The FIA Formula 2 Championship[1] is a second-tier single-seater championship organized by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). Held on racing circuits, the championship was introduced in 2017, following the rebranding of the long-term Formula One feeder series GP2. The series' original founders were Flavio Briatore and current managing director Bruno Michel. It is the last step on the FIA Global Pathway from Karting to Formula One. While it is not absolutely necessary to do so, most current F1 drivers have participated in either Formula 2 or GP2 before graduating to Formula One.
Formula 2 is designed to make racing relatively affordable for the teams and to make it an ideal training ground for life in Formula One. The series is a spec series; all teams are required to use the same chassis, engine, and tire supplier. Formula 2 mainly races on European and Middle Eastern circuits, but has appearances at other international race tracks as well, such as the Albert Park Circuit in Australia.
The Formula 2 chassis is developed by Italian manufacturer Dallara. While significantly slower than Formula One cars, the Formula 2 championship cars are faster than most other circuit racing vehicles. All iterations of the Formula 2 chassis aim to closely mirror Formula One cars in terms of safety, aesthetics, system functionalities, performance, sustainability, and cost-effectiveness. In 2024, the series introduced ground effect to align with similar developments shown in Formula One cars, and chassis development is set to continue over the 2024, 2025, and 2026 seasons, aligning with the gradual increase in sustainable fuel components, targeting 100% synthetic sustainable fuels by 2027.[2]
The numbering system in the FIA Formula 2 Championship is currently based on the previous season's team standings (similar to the Formula One 1996–2013 numbering system) except for the number 13, which has been used since the formation of the GP2 Series in 2005 until present. Additionally, since the 2020 season, the number 19 (and later the number 18) has been retired to honor Anthoine Hubert, who sustained fatal injuries during one of the 2019 Belgian Grand Prix's support races while driving a car numbered 19.[3][4]
Race weekend
The feature race includes a compulsory pit-stop, in which all four tyres must be changed. Unless the driver has used wet-weather tyres during the feature race, they must use at least one set of each specification of dry-weather tyres during the feature race.[5]
On Friday, there is one free practice session of 45 minutes and one qualifying session of 30 minutes.[2]
On Saturday one Sprint Race (two in 2021) takes place, consisting of 120 kilometres[a] or 45 minutes, whichever comes first. The starting grid will be determined by reversing the top 10 finishers of Friday's qualifying session.
On Sunday, the feature race takes place ahead of the Formula 1 Grand Prix, consisting of 170 kilometres[b] or 60 minutes, whichever comes first. The feature race had earlier taken place on Saturday instead of the sprint race from 2017 to 2020.
Points system
The top 8 finishers in the sprint race receive points as follows:
Point system for Sprint Race
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
10
8
6
5
4
3
2
1
The top 10 finishers in the Feature Race receive points as follows:
Point system for Feature Race
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
9th
10th
25
18
15
12
10
8
6
4
2
1
The driver who qualified in pole position for the Feature race during Friday's qualifying session receives an additional 2 points.
In each race, one point will be awarded to the driver who achieves the fastest lap time, provided they were in the top 10 positions of the final race classification.
The maximum number of points a driver can score at any round will be 39.
A count-back system is used to decide the places of drivers with equal points in the championship, with the driver with the most wins ranking highest of those with equal points totals. If there is still a tie, the most second-place finishes, then the most third-place finishes, etc., would be used to split the tied drivers. This count-back system is applied at all stages of the championship.
Costs
One estimate puts the cost of running a Formula Two car at $US 3 million per season.[6] In most cases, the majority of costs must be paid by the drivers themselves. This may be through personal sponsorship or personal or family wealth. These costs, as well as the costs of competing in more junior categories, represent a major barrier to drivers reaching Formula One.
A number of cost control measures, including freezing car specifications and reducing the number of venues, were introduced by the FIA for the 2021 season.[7]
The first-generation (third-generation overall) 2011–17 spec GP2/11 car that was used in the first season of the rebranded championship had been designed by Dallara Automobili. The obsolete GP2/11 car was fitted with the old Mecachrome 4.0-litre V8 naturally-aspirated engine as well as a taller and narrower rear wing inspired by those used in Formula One from 2009 to 2016.
