come later. In 2020, he made his Formula E debut with Mercedes-EQ, but would only score a podium in the final round of the season. However, the next season was completely different for the Dutchman and he became one of the 10 different champions of the series. His first chance to impress in Formula 1 came in the 2022 Italian GP, when Alex Albon suffered from appendicitis and De Vries took his opportunity well with a point-scoring finish. This performance also paved the way for his full-time F1 debut in 2023 with Alpha Tauri but his F1 career would be cut short after 10 races due to unsatisfactory performance. After his departure from F1, he returned to Formula E with Mahindra and also stepped into the World Endurance Championship (WEC) with Toyota Gazoo Racing. He’s still competing in both championships with those teams.

(Image credits to nytimes.com)

Mick Schumacher (2020)

When “The Red Baron” Michael Schumacher’s son became the F2 World Champion in his second year, everybody was excited with high hopes. “Can he become anything like his father?” was the question in everybody’s mind as he signed with Haas for the 2021 season. However, those high hopes didn’t last long. After 2 years of some heavy crashes and rare occasions of point scoring with a problematic car, Mick Schumacher wasn’t given a seat in the 2023 grid. He kept being a test driver for several teams before he stepped into endurance racing with Alpine in 2024. He stepped onto the podium only 3 times in his 2-year run with the French team and recently, the German driver has been announced to compete in the 2026 IndyCar season with RLL Racing.

(Image credits to speedwell.com)

Oscar Piastri (2021)

To this date, still one of the most controversial driver announcements that has ever happened. When he won the F2 World Championship in 2021, Piastri was still a part of the Alpine Junior Academy. Despite sidelining him as a reserve driver in 2022, Alpine had plans to promote him eventually and that opportunity arose mid-season. After Fernando Alonso announced his switch to Aston Martin for 2023, Alpine wanted to give his seat to their young Aussie prospect, but they fumbled it in the most unexpected way. The thing is, they announced Piastri as their new driver without his notice and confirmation. Following this, Piastri put out arguably the most famous tweet in F1 history where he told the world that he would not be racing for Alpine and later announced his partnership with McLaren for the 2023 season. As a result, this brought some contractual discussions between the two teams and the FIA’s Contract Recognition Board (CRB), which ruled in favour of McLaren and Piastri. This moment changed the fate of both teams. While Piastri has been rising to be one of the top drivers in the following years, Alpine has found their performance in a downwards trajectory. In his McLaren career so far, Piastri has taken 9 race victories, 6 pole positions and 26 podium appearances in 70 races and counting with a long term contract with the team.

Felipe Drugovich (2022)

Drugovich finished his F2 title-winning season in one of the most dominant fashion we’ve ever seen in recent memory, putting a 101-point gap between his closest rival. With this performance, he joined Aston Martin ranks as their first development programme driver. Despite this signing, Aston Martin haven’t had an open seat to sign Drugovich into, leaving him with a test and development position and a handful of free practice session appearances in the 3 years. In the meantime, he made a short stint in endurance racing, appearing in competitions like the 24  Hours of LeMans in 2024 and 24 Hours of Daytona in 2025. The young Brazilian driver also had a chance to participate in the Formula E Rookie Test with Mahindra as well. For season 12 of Formula E, he’s been given a full-time seat by the American team, Andretti.

(Image credits to formulascout.com)

Théo Pourchaire (2023)

After getting heavily beaten by Felipe Drugovich in the 2022 F2 season, 2023 was his time to shine as a Sauber Junior. However, his career met a similar fate as his rival. He only appeared in several free practice sessions and tried to build a career in other series, but things got complicated during the process. The French driver couldn’t hold on in the Super Formula and IndyCar series and despite taking part in rookie sessions of Formula E, he wasn’t able to sign a full-time position. After some difficult years, he made his endurance racing debut in 2025 with Algarve Pro Racing in the ELMS - LMP2 category. Finally, Théo has been given a full-time seat with Peugeot in the 2026 WEC season.

Gabriel Bortoleto (2024)

Bortoleto was crowned the 2024 F2 World Champion after a thrilling season-long battle against Isack Hadjar. Throughout his time racing in the junior series, he was part of the McLaren Driver Development Programme and was mentored by Fernando Alonso. After winning the championship, he left McLaren ranks to join Kick Sauber for the 2025 F1 season. In his rookie year, he claimed 19 points for his team and put up a decent fight against his experienced teammate, Nico Hulkenberg, especially in qualifying sessions. 

(Image credits to motorsport.com)

In a nutshell, Formula 2 provides an excellent opportunity for young drivers to prove their talents in the cockpit and shape their careers in various ways. This season, Leonardo Fornaroli won the title at the Qatar GP weekend, joining an elite group of drivers who whave on back-to-back F3 and F2 championships. Shortly afterwards, he announced his signing into the McLaren Driver Development Programme and eyes are now on him and how his career will shape up.

Article written by Emre Albas © Emre Albas 2025