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| Formula 2 Championship | |
|---|---|
| Name | FIA Formula 2 Championship |
| Category | Single-seater racing |
| Inaugural | 2017 |
| Constructors | Dallara |
| Engines | Mecachrome (turbocharged V6) |
| Tyres | Pirelli |
| Champion driver | Felipe Drugovich |
| Champion team | MP Motorsport |
| Current season | 2026 FIA Formula 2 Championship |
Formula 2 Championship
The Formula 2 Championship is a FIA-sanctioned single-seater racing series that serves as a primary feeder category to Formula One, positioned between Formula 3 and top-level motorsport. Established to consolidate and replace several predecessors, the championship features a spec chassis and regulated technical package to emphasize driver skill and team strategy across European and global circuits. The series is closely associated with the FIA driver development pathway, the FIA Super Licence, and widely followed by teams, talent scouts, and sporting directors from Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team, Scuderia Ferrari, Red Bull Racing, and other Formula One teams.
The championship traces roots to the historic European Formula Two Championship, the modern GP2 Series, and the Formula 2 Championship (1967–1984) lineage. The current FIA Formula 2 Championship was inaugurated in 2017 following the merger of the GP2 Series with the FIA’s restructured ladder, adopting the FIA regulatory framework used in FIA Formula 3 Championship. Key moments include the introduction of the Dallara F2 2018 chassis, the switch to the Mecachrome V6 turbo engine architecture, and the adoption of a mandatory FIA Super Licence points system that links series outcomes to Formula One eligibility. Prominent seasons featured intense rivalries between teams like ART Grand Prix, DAMS, Prema Racing, and Carlin Racing at circuits such as Circuit de Monaco, Silverstone Circuit, Autodromo Nazionale Monza, and the Autodromo do Estoril revival rounds.
The championship operates under a standardized race weekend structure influenced by FIA sporting regulations and the format used in Formula One support series. Typical weekends include practice sessions, a qualifying session that determines the Feature Race grid, a longer Feature Race with mandatory pit stops and tyre strategy overseen by Pirelli regulations, and a shorter Sprint Race with a reversed grid for the top finishers to promote overtaking and tactical variation. The series awards FIA Super Licence points based on finishing positions, aligning with FIA criteria for advancement. Race control, stewards drawn from panels similar to those at Formula One rounds, enforce sporting codes derived from FIA International Sporting Code precedents.
Teams are professional racing organizations, often with histories in GP2 Series, Formula Renault, Formula 3 European Championship, and FIA Formula 3 Championship. Notable entrants have included ART Grand Prix, DAMS, Prema Racing, Carlin, MP Motorsport, UNI-Virtuosi Racing, and Hitech Grand Prix. Drivers frequently arrive from feeder series like FIA Formula 3 Championship, F3 Asian Championship, Formula Regional European Championship, and global karting programs such as CIK-FIA competitions. The grid has hosted drivers linked to academy programs from Red Bull Junior Team, Ferrari Driver Academy, Mercedes Junior Team, and McLaren Driver Development alongside national talents from Brazil, United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, France, Japan, and Australia.
All teams use the spec Dallara chassis—initially the F2 2018 model—powered by a single-turbocharged 3.4-litre V6 supplied and maintained by Mecachrome. The package includes a mandatory HANS device, carbon-fibre monocoque conforming to FIA crash test standards, push-to-pass-like engine maps, and control electronics regulated by FIA homologation. Tyres are supplied by Pirelli with compounds and allocations determined per event. Technical updates over seasons have addressed aerodynamics, safety devices including the halo (device), fuel systems compatible with sustainable fuel trials, and gearbox standards consistent with sequential manual transmissions used across single-seater categories.
Rounds are typically held as support events at Formula One Grands Prix and standalone European fixtures, visiting circuits such as Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Monza, Silverstone Circuit, Circuit de Monaco, Red Bull Ring, Hungaroring, and Yas Marina Circuit. Weekend schedules integrate practice, qualifying, Feature Race, and Sprint Race formats, with TV coverage coordinated with broadcasters like Sky Sports, Canal+, RAI, and ESPN. The series has also raced at historic venues linked to European motorsport heritage and new street circuits in collaboration with municipal authorities and circuit promoters.
The points system awards separate tallies for Feature Races and Sprint Races, with additional points for pole position and fastest lap as regulated by FIA sporting rules; these allocations contribute to both Drivers' and Teams' Championships. Records include most race wins, most pole positions, and fastest laps set by alumni who progressed to Formula One and other top categories. Statistical leaders have emerged from teams like Prema Racing and ART Grand Prix, with drivers later joining Williams Racing, Alpine F1 Team, AlphaTauri, and Haas F1 Team. Championship statistics are tracked across seasons, influencing driver market value and FIA Super Licence points accumulation.
The series has been a direct pathway for drivers who advanced to Formula One and international motorsport careers. Prominent graduates include Charles Leclerc, George Russell, Lando Norris, Mick Schumacher, Pierre Gasly, Alexander Albon, Nyck de Vries, Sergio Pérez-era predecessors and other racers whose performances led to appointments by F1 teams, manufacturer programs, and endurance outfits like FIA World Endurance Championship entrants. The championship remains a critical evaluation platform used by team principals, driver managers, and sponsor entities to assess readiness for Formula One competition and commercial partnerships.
Category:Single-seater racing series Category:FIA championships Category:Motorsport feeder series