The F2 Championship used the Dallara F2 2018 chassis from 2018 to 2023.
The cost of a Dallara F2 2018 car is approximately €500,000. This includes the wheels, wings, steering wheel, and other components, but not the engine.
The F2 Championship currently uses the Dallara F2 2024 chassis from 2024 to 2029 seasons.
Drivetrain
The current gearbox is manufactured by Hewland (utilizing the LFSC-200 model) and features an 8-position barrel with ratchet body and software upgrades, as well as a new transverse shaft fixing system designed to facilitate improved gear selection. Currently, the series uses a 6-speed sequential gearbox configuration with electro-hydraulic operation via paddle-shifters with reverse operated by a button on the steering wheel. The clutches of all cars are supplied by ZF Sachs, with the multi-plate clutch operated by a hand-paddle lever.[8]
Wheel rims
O.Z. Racing has exclusively supplied wheel rims for all cars since 2005. Until 2019, the wheel size of O.Z. Racing F2 wheels was 12 in × 13 in (305 mm × 330 mm) on front and 13.7 in × 13 in (348 mm × 330 mm) on rear. From 2020 onwards, all cars switched to 18 in (457 mm) road car-inspired wheel rims in preparation for expanding to Formula One from 2022 onwards and for data sharing.[9] The new wheel rim sizes measure 12 in × 18 in (305 mm × 457 mm) on fronts and 13.7 in × 18 in (348 mm × 457 mm) on rears.
The wheel rims of all FIA Formula 2 cars are made of magnesium alloy.
Tyres
Similar to the 2011 change for Formula 1, Pirelli is now the sole tyre supplier for the series. The FIA Formula 2 Championship runs different compounds and sizes as F1 since 2017 (due to the fact that Formula 1's 2017–present tyres are wider, the FIA Formula 2 Championship carried over the pre-2017 Pirelli F1 tyres). The front tyre size is 245/660-R13 (9.6/26-R13) and the rear tyre size is 325/660-R13 (12.8/26-R13) and would be used until the end of the 2019 season. The compounds of Pirelli Formula 2 tyres are currently four dry compounds: purple supersoft, red soft, yellow medium, and white hard. They all carry the P Zero brand. And only one wet compound is blue wet. These carry the Cinturato brand.
The new tyres were unveiled during the 2019 Monza FIA Formula 2 round with 18-inch wheel rims mounted. The tyre sizes will slightly differ from the sizes compared to 2011–2019, but the only changes are the wheel rim diameter increase (275/705-R18 (10.8/27.7-R18) on the fronts and 325/705-R18 (12.8/27.7-R18) on the rears).[10]
Brakes
Brembo supplies monoblock brake calipers and disc bells, which are exclusive to Formula 2. Carbone Industrie also supplies carbon brake discs and pads for the FIA Formula 2 Championship. The brake discs are 278 mm × 28 mm (10.94 in × 1.10 in) in size.
Fuel tank
The current Dallara F2 2018's fuel tank carried over the FIA standard Premier FT5 tank with the capacity up to 125 litres.
Refuelling during a race is currently banned due to safety and cost.
Suspension
The suspension of all FIA Formula 2 Championship cars is upper and lower steel wishbones, pushrod operated, coupled with twin Koni dampers and torsion bars suspension (front) and spring suspension (rear), similar to current Formula One car suspension.
Steering actuation system
The steering actuation system of all FIA Formula 2 Championship cars are manual, rack and pinion without a power steering system (similar to the IndyCar Series, which also has a manual steering actuation system).
Steering wheel
Since 2011, XAP Technology exclusively provides the XAP single-seater F2 steering wheel as well as the XAP SX steering wheel dash display for all FIA Formula 2 Championship cars. The XAP steering wheel features 6 buttons in the front with 5 paddles (DRS, gear shift, and clutch) in the back of the steering wheel. From the 2018 season, all FIA Formula 2 Championship cars will utilize the all-new XAP single-seat Formula 2451 S3 steering wheel with a larger dash screen and also three new rotary switches (similar to the current Formula E steering wheel).
