After a season long battle with compatriot Jolyon Palmer,
Dean Stoneman emerged as the 2010 FIA Formula Two Champion in the
very final round of the season at Valencia.
Stoneman had confidence in his ability and delivered
majestically, proving exceptionally competitive from the outset and
ultimately taking six wins and 13 podiums from the 18 races to
finish 42 points clear of Palmer in second. Stoneman set the tone
for his season with a second-place finish in the opening race at
Silverstone, before quickly claiming a maiden win and another
second on the streets of Marrakech.
A further podium came at Monza, before Stoneman returned to the
top step at both Zolder and the Algarve, although failure to score
points in the opening race in Portugal set him back in the
championship. He responded in typically determined fashion, taking
a dominant win in the first race at Brands Hatch, before
contributing to one of the defining moments of the season as he and
title rival Jolyon Palmer clashed in the second race at Paddock
Hill - ultimately costing both drivers the chance to score
points.
Undeterred Stoneman took a brace of second-place finishes at
Brno, having qualified on pole for both contests, before delivering
his best weekend of the year in Oschersleben to claim his fifth and
sixth victories - setting a new record for the biggest ever winning
margin in the process. Such heroics handed Stoneman the
championship lead, but it was only finally secured in the last
round at Valencia where a ninth place finish in race one was enough
to clinch the title. Stoneman celebrated with a podium in the final
race, and will be hoping to again impress when he sits behind the
wheel of the Williams FW32 as part of his prize for winning in
F2.