The FIA Formula 2 Championship is a second-tier

single-seater An open-wheel single-seater (often known as formula car) is a car with the wheels outside the car's main body, and usually having only one seat. Open-wheel cars contrast with street cars, sports cars, stock cars, and touring cars, which have the ...

championship organised by the

Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA; en, International Automobile Federation) is an association established on 20 June 1904 to represent the interests of motoring organisations and motor car users. It is the governing body for ...

(FIA). Held on racing circuits, the championship was introduced in 2017, following the rebranding of the long-term

Formula One Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...

feeder series GP2. The series' original founders were Flavio Briatore and current managing director Bruno Michel. Designed to make racing relatively affordable for the teams and to make it an ideal training ground for life in Formula One, Formula 2 has made it mandatory for all of the teams to use the same chassis, engine and tyre supplier so that true driver ability is reflected. Formula 2 mainly races on European circuits, but has appearances at other international race tracks as well such as the

Bahrain International Circuit The Bahrain International Circuit ( ar, حلبة البحرين الدولية, Ḥalba al-Baḥrayn ad-Dawliyya) is a motorsport venue opened in 2004 and used for drag racing, GP2 Series (now FIA Formula 2), and the annual Formula One Bahrain ...

in Bahrain, the

Jeddah Corniche Circuit The Jeddah Corniche Circuit ( ar, حلبة كورنيش جدة) is a motor racing circuit built in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah, in Saudi Arabia. The circuit staged the inaugural Saudi Arabian Grand Prix on 5 December 2021 as the penultimate ...

in Saudi Arabia and the

Yas Marina Circuit The Yas Marina Circuit (Arabic: حلبة مرسى ياس) is the venue for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The circuit was designed by Hermann Tilke, and is situated on Yas Island, near Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. Yas Marina w ...

in the United Arab Emirates. While significantly slower than Formula One, the Formula 2 championship cars are faster than most other circuit racing vehicles. As of 2022, the F2 lap record for the

Imola Circuit The Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari, better known as Imola, is a motor racing circuit in the town of Imola, in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, east of Bologna. It is one of the few major international circuits to run in an a ...

, while roughly 15 seconds per lap slower than Formula One, is five seconds per lap faster than

LMP1 A Le Mans Prototype (LMP) is the type of sports prototype race car used in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, FIA World Endurance Championship, IMSA SportsCar Championship, European Le Mans Series and Asian Le Mans Series. Le Mans Prototypes were crea ...

sports cars and the more junior open wheeler category Formula 3, and more than 20 seconds per lap faster than

TCR Touring Car A TCR Touring Car is a touring car specification, first introduced in 2014 and is now employed by a multitude of series worldwide. All TCR Touring Cars are front-wheel drive cars based on 4 or 5 door production vehicles, and are powered by 1.75 t ...

Origins

Numbering system

The numbering system in FIA Formula 2 Championship is currently based on the previous season's team standings (similar to

1996–2013 numbering system) that was used since the formation of GP2 Series in 2005 until present. Additionally, since the 2020 season the number #19 has been retired along with #18 to honor

Anthoine Hubert Anthoine Hubert (; 22 September 1996 – 31 August 2019) was a French professional racing driver. He was the 2018 GP3 Series champion and a member of the Renault Sport Academy. He died at the age of 22, following an accident during the feature ...

who sustained fatal injuries during one of the 2019 Belgian Grand Prix's support races.

Race weekend

Pit stops are optional if there is a force majeure event like a change in weather conditions, tyre puncture, front or rear wing damage or others. On Friday, there is one Free Practice session of 45 minutes and one Qualifying session of 30 minutes. On Saturday, one Sprint Race will take place and will consist of 120 kilometres 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 will take place ahead of the Formula 1 Grand Prix and will consist of 170 kilometres or 60 minutes, whichever comes first.

Points system

The top 8 finishers in the Sprint Race receive points as follows: The top 10 finishers in the Feature Race receive points as follows: 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, providing he was 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 places of drivers with equal points in the championship with the driver with 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., is used to split the tied drivers. This count-back system is applied at all stages of the championship.

Racing flags

These are the racing flags that are used in Formula 2 Championship race weekends:

Costs

One estimate puts the cost of running a Formula Two car at $US 3 million per season. Typically, most of these costs must be paid by the driver, 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.

