Scottish racer Cian Shields will be staying with AIX for a second season in FIA Formula 2. After being drafted in for the final two rounds (four races) of the 2024 season, Cian has now driven on all the circuits in the F2 calendar. Now returning back to Lusail and Yas Marina to finish off the season, it’ll be interesting to see if Cian will show an upturn in form.
Cian Shields has had a highly unusual ascent up the open wheel racing ladder when you look at his results. After a topsy-turvy GB3 championship in 2022 served up some strong reverse grid race results, Cian’s big championship success came in 2023 with the Euroformula Open Championship. He finished a distant second to Noel León, and only six drivers took part in enough rounds to score in all eligible results. It looks better on paper than it does when you look into the details.
What is more concerning is that during Shields’ time in F3 in 2024, he did not trouble the scorers. A 14th place in Spain was the highlight, with only 6 top 20 finishes from 20 races. Moving up to F2 has fared little better. A surprise 11th on his debut weekend at Lusail in the feature race has been replicated this year in Imola’s feature race, but they were down to attrition and unusual circumstances rather than outright pace.
What’s been more telling is that Cian Shields is almost always between 2.0 – 2.2 seconds away from pole position. There has been little progression in moving closer to the rest of the pack when the heat of ultimate qualifying kicks in. Shield’s is the only driver yet to qualify within a second of pole, his closest being 1.1 seconds off pole at Catalunya. It’s the tracks like Monza, Red Bull Ring, and Catalunya, where Cian is closer to the pack, so maybe familiarity will help breed speed and consistency. Points will need to be the goal in 2026, as if there is no progress, then other well-funded suitors will be sniffing around for the seat. Think of that Aston Martin test, Cian…
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