Safety
The most current safety innovations are a top priority of the FIA Formula 2 Championship. Front, side, rear, and steering column impact tests are the FIA safety standards. All cars include front and rear roll hoops, impact structures, and monocoque push tests. Anti-intrusion survival cell protection panels have been used since 2011. Wheel retainer safety cables are also featured to avoid wheels flying similar to Formula One, IndyCar Series (known as SWEMS), and other single-seater Formula racing series. The seat belts of all FIA Formula 2 cars are supplied by OMP Racing since the 2018 season (previously Sabelt) with a 6-point seat belt configuration similar to Formula One. From 2018 onwards, the "halo" cockpit protection system has been introduced to protect the drivers in crashes.[11]
Other components
All FIA Formula 2 cars carry a Marelli-provided electronic control unit (Marvel SRG 480 model) as well as a Marelli PDU 12-42 power supply management unit. Live telemetry is used only for television broadcasts, but the data can be recorded from the ECU to the computer if the car is in the garage and not on the track. Rear-view mirrors for all FIA Formula 2 cars are fully mandated to easily view opponents behind.
Aerodynamics
The aerodynamics of current Formula 2 cars are currently resembling the Formula One 2017-style aerodynamics with wider and curved front wings and also lower rear wings with parallelogram rear wing plates. Side winglets are also banned. The undertrays of all cars have ground effect features similar to 2022 Formula One cars.[12]
Since 2015, the Drag Reduction Systems (DRS) were introduced with the purpose of overtaking maneuver assist by tilting the upper-element rear wing while approaching the opponent less than a second away by activating the DRS paddle behind the steering wheel. The upper-element rear wing angle is the same as a Formula One car, which has over 40 degrees of angle. In the event of rainy conditions, Drag Reduction Systems are automatically deactivated for safety reasons.
Engine
First-generation (2005–2017)
Starting in 2005 (under the GP2 Series name), Formula 2 cars were powered by 4.0 litres (244 cubic inches) V8, four-stroke piston, Otto cycle unleaded gasoline-burning, prototype production-based, naturally-aspirated engines, produced by Mecachrome. Per Formula 2 rules, the engines sold for no more than €70,000 and were rev-limited to 10,000 rpm. They produced around 612 hp (456 kW; 620 PS) and weighed up to 148 kg (326 lb).
The valve train is a dual overhead camshaft configuration with four valves per cylinder. The crankshaft is made of alloy steel, with five main bearing caps. The pistons are forged aluminium alloy, while the connecting rods are machined alloy steel. The electronic engine management system is supplied by Magneti Marelli, firing a CDI ignition system. The engine lubrication is a dry sump type, cooled by a single water pump.
Second-generation (2018–present)
The V634 Turbo engine is a 3.4 litres (207 cubic inches) V6turbochargeddirect injection four-stroke piston Otto cycle 620 hp fuel-efficient engine jointly developed, built, assembled, produced, maintained, and tuned by Mecachrome and Teos Engineering. The engine was unveiled in 2017 along with the new Dallara F2 2018 chassis.[13] Dutch turbocharger company Van Der Lee Turbo Systems currently supplies the turbochargers for all FIA Formula 2 Championship engines.
The all-new engine fuel delivery system is gasoline direct injection instead of traditional ported multi-point electronic indirect injection. The power output of the all-new FIA Formula 2 engine was increased from 612 to 620 hp (456 to 462 kW; 620 to 629 PS). Mecachrome will continue providing new FIA Formula 2 engines from the 2018 season and beyond. The Mecachrome V634 Turbo engine is rev limited down to 8,750 rpm and weighs up to 132 kg (291 lb) including turbocharger. The firing ignition of the Mecachrome V634 Turbo engine is revolutionary digital inductive. The fuel-mass flow restrictor rate of the second-generation FIA Formula 2 Championship engine is roughly rated at 105 kg/h (231 lb/h).
