The entry list for the 2009 FIA’s revived Formula Two Championship has been released with the first races taking place at Valencia, May 30th and 31st. Run by Jonathan Palmer’s MotorSport Vision, the 24 drivers will pilot identical Williams F1-designed spec chassis powered by 400hp Audi 1.8 litre turbocharged engines. The cars are equipped with paddle shift transmissions and a 50hp boost button available eight times during the race. There will be 8 double-header race weekends for a total of 16 races.
The entry list:
# – Driver – Nationality – Age – 2008 Results
2 – Sebastian Hohenthal – Swedish – 24 – 7th in British F3
3 – Jolyon Palmer – British – 18 – 3rd in Formula Palmer Audi
4 – Julien Jousse – French – 23 – 2nd in WSR
5 – Alex Brundle – British – 18 – 6th in Formula Palmer Audi
6 – Armaan Ebrahim – Indian – 19 – 7th in FV6 Asia, also GP2 Asia
7 – Henry Surtees – British – 18 – 12th in Formula Renault UK
8 – Tobias Hegewald – German – 19 – 3rd in FRenault NEC, 5th in Euro
9 – Pietro Gandolfi – Italian – 21 – 26th in Swiss Formula Renault
10 – Nicola de Marco – Italian – 18 – 4th in Spanish F3
11 – Jack Clarke – British – 20 – 5th in Formula Palmer Audi
12 – Robert Wickens – Canadian – 19 – 12th in WSR, 15th in Euro F3
14 – Mirko Bortolotti – Italian – 19 – Italian F3 champion
15 – Mikhail Aleshin – Russian – 21 – 5th in WSR
17 – Carlos Iaconelli – Brazilian – 21 – 28th in GP2
18 – Natacha Gachnang – Swiss – 21 – 3rd in Spanish F3
20 – Jens Hoing – German – 22 – 17th in German F3
21 – Kazim Vasiliauskas – Lithuanian – 18 – 21st in Italian FRenault
22 – Andy Soucek – Spanish – 23 – 14th in GP2 and GP2 Asia
23 – Henri Karjalainen Finnish 23 17th in Atlantic
24 – Tom Gladdis – British – 18 – 6th in Star Mazda
25 – Milos Pavlovic – Serbian – 26 – GP2 part-season
27 – German Sanchez – Spanish – 19 – Spanish F3 champion
31 – Jason Moore – British – 20 – Formula Palmer Audi champion
33 – Philipp Eng – Austrian – 18 – 11th in German F3 (part-season)
The strongest contenders look to be Jason Moore, German Sanchez, Julien Jousse, Robert Wickens and Mirko Bartolotti while the British contingent features many sons of former drivers: Martin Brundle, John Surtees and Palmer’s own son.
– MCZF1