Fukuzumi: Communication breakthrough may lead to F2 rookie podiums
Honda Formula 1 junior Nirei Fukuzumi believes a communication breakthrough with his Arden International squad could lead to podium finishes in the second half of the 2018 Formula 2 season
Fukuzumi entered F2 after finishing third in the 2017 GP3 standings with ART Grand Prix, behind only George Russell and Jack Aitken, but has struggled so far this season.
He and his Arden team - and team-mate Maxi Gunther - have made errors alongside reliability issues.
Fukuzumi is therefore second to last in the points, although he scored two top 10 finishes at the recent Red Bull Ring round.
"For sure it's getting better, even with the team we are getting better with communication," said Fukuzumi, who encountered electrical and radiator issues that prevented him from making further progress last time out at Silverstone.
"At the beginning I was struggling, especially with communication with my engineer. Now I feel very comfortable with him.
"I'm feeling strong with them and they are always pushing and pushing.
"Of course [I need to get good results], I'm thinking if we carry on like this we can get a podium, I'm thinking like this."
Makino learning Markelov's tyre tricks
Fukuzumi's fellow Honda junior, Tadasuke Makino, believes newfound knowledge of the Pirelli F2 tyres - gleamed from working with Russian Time team-mate Artem Marlelov - could help turn his season around.
Makino, who is competing in just his fourth year of car racing, believes having access to Markelov's data is helping to improve his race pace.
He took his best results of the season so far with a sixth and a seventh in Austria, in a campaign where he has encountered a series of car issues.
Makino has an average qualifying position of 11.43 - better than Markelov's 12.43 - but in terms of race results Markelov averages 6.08 compared to Makino's 11.
Markelov is fourth in the points on 110, while Makino is 16th with 18.
"I have learned a lot of things from Artem as his race pace is always awesome," said Makino.
"The qualifying pace is quite similar, but in race pace he's quicker most of the time, so I've been learning.
"I can watch everything on the data, so it's really a big help for me and also my engineer has been doing a really good job.
"The big thing is I have learned a lot about the Pirelli [tyres] as this is my first time using them.
"Artem's data is a big help for me to learn how to save the tyre."
Previous article
Formula 2 teams begin testing revised car after problems
Next article
Red Bull rules out Ticktum Formula 2 move in place of banned driver
How Red Bull's next F1 hopeful turned around his season
Having impressed in Formula 3, Juri Vips looked to be next cab off the rank in Red Bull's prestigious Junior Team before his 2020 schedule was dealt a heavy blow by the COVID-19 pandemic. After a tough start to life in Formula 2, Vips is showing signs of a recovery - could he be the first Estonian to reach Formula 1?
The making of an F1 hopeful re-writing the F2 record books
He'd marked himself out as a star of the future in last year's FIA Formula 3 championship, but 17-year-old Theo Pourchaire underlined his credentials by winning his first Formula 2 race in the Monaco feature. Sauber junior status gives him a clear route to the top, but with wisdom beyond his years, he's not getting caught up in his own hype
The 10 greatest F2 races contested by F1 drivers
Formula 2 used to be about more than providing a stepping stone to F1. For three decades it often provided another setting for the world’s best to fight it out. Autosport picks out the very best races
The F1 hopeful living two lives to keep his dream alive
Having lost his backing from Red Bull, Richard Verschoor has had to graft to continue his ascent up the single-seater ladder. An impressive Formula 2 debut in Bahrain, despite the lateness of his deal, shows his unorthodox approach is paying dividends
Was Formula 2’s radical format switch a success?
Going into the 2021 Formula 2 season the biggest talking point wasn’t about any drivers or teams, but the new race weekend format. Created partly out of financial necessity but also to spice up the action, the Bahrain opener provided a snapshot of the positives and negatives to come
Why 2021 is make-or-break for the driver F1 needs
He was tipped for glory in FIA Formula 2 last year, but was hampered by reliability woes at inopportune moments. Guanyu Zhou knows he won't get too many more chances if he is to become China's first F1 driver, with fierce competition within the ranks of Alpine's junior stable
How Schumacher Jr earned his Haas F1 chance
Michael Schumacher may have won seven Formula 1 titles, but he didn't even compete for a crown at the second tier. Son Mick put that right in 2020, and proved to Ferrari that he was deserving of a shot at motorsport's elite category in 2021
The quintet giving Ferrari a tough decision to make
The Ferrari Driver Academy earned a podium sweep in the first Formula 2 race of the new decade in Austria last weekend. The battle between 'the FDA five' is set to be one of the major subplots of the season, but who has the best F1 prospects for 2021?