The Mecachrome V634 Turbo 3.4-litre single-turbochargeddirect-injectedMecachromeV6 engine is an evolution of the GP3 engine, which is the solely supplied engine for the FIA Formula 2 Championship. With the addition of a single turbo, the engine underwent rigorous dyno testing, ahead of its racing debut. The Mecachrome V634 Turbo engines sell for up to €67,000 per unit by leasing and rebuilding.
The current second-generation FIA Formula 2 engine allocation is limited to one per season and lasts up to 8,000 kilometres (5,000 miles) after being rebuilt. Mid-season engine changes, including during race weekend, are banned and may result in a grid penalty for the session.
Turbocharger
Turbochargers were introduced at the start of the 2018 season. The turbo configuration is single-turbocharged and produces up to 1.5 bar (22 psi) of boost pressure. Dutch turbocharger company Van Der Lee Turbo Systems currently supplies the turbochargers for all FIA Formula 2 Championship all-new engines using the MT134-50120 model. The turbocharger spin limit is 130,000 rpm but cannot exceed 125,000 rpm due to lower turbo boost pressure.
Fuel and lubricant components
All Formula 2 cars currently use ordinary unleaded racing gasoline as fuel (similar to commercial vehicle unleaded street gasoline), which has been the de facto standard in second tier single-seater formula racing since the introduction of GP2 Series in 2005. Since the start of the 2005 GP2 Series season, Elf has exclusively continued to be the exclusive provider of the LMS 102 RON unleaded fuel and also Elf HTX 840 0W-40 lubricants for all competitors in the FIA Formula 2 Championship until 2022.
In 2023, Aramco became the official fuel partner and supplier of all FIA Formula 2 Championship entrants.[14]
Other parts
The car also features internal cooling upgrades, a new water radiator, radiator duct, oil/water heat exchanger, modified oil degasser, new oil and water pipes, and new heat exchanger fixing brackets.
Performance
Formula 2 cars are among the fastest circuit racing cars in the world, beaten only by Formula One, and possibly IndyCar and the Japanese Super Formula Championship, but faster than most other categories.
While Formula 2 cars can accelerate extremely quickly and have a high top speed of around 335 km/h (in their lowest-downforce configuration), the key difference between F2 cars and road-registerable Supercars or production-based touring car racing vehicles and lower-tier feeder categories such as Formula 3 is their cornering and braking capabilities. This is due primarily to the amount of downforce the cars produce. Formula 2 cars can produce as much as 3.9 g of lateral acceleration and 3.6 g of braking force.[15] This compares to around 2.6 lateral G for Formula 3.[16] A Porsche Carrera Cup car, a production-based racing car with large front and rear wings, produces a maximum of around 1.7 lateral g.[17]
As an example of the differences between the FIA formula categories, at the Albert Park circuit, the Formula 2 lap record is 1:28.989, set in practice in 2023.[18] The Formula One lap record is considerably faster, at 1.19.813.[19] The Formula 3 lap record is 1.33.025.[20]
Direct comparison between IndyCar and F2 is more difficult given that they rarely compete at the same circuit, but Christian Lundgaard stated, after racing both, that the IndyCar is faster (on road courses). IndyCar average and top speeds around superspeedways are far higher than achieved in circuit racing.
Liam Lawson, who at the time had tested Formula One cars, raced Formula Two, and raced Super Formula, stated in 2023 about the Super Formula series that "the car is extremely fast, faster than Formula 2, and a lot closer to Formula 1, and sometimes it even feels like F1 in some corners. Downforce is pretty exceptional."[21]
The FIA announced their intention to revive the Formula Two category in 2015, three years after the FIA Formula Two Championship was discontinued.[22] That series was cancelled due to a lack of entries in its final year and the continued popularity of the GP2 and Formula Renault 3.5 series, which were the preferred categories for drivers aiming for Formula One, in part due to their increased car performance.[23][24] Days before the opening round of the 2017 GP2 Series, it was announced that the series would be rebranded as the FIA Formula 2 Championship, with FIA president Jean Todt commenting "rationalising the pathway to Formula One has been a major goal of the FIA in my time here".[25] Thus, the modern FIA Formula 2 Championship finds its origins in the European Formula Two Championship, which began in 1967 and was replaced by the International Formula 3000 series in 1985, which was itself replaced by the GP2 Series in 2005.
