Race week is here, and it is the first race week with Kimi Antonelli in Formula 2, so there are a lot of expectations about what he can do.
Kimi Antonelli at the Bahrain International Circuit
Bahrain International Circuit
The first F2 race in the circuit was in 2017, when Charles Leclerc completed the fastest lap of Formula 2 so far, with an astonishing 1:38.907 for Prema Racing.
With a length of 5.412 KM, the circuit has 15 corners with 3 DRS zones, allowing many exciting battles between the drivers.
Schedule
We will start the week on Thursday with 45 minutes of Free Practice at 12:05 local time, followed by a qualifying session that begins at 16:55 local time and is expected to end at 17:25 local time.
Friday, we will have the Sprint Race that will start at 17:15 local time, with the Feature Race beginning on Saturday at 13:30 local time.
The most important thing to remember is that the Feature Race is on Saturday and not Sunday as usual; the same will happen with F1.
What to expect
The Prema Racing team had a solid Pre-Season Testing, but with just the pre-season testing, it isn't apparent if they have a car good enough to compete for wins; we only found out this weekend.
Considering that the car has a good performance and they can put together a setup that Kimi can feel good with, finishing the race in the top 5 will be possible for his first race in F2. The ultimate goal is for him to win the race or finish on the podium, but it is hard to tell if that is possible before the first race, where we will truly see what the car is capable of.
We know what Antonelli is capable of; winning races is essential, but winning the championship is more important. Finishing the first race in the top 5 is a good starting point so we don't start the championship too far behind.
It's the first race of the year, and with the new regulations and car, there will be a lot to learn so we can put ourselves in a position to win the championship.
