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Mick Schumacher ends rookie Formula 2 season with points finish

01.12.2019

Mick Schumacher's 2019 season came to an end with the final round of the Formula 2 Championship at Yas Marina Circuit, the curtain-raiser to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Unlike previous rounds, during the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend races take place at dusk, with night running also on the programme.

Speaking after qualifying tenth on Friday, Mick said, "That was my first night-qualifying, although I have driven at Misano during the night in Formula 4 and did the post-season Formula 2 test days last year which were also partly driven in the dark. Still, it was a first, but then it seemed nearly like day to me with all the lights on.

"As for my Qualifying itself, it did not work out too well for various reasons and, in the end, we had to settle for P10. I was really hoping for more."

Mick started the Feature race, on Saturday evening, with the soft option rubber tyres bolted to his car but soon came in for primes, meaning that a long second stint was on the cards.

The team reported that "Schumacher put up a solid pace, but he began struggling as the race progressed, and the prime tyres lost their edge. In the end, he could only salvage a top-10 finish."

Mick reflected afterwards, "There’s not so much to say after this race, with P9 being obviously a bit of a pity. In the first stint, we were running pretty well but then I probably over pushed in the middle part which resulted in having no tyres left towards the end. Since [Giuliano] Alesi was on a different strategy and on fresh tyres at the end, he was able to close the gap quickly and overtake me to secure 8th position."

On Sunday at Yas Marina, Mick finished 11th in the Sprint race to bring to an end his rookie season in the F1-feeder series. He said after the final race of the season, "I’ve learnt a lot in my first F2 season and I’m sure these experiences will prove beneficial in 2020."

Schumacher, who was 2018 Formula 3 Champion, finished 12th overall in this year's Formula 2 Championship and has been confirmed to race in the series next season, again with Prema, as part of the 20-year-old's programme with the Ferrari Driver Academy. (Report by Roy Franco; Photo by F2 Media)

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