Car specifications

The FIA Formula 2 Championship car is used by all of the teams, and features a

carbon-fiber Carbon fiber-reinforced polymers (American English), carbon-fibre-reinforced polymers (Commonwealth English), carbon-fiber-reinforced plastics, carbon-fiber reinforced-thermoplastic (CFRP, CRP, CFRTP), also known as carbon fiber, carbon compo ...

monocoque

Dallara Dallara is an Italian race car manufacturer, founded by its current President, Gian Paolo Dallara. After working for Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini and De Tomaso, in 1972 in his native village of Varano de' Melegari (Parma), Italy he created ...

chassis, powered by a single-turbocharged direct-injected

Mecachrome Mecachrome SAS is a precision engineering company based in France that operates in the aerospace, motor racing, energy and defence sectors. History Mecachrome was founded in 1937 in Colombes, France. As a precision engineering company, Mecachrom ...

V6 engine and mounted dry slick and rain treaded Pirelli tyres. Overall weight is 755 kg including the driver.

Chassis

First-generation (third-generation overall)

The first-generation (third-generation overall) 2011–17 spec GP2/11 car which 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

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.

Second-generation (fourth-generation overall)

The F2 Championship currently uses the

Dallara F2 2018 The Dallara F2 2018 (originally known as the Dallara F2/18) is an open-wheel racing car developed by Italian manufacturer Dallara for use in the FIA Formula 2 Championship, a feeder-series for Formula One. The F2 2018 is the second car used by ...

chassis. 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.

Drivetrain

The current

gearbox Propulsion transmission is the mode of transmitting and controlling propulsion power of a machine. The term ''transmission'' properly refers to the whole drivetrain, including clutch, gearbox, prop shaft (for rear-wheel drive vehicles), differe ...

is manufactured by

Hewland Hewland is a British engineering company, founded in 1957 by Mike Hewland, which specialises in racing-car gearboxes. Hewland currently employ 130 people at their Maidenhead facility and have diversified into a variety of markets being particul ...

(utilizing the LFSC-200 model) and features an 8-position barrel with ratchet body and software upgrades as well as a new transverse shafts fixing system designed to facilitate improved gear selection. Currently, the series uses a 6-speed

sequential gearbox A sequential manual transmission, also known as a sequential gearbox, or a sequential transmission, is a type of non-synchronous manual transmission used mostly for motorcycles and racing cars. It produces faster shift times than traditional ...

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 ZF Sachs AG, also known as Fichtel & Sachs, was founded in Schweinfurt in 1895 and was a well-known German family business. At its last point as an independent company, the company name was Fichtel & Sachs AG. In 1997, the automotive supplier wa ...

with the multi-plate clutch operated by a hand-paddle lever.

Wheel rims

O.Z. Racing exclusively supplies wheel rims for all cars since 2005. The wheel size of O.Z. Racing F2 wheels are on front and on rear until 2019. From 2020 onwards all cars will switch to road car-inspired wheel rims for the preparation of expanding to

from 2022 onwards and also data sharing. The new wheel rim sizes will be on fronts and 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 the different compounds and size as F1 since 2017 (due to in fact 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 are 245/660-R13 (9.6/26-R13) and rear tyre size are 325/660-R13 (12.8/26-R13) and will be used until the end of 2019 season. The compounds of Pirelli Formula 2 tyres are currently four dry compounds (purple supersoft (abolished after 2019), red soft, yellow medium and white hard) carrying P Zero brand and two wet compounds (green intermediate and blue wet) carrying 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).

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 FIA Formula 2 Championship. The brake discs are in size.

Fuel tank

The current

'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 are 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 A Formula One car (also known as an F1 car) is a single-seat, open-cockpit, open-wheel formula racing car with substantial front and rear wings, and an engine positioned behind the driver, intended to be used in competition at Formul ...

suspension.

Steering actuation system

The steering actuation system of all FIA Formula 2 Championship cars are manual, rack and pinion without power steering system (similar to

IndyCar Series The IndyCar Series, currently known as the NTT IndyCar Series under sponsorship, is the highest class of regional North American open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars in the United States, which has been conducted under the auspices o ...

that has also manual steering actuation system).

