FIA Formula 2 Championship


The FIA Formula 2 Championship is a second-tier single-seater championship organised by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile. 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. Although it is not necessary, most current F1 drivers have previously participated in Formula 2 or GP2 before graduating to Formula One. It is the final step on the FIA Global Pathway from Karting to Formula One.
Formula 2 is designed to create an ideal training ground for life in Formula One, and to this effect, it makes racing relatively affordable for the teams. As a spec series, all teams are required to use the same chassis, engine, and tire supplier. These are designed to mirror Formula One cars in terms of safety, aesthetics, system functionalities, performance, sustainability, and cost-effectiveness. Formula 2 mainly races on European and Middle Eastern circuits, but has made appearances at other international race tracks, such as the Albert Park Circuit in Australia.

History

Origin and first season

In 2015, the FIA announced plans to revive the Formula Two category, following the continued success of GP2 and Formula Renault 3.5. This decision came despite the discontinuation of the FIA Formula Two Championship only three years prior, owing to a lack of entries in its final season. On 8 March 2017, the FIA confirmed that the GP2 Series would be rebranded as the FIA Formula 2 Championship after an agreement with Liberty Media, which had acquired both the series and the Formula One Group earlier that year. FIA President at the time, Jean Todt, stated that "rationalising the pathway to Formula One has been a major goal of the FIA in my time here."
The 2017 Formula 2 Championship comprised eleven rounds, ten of which supported the Formula One World Championship, with an additional stand-alone event at the Circuito de Jerez. The series retained the Dallara GP2/11 chassis, in use since 2011, and the Mecachrome V8108 GP2 V8, first introduced in 2005. A very stunning fact about the machine is that in the 2014 GP2 season it actually beat some of the F1 cars because of the regulation changes there which weren't introduced in GP2 yet. This was a very embarrassing moment for the pinnacle of the motorsports and caught a lot of negative attention. Rookie and reigning GP3 Series champion Charles Leclerc won the Drivers' Championship, while Russian Time secured the Teams' Championship and they were the last to lift a trophy with the Dallara GP2/11.

2018–2020

The season introduced a new car, the Dallara F2 2018, featuring the Mecachrome V634 engine and the halo driver crash-protection device, which was also adopted by Formula One that year. Circuit Paul Ricard and the Sochi Autodrom were added to the calendar, while the Circuito de Jerez was removed. Carlin returned to the series after a one-year absence, and Charouz Racing System joined following the discontinuation of World Series Formula V8 3.5. Soon after the season concluded, Russian Time was sold to Virtuosi Racing, which had been operating the team since 2015.
The season witnessed the first fatality of a driver competing in the second tier of FIA-sanctioned formula racing in 10 years when French driver Anthoine Hubert was killed during the feature race at Spa-Francorchamps. The race was red-flagged and subsequently cancelled, along with the following day's sprint race. Later that year, the FIA introduced the Anthoine Hubert Award in his memory, recognising the highest-placed rookie in the standings. Zhou Guanyu became the inaugural recipient of the same.
The season was heavily disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in significant postponements, cancellations, and schedule revisions. The season eventually began in July and included an appearance at the Mugello Circuit for the first, and only time.

2021–2023

The season underwent major restructuring as part of post-pandemic cost-cutting measures. Each round featured three races instead of two, while the number of circuits was reduced from twelve to eight. The Dallara F2 2018 chassis remained in use, despite plans for its replacement that year. The calendar was separated from that of the FIA Formula 3 Championship, meaning the two series no longer ran on the same Grand Prix weekends. As a result, the Red Bull Ring, Hungaroring, Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Circuit Paul Ricard, and Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps were no longer included on the calendar, while the Jeddah Corniche Circuit was added to the schedule.
The championship marked a return to the pre-2021 format of two races per round, alongside a reduction in points awarded for sprint races, pole positions, and fastest laps. The calendar expanded to twenty-eight races across fourteen rounds. Circuits dropped in 2021 returned to the schedule, alongside the addition of two venues—Imola Circuit and Circuit Zandvoort. The round at Sochi Autodrom was cancelled following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In, Formula 2 raced at the Albert Park Circuit for the first time. Although Imola was initially scheduled, the round was cancelled due to severe flooding in the area.

2024–present

A new chassis—the Dallara F2 2024—was introduced in. Designed to more closely resemble the current generation of Formula One cars, it incorporated advanced safety technologies and was engineered to better accommodate female drivers. The series also made its debut at the Lusail International Circuit, which replaced the round at Zandvoort on the calendar.
The Imola Circuit was removed from the calendar following and will be replaced by the Madring from onwards.

