Mercedes, Ferrari, Red Bull and McLaren will all have young drivers competing in either Formula 2 or 3 in 2018 as part of their development programmes. Much-maligned engine supplier Honda also has a scheme of its own, which has somewhat flown under the radar, but its rising star will graduate to Formula 2 this season, as Motorsport Week analyses…
Nirei Fukuzumi is unlikely to be the young driver upon which the greatest scrutiny will fall throughout 2018.
Aside from the aberration that is Max Verstappen, whose rise to the top has cast him out of his similarly-aged contemporaries and into the collective of established F1 stars, the spotlight is likely to fall on Charles Leclerc (with Sauber) or Mercedes-backed George Russell and rising McLaren star Lando Norris. The Brits, with GP3 and F3 titles under their belts, are both eyeing Formula 1 seats in 2019, and are likely to ramp up their involvement with Mercedes/Force India and McLaren respectively, while plotting their paths to the F2 title (Russell with ART, Norris with Carlin).
Fukuzumi, though, will join them in Formula 2, with Arden, and his Honda backing means he is one to keep an eye on, with his dual campaign of Formula 2 and Super Formula a signal of the Japanese company’s trust in his ability (though it is unclear which series will take priority, with there being two clashes).
Fukuzumi’s rise comes at the expense of Nobuharu Matsushita, who has previously been regarded as the lead driver in Honda's Formula Dream Project.
Matsushita switched to GP2 in 2015 as reigning Japanese F3 champion and had a solid rookie campaign alongside the all-conquering Stoffel Vandoorne at ART. But he failed to kick on in 2016 and was infamously banned for triggering the restart chaos in Baku, a setback which shattered his confidence and influenced the remainder of his season. 2017 was better, with a pole and two reversed-grid wins, and sixth overall, alongside a Sauber test run in Hungary, but it was too little, too late, under-delivering on his pre-season target of third.
Fukuzumi, therefore, effectively becomes Honda’s anointed protégé, as he graduates to Formula 2 after displaying promise in GP3.
As with Matsushita, and many Asian-based racers before them, Fukuzumi had to adapt to the different cultures and nuances of European-based teams and series, while joining ART, and GP3, was both a blessing and a curse. GP3 is a tricky championship to grasp, with limited testing, fickle tyres and, often, restricted overtaking opportunities, raising the importance of qualifying and the opening lap. Heightened, understandably, when everything, such as team members, circuits, countries, culture, is new. European racers have often spoken of their learning curve when getting accustomed to Japanese-based championships; it is the same reversed.
Similarly, ART is the best-equipped team in GP3, giving Fukuzumi the best leg-up, but also consequently attracts the best drivers – Fukuzumi went up against Charles Leclerc, Alexander Albon and Nyck de Vries in 2016; they all took him under their wings, but once on-track were formidable opponents. The amiable Fukuzumi finished seventh, with a trio of podiums, the lowest-placed ART racer, but impressed with his attitude and improvement.
Remaining in GP3 for 2017 undoubtedly led to further gains, as Fukuzumi won the season-opening race – notably both Leclerc and Albon, now in F2, made sure they were beneath the podium to cheer him on – and stayed in title contention for much of the campaign, before Russell streaked clear. Two wins and two poles was a marked improvement, and it could have been more had his GP3/16 not developed an electrical problem as he prepared to start from the front at Monza. He classified third overall in the standings, seven points down on Aitken, disappointing only in Abu Dhabi, amid rare ART struggles. There remained a handful of question marks, most prominently over those often-heralded ‘final two tenths’, but he was there or thereabouts.
The move to Formula 2 represents a step up for Fukuzumi as he joins Arden, connected to Red Bull through the Horner family, while a Super Formula programme with Mugen means events will come thick and fast, ostensibly accelerating his learning process (and also boosting his Super Licence points chances). Arden has not enjoyed title success in recent years, though the introduction of a new package, on face value, presents a clean sheet of paper for Formula 2 teams.
In Formula 1 terms, Honda will be able to keep a close watch on Fukuzumi, for having one of its protégés eventually competing at the top echelon would represent a big box ticked for its young driver programme. And, longer term, the new relationship with Toro Rosso makes it a more attainable goal than in its previous partnership with McLaren. It should also be noted that, with Pierre Gasly now ineligible, both Red Bull and Toro Rosso will require young drivers for in-season testing. Fukuzumi, with some strong performances, could thrust himself into contention, particularly for the Faenza-based squad.
Fukuzumi, therefore, will not be the most-lauded youngster in junior championships in 2018, but it is worth tracking his progress on the rung below Formula 1.
Discussion about this post