F2 Abu Dhabi: Piastri crowned champion as Daruvala wins first sprint
Oscar Piastri wrapped up the Formula 2 Championship with two races of the season remaining after finishing third in the opening sprint race won by Jehan Daruvala in Abu Dhabi.
The Prema driver produced yet another impressive drive to climb from 10th to third, which was more than enough to secure the title early.
Piastri’s rookie year F2 title success is his third consecutive championship after winning the 2019 Formula Renault Eurocup crown (now known as Formula Regional European Championship) and the FIA Formula 3 title last year.
While the Australian enjoyed championship glory thanks to a 10th podium of the season, Daruvala managed to hold off Felipe Drugovich by 2.079 seconds to score a second victory of 2021.
After losing the final podium spot to his team-mate, Robert Shwartzman came home in fourth behind champion Piastri.
Reversed-grid polesitter Daruvala made a perfect getaway to lead the field into Turn 1 while Dan Ticktum, who started alongside the Red Bull junior, bogged down and dropped to fourth by the first turn.
Behind, Piastri made a rapid start from 10th to emerge in sixth behind Prema team-mate Shwartzman.
Drugovich pursued leader Daruvala closely on the opening lap, challenging the Indian at Turn 5.
Shwartzman was next to make a move on lap three when he overtook Ticktum for fourth at the Turn 6-7 chicane. Piastri followed his team-mate through on the British driver moments later.
At the front, Daruvala continued to come under pressure from Drugovich with less than a second separating the Carlin and UNI-Virtuosi drivers.
As this battle was playing out, Shwartzman continued to be the driver on the move as he caught and passed Liam Lawson for third. A lap later Piastri managed to take fourth from Lawson at the chicane once again.
The Prema pair soon found themselves on the back of the Drugovich and Daruvala battle for the lead as the race approached half distance.
Drugovich attempted to pass Daruvala with the pair going side-by-side for several corners before the latter was able to shut the door and preserve the lead.
That proved to be Drugovich’s only chance as Daruvala managed to get a second wind and was able to pull clear of the Brazilian, who feel into the clutches of Shwartzman.
With four laps remaining, Piastri was not to be denied a podium as he managed to slip by Shwartzman for third at the Turn 6-7 chicane.
In the end, Daruvala took the chequered flag from Drugovich and Piastri with Shwartzman in fourth.
Lawson came home in fifth ahead of Ticktum, Theo Pourchaire and Guanyu Zhou.
The top 10 was rounded out by Ralph Boschung and Marcus Armstrong, with Jack Doohan slipping outside of the top 10 into 11th spot.
The race ran largely without incident with the returning Richard Verschoor and Jake Hughes the only retirements.
Formula 2 is back for its second sprint race of the weekend after Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix qualifying at 1845 local time (1445 GMT).
F2 Abu Dhabi sprint race 1 results - 23 laps
| Cla | Driver | Team | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Jehan Daruvala |  Carlin | - | |
| 2 |  Felipe Drugovich | UNI-Virtuosi | 2.000 | 2.000 |
| 3 |  Oscar Piastri |  Prema Powerteam | 2.900 | 2.900 |
| 4 |  Robert Shwartzman | Prema Powerteam | 3.500 | 3.500 |
| 5 |  Liam Lawson | HitechGP | 11.200 | 11.200 |
| 6 | Dan Ticktum | Carlin | 12.900 | 12.900 |
| 7 |  Theo Pourchaire | ART Grand Prix | 14.100 | 14.100 |
| 8 |  Guanyu Zhou | UNI-Virtuosi | 15.500 | 15.500 |
| 9 |  Ralph Boschung |  Campos Racing | 17.000 | 17.000 |
| 10 | Marcus Armstrong | DAMS | 17.500 | 17.500 |
| 11 | Jack Doohan |  MP Motorsport | 18.500 | 18.500 |
| 12 |  Jüri Vips | HitechGP | 19.200 | 19.200 |
| 13 | Bent Viscaal | Trident | 22.200 | 22.200 |
| 14 |  Roy Nissany | DAMS | 29.900 | 29.900 |
| 15 |  Christian Lundgaard | ART Grand Prix | 32.000 | 32.000 |
| 16 | Guilherme Samaia |  Charouz Racing System | 32.600 | 32.600 |
| 17 | Clement Novalak | MP Motorsport | 37.000 | 37.000 |
| 18 | Alessio Deledda | HWA Racelab | 48.900 | 48.900 |
| 19 |  Marino Sato | Trident | 54.300 | 54.300 |
| 20 | Olli Caldwell | Campos Racing | 1'43.500 | 1'43.500 |
| Jake Hughes | HWA Racelab | 4 laps | ||
| Richard Verschoor | Charouz Racing System | 12 laps | ||
| View full results | ||||
Related video
What next for the enigma "too politically incorrect" for F1?
Having by his own admission "blown my chances" of reaching Formula 1, Dan Ticktum is facing an uncertain future. A driver of unquestioned ability who has at times been his own worst enemy, can he apply his lessons and rebuild his career hopes?
How F2's biggest talent could be forced to spend 2022 on the bench
Tipped as the next big thing after winning the FIA Formula 3 championship in his rookie season, Oscar Piastri has taken Formula 2 by storm and looks set to clinch that title too. But with no Formula 1 seat available to him for next year, the Alpine junior may have to wait for his time in the spotlight…
How Campos Racing has bounced back from its devastating loss
After the sudden death of its founder in January, Formula 2 stalwart Campos Racing was left facing its hardest season to date. But new team boss Adrian Jr is determined to honour his father’s legacy and has returned the team to its winning ways
How F2 and F3's flawed format changes could prove shortlived
After a chaotic 2020, marred by the coronavirus pandemic, the FIA brought in radical changes to Formula 2 and 3. But less than 12 months later, there are talks of them being reversed after all did not go to plan…
The Red Bull F1 junior aiming to defy geographical odds
It's a long way from Pukekohe New Zealand to Milton Keynes, but Red Bull's Kiwi protege Liam Lawson has defied plenty of odds to reach the rung below F1. He's endured disappointment since winning on his F2 debut in Bahrain, but is determined to turn his season around and prove himself worthy of a place in F1
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