These top talents are being watched by F1 teams in Spain

Formula 2

After three race weekends in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Imola there are not really any drivers in F2 who have been able to perform consistently. There have been a lot of crashes and the drivers who were identified as the favourites beforehand, have been disappointing so far. The championship leader, however, is not.

Theo Pourchaire is considered a huge talent. Still only eighteen-years-old, the Frenchman is part of the Sauber Academy and hopes to win a seat at Alfa Romeo in 2023. For now, he is doing good business in that regard, with two wins from three main races, he is top of the championship (52 points). However, with two eliminations and a thirteenth and seventh place, it is a little shaky.

In points, Felipe Drugovich (50 points) and Jehan Daruvala (36 points) are the biggest competitors, but not for a seat in F1. Drugovich is not affiliated with an F1 academy and has been in F2 for three years. Daruvala has also been in the class for three years and, as a 23-year-old Red Bull talent, is not the man for the job at AlphaTauri.

That spot was credited to Liam Lawson prior to the season and with three podium finishes in the first three races, the New Zealander's season started well too. However, in Jeddah and in Imola he crashed out in the main race and dropped to fourth place in the championship, just ahead of Richard Verschoor.

Compared to the other drivers in the Red Bull training program, Lawson is still doing well, however. Juri Vips is eighth, the young Japanese Aymu Iwasa is ninth and the reigning Formula 3 champion Dennis Hauger is even in twelfth place. Pierre Gasly and Yuki Tsunoda do not yet have to fear for their place.

Formula 3

Before Spain, F3 only visited Bahrain and Imola and the two top favourites prior to the season are also on top after those four races (sprint and main race per weekend). Victor Martins and Arthur Leclerc should be competing for the F3 title this year and together they are on top with 36 points.

Martins won the main race in Bahrain and took another second place in the sprint race in Imola. Charles Leclerc's little brother has not won a race yet but was consistent with second, fourth and fifth place. The battle between these drivers is also a battle between the top teams in the championship: Prema (Leclerc) and ART (Martins).

However, Leclerc (21) and Martins (20) are not the youngest drivers anymore and they are really expected to be on top. Roman Stanek is surprisingly in third place. The eighteen-year-old Czech does not belong to a training program, but he briefly won the main race in Imola.

In fourth place, we find an important pupil of Red Bull. Seventeen-year-old Jak Crawford comes from America and is doing particularly well in Europe. He finished on the podium in both races at Imola and remains close to his much more experienced teammate at Prema: Leclerc. The same goes for Ferrari-junior Oliver Bearman. The seventeen-year-old Brit drove a lesser weekend in Imola, but thanks to his second and sixth place in Bahrain, he is still seventh in the standings.

Isack Hadjar is the last one to keep an eye on. Not a much talked about name prior to the season and as part of the Red Bull training program, he didn't get a spot at one of the top teams either. At Hitech, however, the seventeen-year-old Frenchman surprised friend and foe with a win in the sprint race in Bahrain and a third and fifth place in Imola. He is fifth in the standings only five points behind the leaders.

Timetable for Formula 2 and Formula 3 in Spain [UK time]

Friday

F3 free practice: 08:30-09:15

F2 free practice: 10:35-11:20

F3 qualification: 14:30-15:00

F2 qualification: 17:30-18:00

Saturday

F3 sprint race: 10:00-10:45

F2 sprint race: 16:40-17:30

Sunday

F3 main race: 09:05-09:55

F2 main race: 10:35-11:40