F1 Esports driver Bolukbasi makes historic F2 move

Maria Bright
Cem Bolukbasi Charouz Racing System driver

Cem Bolukbasi Charouz Racing System driver: Makes transition from Esports to F2

23-year-old F1 Esports driver Cem Bolukbasi will be racing for F2 Charouz Racing System, and becomes the first driver to graduate from virtual racing to the series.

The Turkish driver has been virtual racing successfully for numerous years, as well as competing in the F3 Asian Championship last year, taking ninth in the series in 2021.

He took part in the F2 Abu Dhabi test in December, driving the Van Amersfoort Racing car.

Bolukbasi said: “I’m really, really happy to join Charouz Racing System for the FIA Formula 2 2022 season. I worked so hard to get an opportunity like this… The season ahead is gonna be very long and demanding and establishing the best possible relationship with all the guys is going to be crucial for the final outcome.”

Team owner Antonín Charouz added: “We’re more than delighted to welcome a brilliant driver like Cem in our Formula 2 team.

“It will be a challenging and exciting new experience for him, but he has already shown that he has the numbers to learn quickly and get some good results in some of the most competitive and difficult Formula 1-feeder categories.”

The 2022 FIA Formula 2 Championship is set to start on the 18th March, and follows much of the F1 calendar.