Steering wheel

Since 2011, XAP Technology exclusively provides the XAP single-seater F2 steering wheel as well as 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 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

(known as SWEMS) and other single-seater Formula racing series. The seat belts of all FIA Formula 2 cars are supplied by

Sabelt Sabelt S.p.A. is an Italian company founded in 1972 by Piero and Giorgio Marsiaj, that designs and manufactures original equipment (OEM) car seats, seat belts, motorsport products, and seatbelts for military, aviation, and aerospace applications ...

with a 6-point seat belt configuration similar to

. From 2018 onwards, the "

halo Halo, halos or haloes usually refer to: * Halo (optical phenomenon) * Halo (religious iconography), a ring of light around the image of a head HALO, halo, halos or haloes may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Video games * ''Halo'' (franch ...

" cockpit protection system has been introduced to protect the drivers in crashes.

Other components

All FIA Formula 2 cars carry a Marelli-provided

electronic control unit An electronic control unit (ECU), also known as an electronic control module (ECM), is an embedded system in automotive electronics that controls one or more of the electrical systems or subsystems in a car or other motor vehicle. Modern vehic ...

(Marvel SRG 480 model) as well as Marelli PDU 12–42 power supply management unit. Live

telemetry Telemetry is the in situ collection of measurements or other data at remote points and their automatic transmission to receiving equipment (telecommunication) for monitoring. The word is derived from the Greek roots ''tele'', "remote", an ...

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.

Drag Reduction Systems (DRS)

Since 2015, the

Drag Reduction System In motor racing, the drag reduction system (DRS) is a form of driver-adjustable bodywork aimed at reducing aerodynamic drag in order to increase top speed and promote overtaking. It is an adjustable rear wing of the car, which moves in respons ...

s (DRS) were introduced in a purpose for 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

which has over 40 degrees of angle. In an event of rainy conditions,

Drag Reduction Systems In motor racing, the drag reduction system (DRS) is a form of driver-adjustable bodywork aimed at reducing aerodynamic drag in order to increase top speed and promote overtaking. It is an adjustable rear wing of the car, which moves in response ...

are automatically deactivated for safety reasons.

Engine

First-generation (2005–2017)

Starting in 2005 (under

GP2 Series The GP2 Series was a form of open wheel motor racing introduced in 2005 following the discontinuation of the long-term Formula One feeder series, Formula 3000. The GP2 format was conceived by Bernie Ecclestone and Flavio Briatore, while Eccles ...

name), Formula 2 cars were powered by V8, four-stroke piston, Otto cycle unleaded gasoline-burning, prototype production-based, naturally-aspirated engines, produced by

. Per Formula 2 rules, the engines sold for no more than €70,000 and were rev-limited to 10,000 rpm. They produced around and weighed up to . 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 V6 turbocharged direct injection four-stroke piston

Otto cycle An Otto cycle is an idealized thermodynamic cycle that describes the functioning of a typical spark ignition piston engine. It is the thermodynamic cycle most commonly found in automobile engines. The Otto cycle is a description of what hap ...

620 hp fuel-efficient engine developed and built by

, and maintained by Teos Engineering. The engine was unveiled in 2017 along with the new Dallara F2 2018 chassis. 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 electronic indirect injection. The power output of all-new FIA Formula 2 engine was increased from .

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 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 . The Mecachrome V634 Turbo 3.4-litre single-turbocharged direct-injected

V6 engine A V6 engine is a six-cylinder piston engine where the cylinders share a common crankshaft and are arranged in a V configuration. The first V6 engines were designed and produced independently by Marmon Motor Car Company, Deutz Gasmotoren Fabr ...

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 sells 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 after being rebuild. Mid-season engine changes, including during race weekend, is banned and may result in a grid penalty for the session.

Turbocharger

Turbochargers were introduced from the start of 2018 season. The turbo configuration is single-turbocharged and produces up to 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 lubricants 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 An elf () is a type of humanoid supernatural being in Germanic mythology and folklore. Elves appear especially in North Germanic mythology. They are subsequently mentioned in Snorri Sturluson's Icelandic Prose Edda. He distinguishes "ligh ...

exclusively has 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.

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

According to research and pre-season stability tests, the 2005 model can accelerate from 0 to 200 km/h (124 mph) in 6.7 seconds. The car has a top speed of meaning that it is the fastest single seater racing car behind

and

. The 2011 model can accelerate from in 6.6 seconds. The car has a top speed of with the Monza aero configuration.

