By Alex Johnston
As a result of his accident with Olli Caldwell in Baku, Van Amersfoort Racing driver Amaury Cordeel will be banned from the next Formula 2 round at Silverstone after getting 12 points on his racing license. Who could replace the Belgian? The 19 year old is the first driver to get a race ban since Mahaveer Raghunathan in 2019.
The likely candidates
David Beckmann
German driver Beckmann has been a big part participant in the last two seasons, racing with Campos and Charouz, managing two podiums from 19 races including points for Charouz at Imola in the feature race this year as he sat in for injured Cem Bolukbasi.
📸 Beckmann already has points to his name in F2 this year.
Lirim Zendeli
Another German, Zendeli has F2 experience after racing with VAR’s Dutch counterparts MP Motorsport last year. Zendeli, who is of Macedonian and Albanian descent, raced 17 times in F2, scoring points on four occasions with a highest finish of seventh.
📸 Zendeli with MP Motorsport last season.
The outsiders
Franco Colapinto
VAR’s F3 star Franco Colapinto has started the season in fine form and currently sits 8th in the standings having taken 1 win and 1 pole position in the opening three rounds.
Colapinto is an outsider for the step to F2 as F3 will also be racing at Silverstone the same weekend. Matteo Nannini showed last season with HWA Racelab that pulling double duty over F2 and F3 is possible. You never know in racing.
📸 Colapinto is in great form, could he pull double duty at Silverstone?
Jack Aitken/Bent Viscaal
Both drivers are proven, able competitors at F2 level and would be the perfect choices for VAR as they look to plug the gap Cordeel’s suspension has left.
The move would be unlikely for both of these drivers as they are both competing in the European Le Mans Series this year, which is racing at Monza the same weekend. A bit more than either can chew.
📸 Both Aitken and Viscaal are racing sports cars this year.
Jamie Chadwick
A two time W Series champion, Chadwick could take the opportunity to race in Silverstone, and make her F2 debut. Racing fans have long awaited her transition to this level and this would be a great opportunity in front of a home crowd.
However like Colapinto, and Chadwick is also part of a set up that is racing in Silverstone on the same weekend. She has the backing, but strategically it’s a tough one to do both.
📸 W Series champ Jamie Chadwick - time for an F2 debut?
The ‘not a chancers’
Robert Shwartzman
Ferrari reserve driver Shwartzman would be a very surprising choice. F2 runner up in 2021, Shwartzman ‘retired’ from F2 at the end of the season, with the aim of working in an F1 capacity. His experience would be very useful to VAR but a move is unlikely. If he was to race, he’d race under and Israeli flag, due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.
This move however is not very likely, given the fact Shwartzman does not want to race at this level as he seeks to advance his career.
📸 Robert Shwartzman is with Ferrari’s prestigious driver academy.
David Schumacher
A development driver with Aston Martin’s F1 team, David Schumacher could make his F2 debut if he was to replace Cordeel. The 22 year old German and son of F1 legend Ralf has raced in F3 with three team but is yet to make the step to F2.
This move will definitely not happen, as the same weekend Schumacher is racing DTM in Germany at the Norisring. The name Schumacher is synonymous with racing, but that’s not going to put him in an F2 seat at Silverstone.
📸 David Schumacher - unlikely for an F2 debut with VAR.
Image credit(s): Van Amersfoort Racing, MP Motorsport, Formula Motorsport Limited, ELMS, Williams Racing, Sky Sports.
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