The 2018 season featured the introduction of a new car, the Dallara F2 2018, and a new 3.4 litre (207 cu in) V6turbocharged engine package, the Mecachrome V634. The car also featured the halo safety device for the first time, a device that was introduced into Formula One in the same year. Rounds at the Circuit Paul Ricard and the Sochi Autodrom were added to the calendar, whilst the Circuito de Jerez round was discontinued. The Racing Engineering and Rapax teams left the series prior to the 2018 season, having competed in Formula 2 and the predecessor GP2 Series since 2005 and 2010 respectively. Carlin returned to the series after a year's absence and Charouz Racing System joined the championship after the World Series Formula V8 3.5 was discontinued. Carlin won the Teams' Championship for the first time, having not done so during their time in the GP2 Series. The Drivers' Championship was won by rookie and reigning GP3 Series champion George Russell,[27] who drove for ART Grand Prix. Lando Norris finished as runner-up with Alexander Albon in third.[28][29]
For the 2019 season, Russian Time was sold to Virtuosi Racing, who had been operating the team since 2015. The season was marred by an accident during the ninth round at Spa-Francorchamps in which Anthoine Hubert was killed and Juan Manuel Correa was seriously injured.[30] The race was declared abandoned and the following day's sprint race was cancelled. The championship later introduced the Anthoine Hubert Award in his memory, awarded to the highest-placed rookie driver in the standings. Zhou Guanyu was the inaugural winner of the accolade.[31] The 2019 Teams' Championship was won by DAMS for the first time since 2014. ART Grand Prix driver Nyck de Vries won the Drivers' Championship in his third year in the category. Nicholas Latifi was the runner-up with Luca Ghiotto in third place.[32]
The 2020 season was affected by the postponement, cancellation and reorganisation of much of the Formula One calendar in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The series therefore began in July and featured a round at the Mugello Circuit for the first time. Hitech Grand Prix, who had briefly entered the 2005 GP2 Series in partnership with Piquet GP and had since raced only in Formula Three championships, entered Formula 2 as the eleventh team. Arden, who had raced in Formula 2 and its predecessors since 1997, left the series. Their entry was taken over by HWA Racelab. Prema Racing secured the Teams' Championship for the first time since 2016. Prema driver Mick Schumacher won the Drivers' Championship in his second year of Formula 2.[33]Callum Ilott and Yuki Tsunoda finished second and third, respectively.[34]
2021–2023
The race weekend structure was altered for the 2021 season as part of post-pandemic cost-cutting measures. Each round featured three races instead of two, and the number of rounds was reduced from twelve to eight. These measures also included the continuation of the F2 2018 car, which was originally scheduled to be replaced with a new chassis package in 2021.[35] The calendar was separated from the FIA Formula 3 Championship calendar, meaning the two series were scheduled to not appear on the same Grand Prix weekend.[c] As a result, the Red Bull Ring, Hungaroring, Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Circuit Paul Ricard, and Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, tracks that traditionally appeared on the Formula 2 calendar prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, were no longer included. A round at the newly-built Jeddah Corniche Circuit was added to the calendar alongside the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Prema Racing claimed their second consecutive Teams' Championship, the first time a team had won consecutive titles since ART Grand Prix did so in 2005 and 2006. Prema driver Oscar Piastri won the Drivers' Championship in his debut year. His teammate Robert Shwartzman was runner-up with Zhou Guanyu in third place.
The 2022 championship marked the return of the pre-2021 race format with two races per round,[d] but with the points offered for sprint races, pole positions, and fastest laps reduced. The calendar was expanded, with twenty-eight races taking place over fourteen rounds. The five circuits that were dropped from the calendar in 2021 returned to the schedule, and two more circuits—Imola Circuit and Circuit Zandvoort—made their debut appearances. The round at Sochi Autodrom was cancelled along with the Formula One Russian Grand Prix in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. One team change took place; HWA Racelab left the series and their place was taken by Van Amersfoort Racing, who made their debut at Formula 2 level. MP Motorsport were the 2022 Teams' Champions for the first time in their history. Their driver Felipe Drugovich claimed the Drivers' Championship in his third year in the series. The top three was completed by Théo Pourchaire in second and Liam Lawson in third.