History

2017

The 2017 season consisted of eleven rounds, ten of which supported the 2017 Formula One World Championship and a stand-alone event at the

Circuito de Jerez Circuito de Jerez – Ángel Nieto (formerly known as Circuit of Jerez and Circuito Permanente de Jerez), is a racing circuit located close to the city of Jerez de la Frontera, south of Seville and deep within the sherry-producing region in th ...

. It began at

on 15 April and concluded at

on 26 November. The season saw rookie and reigning

GP3 Series The GP3 Series, or GP3 for short, was a single-seater motor racing series launched in 2010 as a feeder series for the GP2 Series, introduced by GP2 organiser Bruno Michel. GP3 followed the entire European leg of the Formula One series and th ...

champion

Charles Leclerc Charles Marc Hervé Perceval Leclerc (; born 16 October 1997) is a Monégasque racing driver, currently racing in Formula One for Scuderia Ferrari. He won the GP3 Series championship in 2016 and the FIA Formula 2 Championship in . Leclerc ...

, driving for

Prema Racing Prema Powerteam (competing as Prema Racing in the FIA Formula 2 Championship, the FIA Formula 3 Championship and European Le Mans Series and as Prema Orlen Team in the FIA World Endurance Championship) is a motorsport team from Italy. It mainly ...

, take the drivers' title with seven race wins. The inaugural teams' championship was taken by

Russian Time Russian Time (previously known as RT Russian Time) was a Russian motor racing team founded by Igor Mazepa to compete in the GP2 Series, a category of open-wheel racing cars designed to prepare drivers for Formula One. From 2015 to 2018, the team ...

. This was also the final season for the

Dallara GP2/11 The Dallara GP2/11 is a racing car developed by Italian manufacturer Dallara for use in the GP2 Series, a feeder series for Formula One. The GP2/11 is the overall third generation of car used by the GP2 Series and first generation of car used b ...

chassis which débuted in 2011 when the series was known as GP2 and the

4.0 litre (244 cu in) V8 naturally-aspirated engine package which débuted in the inaugural GP2 season in 2005. Russian Time driver Artem Markelov finished the season as runner-up and

DAMS A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use ...

driver

Oliver Rowland Oliver Rowland (born 10 August 1992) is a British racing driver. He is currently competing full-time in Formula E driving for Mahindra Racing. He has previously competed for Manor Motorsport in the 2018 WEC season, and he was also previously t ...

was third. Champion Leclerc graduated to Formula One with

Sauber Sauber Motorsport AG is a Swiss motorsport engineering company. It was founded in 1970 (as PP Sauber AG) by Peter Sauber, who progressed through hillclimbing and the World Sportscar Championship to reach Formula One in . After operating it un ...

, the only full-time driver of 2017 to do so. Sergey Sirotkin, who took part in a single round as a reserve driver for

ART Grand Prix ART Grand Prix is a French motor racing team that competes in formula single-seaters in Europe. In 2012, it competed in the GP2 Series and GP3 Series as Lotus GP to reflect sponsorship from British sports and racing car manufacturer Lotus. The ...

and had finished third in the

2016 GP2 Series The 2016 GP2 Series season was the fiftieth season of the second-tier of Formula One feeder championship and also twelfth and final season under the GP2 Series moniker, a motor racing feeder series that was run in support of the 2016 FIA Formul ...

, also graduated to Formula One with Williams.

2018

The 2018 season consisted of twelve rounds, all supporting the

2018 Formula One World Championship The 2018 FIA Formula One World Championship was the motor racing championship for Formula One cars and the 69th running of the Formula One World Championship. Formula One is recognised by the governing body of international motorsport, the F ...

, beginning in Bahrain on 7 April and concluding in Abu Dhabi on 25 November. The 2018 season also introduced the new

car as well as the all-new

3.4 litre (207 cu in) V6

turbo In an internal combustion engine, a turbocharger (often called a turbo) is a forced induction device that is powered by the flow of exhaust gases. It uses this energy to compress the intake gas, forcing more air into the engine in order to pr ...

engine with a large single turbo and a double waste gate, supplied by Dutch turbocharger manufacturer Van Der Lee Turbo Systems. The car also featured the

safety device for the first time, a device that was introduced into Formula One in the same year. The

Racing Engineering Racing Engineering is a Spanish racing team founded in 1999 by Alfonso de Orléans-Borbón that currently competes in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series. The team's headquarters are located in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, near Jerez, where all car prep ...

and

Rapax Rapax Team was an Italian motor racing team. The team's history can be traced back to when the GP Racing team was founded in 1997, and also to when Piquet Sports was created in 2000 by triple world champion Nelson Piquet. In 2007, Piquet Sports an ...

