Photo: LAT Images / FIA F2 Championship
Formula 2 has introduced an award honouring the late Anthoine Hubert, awarded to his fellow Renault junior Guanyu Zhou for 2019.
The award was presented by Hubert’s brother Victhor to Zhou, as this season’s best rookie, at the championship’s prize-giving ceremony in Monaco on Wednesday evening.
In what was his maiden season in F2, Hubert claimed wins at Paul Ricard and Monaco and had been battling with Zhou for the status of leading rookie before his fatal crash at Spa-Francorchamps in August.
?Anthoine will always be part of our family,” said F2 chief Bruno Michel.
“He joined our paddock at the end of 2016, at the post season GP3 Series tests in Abu Dhabi and successfully raced in the category for two seasons.? He is our last GP3 Champion ? a truly worthy one.
“On his F2 debut season, he famously took two race wins, one in Monaco and another one on home soil at Le Castellet. He will remain the only rookie in 2019 who has achieved this. He finished 10th?in the championship which speaks volume of his talent.
?We wanted to honour him and ensure that he is remembered fondly in every season to come. As such, we have decided to give this award named after Anthoine to the best rookie of the season, a title which I am convinced he could have fought for by this year?s end.?
Zhou finished seventh in the F2 standings in his rookie campaign, taking five podium finishes and a first pole position at Spa.
?It is a huge honour to be receiving this special Anthoine Hubert Award for the Rookie of the Year,” he said.
“I think that it is something that will be a great memory for me, and for this year. From a personal point of view, this has obviously been a great season, and we have achieved stuff that we never expected to be achieving so quickly.
?Obviously, there have been ups and downs this year, but I am so grateful and thankful to UNI-Virtuosi for all of their hard work and to Renault as well, for everything that they have done for me, to help me become a better driver.
?I am wishing Anthoine all of the best up there, I am trying to do him proud and I will continue trying to make him proud for the rest of my racing career.?
Photo: Carl Bingham / LAT Images / FIA F2 Championship