2023 featured a round at the Albert Park Circuit alongside the Australian Grand Prix for the first time. Circuit Paul Ricard was removed from the calendar as the French Grand Prix did not take place in 2023. The season was therefore set to feature fourteen rounds; however, the round at Imola Circuit was cancelled along with the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix after severe flooding in the area. Two teams changed ownership for 2023; Carlin was acquired by New Zealand-based manufacturer Rodin, and Charouz Racing System, which had competed since 2018, sold their operation to PHM Racing. ART Grand Prix won the Teams' Championship for the first time since 2015, and their driver Théo Pourchaire was the Drivers' Champion. Frederik Vesti placed second and Jack Doohan was third.
The series introduced a new car for 2024, the Dallara F2 2024, having used the F2 2018 for the previous six years. The car was designed to more closely resemble the current generation of Formula One cars, includes more advanced safety technologies and is intended to better accommodate female racing drivers.[36][37] The calendar featured fourteen rounds as the round at Imola Circuit returned to the calendar after its cancellation in 2023. The series made its debut at the Lusail International Circuit supporting the Qatar Grand Prix, replacing the round at Circuit Zandvoort.[38] Two team identity changes took place in 2024; Invicta Watch Group purchased a stake in Virtuosi Racing and the team was accordingly renamed Invicta Racing,[39] and PHM Racing was acquired by AIX Investment Group mid-season and rebranded as AIX Racing.[40] Invicta Racing were the 2024 Teams' Champions, having last won the title in 2017 in their previous guise as Russian Time. Invicta driver and series rookie Gabriel Bortoleto won the Drivers' Championship, with Isack Hadjar in second and Paul Aron third.
The Anthoine Hubert Award was introduced at the prize-giving ceremony in Monaco in 2019, named in memory of Anthoine Hubert, who died during the 2019 Spa-Francorchamps round. The award is given to the highest-placed driver in their first Formula 2 season; the award is equivalent to 'Rookie/Newcomer of the Year' awards in other sports.[31]
No Formula 2 graduates joined the Formula One grid at the start of 2024; however, three drivers made in-season debuts. Oliver Bearman, who finished sixth in the 2023 Formula 2 Championship, competed in races for Ferrari and Haas in his capacity as a reserve driver for both teams. He is set to make his debut as a full-time driver with Haas in 2025. Franco Colapinto ended his 2024 Formula 2 campaign mid-season to join Williams for the remainder of the year. 2023 Formula 2 third-place finisher Jack Doohan is the most recent graduate, having made his Formula One debut with Alpine in the final race of 2024 ahead of a full-time promotion in 2025. Formula One is due to feature three further Formula 2 graduates for the 2025 season as 2024 champion Gabriel Bortoleto, runner-up Isack Hadjar and sixth-place finisher Andrea Kimi Antonelli join Sauber, Racing Bulls and Mercedes, respectively.
The television rights are held by Formula One Management, which also manages the rights to Formula One. Sky Sports F1 shows every practice, qualifying, and race live in the United Kingdom, and so does Movistar Fórmula 1 in Spain, Sport TV in Portugal, and Viaplay in Poland. Coverage in North America is available exclusively on TSN5 (Canada) and ESPN3 (USA). In Southeast Asia, the races are shown live on Fox Sports Asia. Band Sports shows live F2 in Brazil, and Fox Sports 3 broadcasts in Hispanic America. In India, Star Sports covers the races live. In Russia, races were shown on the Match! Arena channel, showing races in 2019 (only the 2019 Russian round) and all races in 2020 and 2021. The contract was denied in 2022 due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
^The two-race format was altered; the sprint race now took place before the feature race with its starting grid based on the reversal of the top ten in qualifying.
^Logan Sargeant finished first in the rookie standings, but the Anthoine Hubert award was awarded to Ayumu Iwasa, as Sargeant had previously raced in Formula 2 in 2021.[49]
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