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 Charouz Racing System (CHRS, also was known as Lotus in World Series Formula V8 3.5) is a racing team from Czech Republic, created in 1985 by . History In the 1980s, Charouz participated in the European Championship of Circuit Races' 1600&nbs ...

joined the championship after the

World Series Formula V8 3.5 The World Series Formula V8 3.5, formerly the World Series by Nissan from 1998 to 2004, the Formula Renault 3.5 Series from 2005 to 2015 and the Formula V8 3.5 in 2016 and 2017, was a motor racing series promoted by RPM Racing (1998–2004) and R ...

was discontinued. Carlin went on to win 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, who drove for ART Grand Prix and took seven race victories. Carlin driver

Lando Norris Lando Norris (born 13 November 1999) is a Belgian-British racing driver currently competing in Formula One with McLaren, racing under the British flag. He won the MSA Formula championship in 2015, and the Toyota Racing Series, Eurocup Form ...

finished as runner-up with DAMS driver Alexander Albon in third. All three drivers graduated to Formula One, with Russell, Norris and Albon joining Williams, McLaren and

Toro Rosso Scuderia Toro Rosso (; literal translation of "Red Bull Racing Team"), commonly known as Toro Rosso or by its abbreviation STR, was an Italian Formula One racing team. It was one of two Formula One teams owned by Austrian beverage company Re ...

respectively.

2019

The 2019 season consisted of 12 rounds supporting the

2019 Formula One World Championship The 2019 FIA Formula One World Championship was the motor racing championship for Formula One cars which marked the 70th running of the Formula One World Championship. It is recognised by the governing body of international motorsport, the Fé ...

, beginning in Bahrain on 30 March and concluding in Abu Dhabi on 1 December. Russian Time left the championship prior to 2019 after having competed in Formula 2 and GP2 since 2013. The team was sold and became UNI-Virtuosi Racing. On 31 August 2019, on the second lap of the feature race at Spa-Francorchamps, a high-speed accident occurred involving

Juan Manuel Correa Juan Manuel Correa Borja (born August 9, 1999) is an American-Ecuadorian racing driver who races under an American license and is set to compete in the 2023 FIA Formula 2 Championship with Van Amersfoort Racing. Career Karting Correa began ...

and

Giuliano Alesi Giuliano Ryu Alesi (born 20 September 1999) is a French-Japanese racing driver. He is the son of Japanese former actress Kumiko Goto and former Formula One driver Jean Alesi. Career Karting Born in Avignon, Alesi began karting in 2013 before ...

. Hubert and Correa were taken to the circuit's medical centre where Hubert died from his injuries. Correa's injuries forced him to miss the rest of the season, whilst Alesi was unhurt. The race was abandoned and the sprint race on the following day was cancelled as a mark of respect. The Formula One at the circuit on the day after the accident began with a moment of silence. Most drivers wore a

black ribbon A black ribbon is a symbol of remembrance or mourning. It is often worn or put on a public display to express consolation. Sign of mourning Similar to a black armband, the black ribbon is a public display of grief. Individuals or organizations ...

in remembrance. 2017 Formula 2 champion Charles Leclerc, a friend of Hubert, won the race and dedicated his victory to Hubert. French team DAMS won the teams' championship, having last done so in 2014. The drivers' championship was won by ART Grand Prix driver

Nyck de Vries Hendrik Johannes Nicasius "Nyck" de Vries (; born 6 February 1995) is a Dutch racing driver who is currently serving as the reserve driver for the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team. He is confirmed to be driving full-time in Formula 1 at Scuderia A ...

in his third year of Formula 2, taking four race victories. DAMS driver

Nicholas Latifi Nicholas Daniel Latifi (born 29 June 1995) is a Canadian racing driver who last raced for Williams Racing under the Canadian flag in the 2022 Formula One World Championship. Latifi made his Formula One debut at the 2020 Austrian Grand Prix a ...

finished as runner-up with UNI-Virtuosi Racing driver

Luca Ghiotto Luca Ghiotto (born 24 February 1995) is an Italian racing driver who most recently raced in the FIA Formula 2 Championship for DAMS. Career Karting Born in Arzignano, Ghiotto entered karting in 2008, when he took the title in the KF3 class of ...

in third. Only Latifi would graduate to Formula One, joining Williams, whilst champion de Vries signed for

Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Benz (), commonly referred to as Mercedes and sometimes as Benz, is a German luxury and commercial vehicle automotive brand established in 1926. Mercedes-Benz AG (a Mercedes-Benz Group subsidiary established in 2019) is headquartere ...

in Formula E.