Race weekend

A Formula 2 race weekend is structured over three days. It typically begins on Friday with a 45-minute practice session followed by a 30-minute qualifying session. The first race, known as the sprint race, is held on Saturday. Its grid is formed by reversing the top ten positions from qualifying, and the race is run over a distance of approximately or a maximum duration of 45 minutes, whichever is reached first. The weekend concludes on Sunday with the feature race, traditionally the main event, which precedes the Formula 1 Grand Prix. This race covers around or lasts up to one hour, depending on which limit is reached first. Between 2017 and 2020, the feature race was scheduled on Saturdays, with the sprint race moved to Sundays.

Points system

The top 8 finishers in the sprint race receive the following points:
1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th
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The top 10 finishers in the Feature Race receive the following points:
1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th
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The driver who secures pole position in Friday's qualifying session is awarded two additional championship points. In both the sprint and feature races, one point is granted for the fastest lap, provided the driver finishes within the top ten of the final classification. The maximum number of points achievable by a single driver in one round is 39.
In the event that two or more drivers finish the season with an equal number of points, a countback system is applied to determine their standings. Priority is given to the driver with the greater number of race victories. If still tied, the number of second-place finishes is compared, followed by third-place finishes, and so forth, until the tie is resolved. This procedure applies at all stages of the championship.

Drivers

Numbering System

The FIA Formula 2 Championship allocates car numbers based on the results of the previous season's team standings, following a system similar to that used in Formula One between 1996 and 2013. Numbers are assigned sequentially, with the exception of number 13, which has remained unused since the introduction of the GP2 Series in 2005. In tribute to Anthoine Hubert, who suffered fatal injuries in Spa-Francorchamps in 2019, the number 19 was permanently retired ahead of the 2020 season. The following year, the number 18 was also withdrawn in his memory.

Drivers graduated to F1

Since its rebranding in 2017, Formula 2 has established itself as the principal feeder series to Formula One, with many of its drivers progressing directly to the top tier of motorsport. Charles Leclerc and Sergey Sirotkin were the first graduate from the series to F1 following their debuts with Sauber and Williams in, respectively. Leclerc entered Formula One as the reigning Formula 2 champion, while Sirotkin had made a one-round appearance in the inaugural F2 season as a reserve driver and had previously competed in GP2, finishing third in both the 2015 and 2016 standings. In, the three leading drivers from the 2018 season graduated to Formula One: champion George Russell, runner-up Lando Norris, and third-place finisher Alex Albon, who debuted with Williams, McLaren, and Scuderia Toro Rosso, respectively. The following year, runner-up Nicholas Latifi joined Williams as the only full-time newcomer from Formula 2, while Jack Aitken, who finished fifth in the 2019 standings, made a single appearance at the as Williams' reserve driver.
The Formula One grid featured three graduates from the 2020 season: champion Mick Schumacher and fifth-placed Nikita Mazepin joined Haas, while third-placed Yuki Tsunoda debuted with AlphaTauri. Zhou Guanyu, who finished third in the 2021 Formula 2 Championship standings, was the only full-time graduate in, signing with Alfa Romeo. That season also saw the debut of 2019 champion Nyck de Vries, who substituted for Williams at the. De Vries had since raced in the FIA World Endurance Championship and Formula E, where he won the 2021 title, before joining AlphaTauri full-time the next year. In 2023, two more former F2 drivers made their Formula One debuts: Oscar Piastri, 2021's Formula 2 champion and 2022 Formula 2 Championship fourth-place finisher Logan Sargeant, who signed with McLaren and Williams, respectively. The 2023 season also saw the debut of Liam Lawson, who finished third in Formula 2 in 2022 and made reserve driver appearances for AlphaTauri whilst also competing in Super Formula. He would later gain a full-time seat with the team during. Three other drivers also made in-season debuts in 2024. Oliver Bearman, sixth in the standings, raced for both Ferrari and Haas as a reserve driver before securing a full-time Haas seat in. Franco Colapinto left his 2024 Formula 2 campaign mid-season to join Williams, while Jack Doohan, third in 2023, debuted for Alpine in the final race of the year ahead of a full-time promotion in. The 2025 season featured three additional graduates: 2024 champion Gabriel Bortoleto joined Sauber, runner-up Isack Hadjar signed with Racing Bulls, and sixth-placed Kimi Antonelli entered Formula One with Mercedes.
For, sixth-placed Arvid Lindblad is set to join Racing Bulls.
In 2025, Lando Norris became the first graduate to win a Formula One World Drivers' Championship.