2020

Hitech Grand Prix Hitech Grand Prix (formerly known as Hitech Racing) is a British motor racing team. It was founded in 2002 by Dennis Rushen and David Hayle. The team started racing in the British Formula 3 Championship in 2003. The team also competed in the So ...

, who had briefly entered the 2005 GP2 Series in partnership with

Piquet GP Piquet GP, formerly known as Minardi Piquet Sports or Minardi by Piquet Sports and Piquet Sports is a motor racing team. The team's history can be traced back to when the GP Racing team was founded in 1997, and also to when Piquet Sports was crea ...

and had since raced only in

Formula Three Formula Three, also called Formula 3, abbreviated as F3, is a third-tier class of open-wheel formula racing. The various championships held in Europe, Australia, South America and Asia form an important step for many prospective Formula One dri ...

championships, entered Formula 2 as the eleventh team.

Arden Arden may refer to: Places ;Australia *Arden, an area in North Melbourne, Victoria near the Arden Street Oval ;Canada * Arden, Ontario ;Denmark * Arden, Denmark, a town **Arden Municipality, a former municipality, including the town of Arden ; ...

, who had raced in Formula 2 and its predecessors since

1997 File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; '' Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of ...

, left the series. Their entry was taken over by

HWA Team HWA Team, also known as HWA RACELAB, is the auto racing team of HWA AG, a German company based in Affalterbach, that also develops and builds vehicles and components for Mercedes-AMG race cars. It is named after founder Hans-Werner Aufrecht. ...

and became BWT HWA Racelab. The season was due to begin in Bahrain on 21 March and was set to include a round at Circuit Zandvoort for the first time, replacing the round at

Circuit Paul Ricard The Circuit Paul Ricard () is a French motorsport race track built in 1969 at Le Castellet, Var, near Marseille, with finance from pastis magnate Paul Ricard. Ricard wanted to experience the challenge of building a racetrack. The circuit has h ...

. However, a number of races were postponed or cancelled in response to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

and a new calendar was published. The season began at the Red Bull Ring on 4 July and ran alongside the first ten rounds of the 2020 Formula One World Championship, and concluded on 6 December after two rounds in Bahrain. Prema Racing secured the teams' championship for the first time since the

. Prema driver

Mick Schumacher Mick Schumacher (; born 22 March 1999) is a German racing driver who is the current reserve driver for the Mercedes AMG Formula One Team. Schumacher began his career in karting in 2008, progressing to the German ADAC Formula 4 by 2015. Afte ...

won the drivers' championship in his second year of Formula 2 with two race victories. UNI-Virtuosi driver

Callum Ilott Callum Benjamin Ilott ( ; born 11 November 1998) is a British racing driver competing in the NTT IndyCar Series for Juncos Hollinger Racing. He was the official reserve driver for Alfa Romeo for the 2021 Formula One World Championship season an ...

was runner-up with Carlin's

Yuki Tsunoda Yuki Tsunoda ( Japanese: 角田裕毅, ''Tsunoda Yūki'', ; born 11 May 2000) is a Japanese racing driver who is racing for Scuderia AlphaTauri in Formula One. Supported by Honda since 2016 through the , he was the 2018 Japanese F4 champion ...

third. Schumacher, Tsunoda and fifth-placed

Nikita Mazepin Nikita Dmitryevich Mazepin ( rus, Ники́та Дми́триевич Мазе́пин, p=nʲɪˈkʲitə ˈdmʲɪtrʲɪjɪvʲɪtɕ mɐˈzʲepʲɪn; born 2 March 1999) is a Russian professional racing driver who competes in rally raid. A fo ...

graduated to Formula One for , with Schumacher and Mazepin joining Haas and Tsunoda joining AlphaTauri.

2021

As part of a new cost-cutting measure, each round of the 2021 championship featured three races instead of two, and the number of rounds was reduced from twelve to eight. The calendar was also separated from the

FIA Formula 3 Championship The FIA Formula 3 Championship is a third-tier international single-seater racing championship and organised by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The championship launched in 2019 as a feeder series for the FIA Formula 1 W ...

calendar, meaning the two series were scheduled to not appear at the same Grand Prix weekend. As a result, the Red Bull Ring,

Hungaroring The Hungaroring is a motorsport racetrack in Mogyoród, Pest County, Hungary where the Formula One Hungarian Grand Prix is held. In 1986, it became the location of the first Formula One Grand Prix behind the Iron Curtain. Bernie Ecclestone w ...

, 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 Street Circuit was added to the calendar. The championship began in Bahrain on 27 March and concluded in Abu Dhabi on 12 December. Prema Racing claimed their second consecutive teams' championship with three races remaining. Prema driver

Oscar Piastri Oscar Piastri (born 6 April 2001) is an Australian racing driver who previously served as the reserve driver for Alpine F1 Team, having previously been in the team's driver academy. He won the 2019 Formula Renault Eurocup with R-ace GP, and wo ...

took six race victories on his way to winning the drivers' championship in his debut year, becoming the first non-European to do so. Piastri's teammate

Robert Shwartzman Robert Mikhailovich Shwartzman ( rus, Ро́берт Миха́йлович Шва́рцман, p=ˈrobʲɪrt mʲɪˈxajləvʲɪtɕ ˈʂvartsmɐn, he, רוברט מיכאילוביץ' שוורצמן; born 16 September 1999) is a Russian-Israeli ...

was the runner-up and UNI-Virtuosi driver

Zhou Guanyu Zhou Guanyu (, pronounced ; born 30 May 1999) is a Chinese racing driver who currently competes in Formula One for Alfa Romeo. He is the first Chinese driver to compete in Formula One. He competed in the FIA Formula 2 Championship for UNI-Virt ...

finished third. Zhou was the only driver to graduate to a Formula One race seat, joining Alfa Romeo Racing. Champion Piastri became the reserve driver for

Alpine F1 Team Alpine F1 Team, competing as BWT Alpine F1 Team, is a Formula One constructor which made its debut at the start of the 2021 Formula One World Championship. Formerly named Renault F1 Team and owned by the French automotive company Groupe Renault ...

2022

The 2022 championship marked the return of the pre-2021 race format with two races per round, 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 Red Bull Ring, Hungaroring, Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya and Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps all returned to the calendar and rounds at

and Circuit Zandvoort took place for the first time. The round at Sochi Autodrom was cancelled along with the Formula One

Russian Grand Prix The Russian Grand Prix (russian: Гран-при России, Gran-pri Rossii) was an annual motor racing event held at Sochi Autodrom – a permanent circuit built around the Olympic Park in Sochi – as part of the Formula One World Champion ...

due to the

Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. It has caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. An ...

and was replaced by a round at Circuit Paul Ricard. The championship began in Bahrain on 19 March and is set to conclude in Abu Dhabi on 20 November.

HWA Racelab HWA Team, also known as HWA RACELAB, is the auto racing team of HWA AG, a German company based in Affalterbach, that also develops and builds vehicles and components for Mercedes-AMG race cars. It is named after founder Hans-Werner Aufrecht. ...

left the series and their place was taken by

Van Amersfoort Racing Van Amersfoort Racing is an auto racing team based in the Netherlands. In 2022 the team competes in the Formula 2 Championship, the Formula 3 Championship, the Formula Regional European Championship, Euroformula Open Championship, Italian F4 Ch ...

MP Motorsport MP Motorsport (previously Marcel Peters Motorsport) is a Dutch auto racing team currently competing in the FIA Formula 2 Championship. The team has also participated in Auto GP, Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 and Formula Renault 2.0 Northern Europea ...

claimed their first teams' championship in Formula 2. Their driver Felipe Drugovich, in his third year of Formula 2, won the drivers' championship. He took five race victories and clinched the title with three races remaining. Runner-up was ART Grand Prix's

Théo Pourchaire Théo Jérôme Julien Pourchaire (born 20 August 2003) is a French racing driver, who most recently competed in the FIA Formula 2 Championship for the ART Grand Prix team and the reigining Formula 2 vice-champion. He is currently a member of the ...

with Carlin's

Liam Lawson Liam Lawson (born 11 February 2002) is a New Zealand motor racing driver set to compete in the 2023 Super Formula Championship with Team Mugen. Lawson, who is mentored by three-time New Zealand Grand Prix winner Ken Smith, previously competed f ...

third. Fourth-placed

Logan Sargeant Logan Hunter Sargeant (born December 31, 2000) is an American racing driver, who most recently competed in the FIA Formula 2 Championship with Carlin. He will compete for Williams Racing in the 2023 Formula One World Championship, having grad ...

was the only driver to graduate to a Formula One race seat, joining Williams, whilst the top three began roles as Formula One reserve drivers with Aston Martin, Alfa Romeo and Red Bull respectively.

2023

The 2023 championship is set to feature a round at the

Albert Park Circuit The Albert Park Circuit is a motorsport street circuit around Albert Park Lake, three kilometres south of central Melbourne. It is used annually as a circuit for the Formula One Australian Grand Prix, the supporting Supercars Championship Mel ...

alongside the Australian Grand Prix for the first time. Circuit Paul Ricard was removed from the calendar as the

French Grand Prix The French Grand Prix (french: Grand Prix de France), formerly known as the Grand Prix de l'ACF (Automobile Club de France), is an auto race held as part of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile's annual Formula One World Championsh ...

will not take place in , leaving the Formula 2 Championship with fourteen rounds. The championship is scheduled to begin in Bahrain on 4 March and conclude in Abu Dhabi on 26 November.

Champions and awards

Drivers'

Teams'

Anthoine Hubert Award

The ''Anthoine Hubert Award'' was introduced at the prize-giving ceremony in Monaco in 2019, named in memory of

, who died during the 2019 Spa-Francorchamps round and was the only

rookie A rookie is a person new to an occupation, profession, or hobby. In sports, a ''rookie'' is a professional athlete in their first season (or year). In contrast with a veteran who has experience and expertise, a rookie is usually inexperienced ...

in the season to score two race wins. 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.

Drivers graduated to F1

* Bold denotes an active Formula One driver.

Wins

Drivers' total wins

Teams' total wins

Circuits

* Bold denotes a current Formula One Circuit. * ''Italic'' denotes a former Formula One Circuit.

Television rights

The television rights are held by

Formula One Management The Formula One Group is a group of companies responsible for the promotion of the FIA Formula One World Championship, and the exercising of the sport's commercial rights. The Group was previously owned by Delta Topco, a Jersey-based company ow ...

, which also manages the rights to Formula One.

Sky Sports F1 Sky Sports F1 is a television channel created exclusively for Sky's UK and Ireland coverage of Formula One, with Sky having a package of rights from the 2012 season to the 2029 season. From 2012 to 2029, Sky Sports F1 has the exclusive rights ...

show every practice, qualifying and race live in the United Kingdom, and so does Movistar Fórmula 1 in Spain and Sport Tv in Portugal. Coverage in North America is available exclusively on

TSN5 The Sports Network (TSN) is a Canadian English language sports specialty channel established by the Labatt Brewing Company in 1984 as part of the first group of Canadian specialty cable channels. Since 2001, it has been majority-owned by commu ...

(Canada) and ESPN3 (USA). In South East Asia, the races are shown live on

Fox Sports Asia Fox Sports (formerly ESPN Star Sports) was a pan-Asian pay television network broadcasting in Asia, operated by Fox Networks Group Asia Pacific, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company (Southeast Asia) Pte. Ltd. It also oversaw a version of Sta ...

Polsat Sport Polsat Sport () is a Polish sports channel owned by Polsat. It launched on 11 August 2000 and is available via satellite on Cyfrowy Polsat. Polsat Sport HD Polsat Sport HD is a sports channel owned by Polsat, which broadcasts in High Definit ...

shows races in Poland. Band Sports show the F2 in Brazil, and

Fox Sports 3 Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelv ...

in Hispanic America. In India,

Star Sports Star Sports refers to several current or former Asian sports networks owned by The Walt Disney Company: * Star Sports (East Asian TV channel) * Star Sports (Indian TV network) * Fox Sports (Southeast Asian TV network) Fox Sports (formerly ESPN ...

covers the races live.

Notes

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:FIA Formula 2 Championship

FIA Formula 2 Championship The FIA Formula 2 Championship is a second-tier single-seater championship organised by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). Held on racing circuits, the championship was introduced in 2017, following the rebranding of the l ...

One-make series

Recurring sporting events established in 2017