Formula 2 is the final hurdle a driver has to make before leaping Formula 1. Admittedly other routes into the sport can be taken as drivers need to have accrued 40 super license points over three years, but as the second tier of motorsport and frequently a supporting race to the Formula 1 World Driver's Championship, it is in the eyes of the FIA the "feeder" to the most prestigious paddock.
According to the FIA, since 2017, the championship has provided Formula 1 with eight drivers, with ten current drivers being in Formula 1 driver academies, as well as having had 31 different race winners. They claim that it is "one of the most competitive single-seater championships in the world", which is true.
The drivers have to be exceptionally skilled to graduate from karting and less powerful single-seat racing series like Formula 3. Even if a driver has the financial backing to get a place in a team, they may have no skill behind the wheel whatsoever.
The cars aren't as powerful as their Formula 1 siblings, but all cars on the grid are the same as Formula 2 is a spec series. Each car with the driver on board weighs about 1,665 lbs, has 620 hp, and a top speed of 208 mph. However, not all is well in the championship.
The Formula 2 Championship has major problems that need to be fixed.
F2 Follows A Similar Format But It's Not Equal To F1
The FIA clearly states that the cars are mechanically identical. Many would be forgiven for thinking that the championship was a test of pure driving skill.
The Formula 2 series does offer this. Mick Schumacher is a notable example, taking the PREMA Racing team's car to victory at the 2019 Hungarian Grand Prix. This enabled him to showcase his talents in the 2020 season, which the driver went on to win with consistent performances that placed him firmly in the points even when he didn't start at the front of the grid. A prime example was in Bahrain, where he began in tenth and finished in fourth.
Schumacher deserves his place at the Haas Formula 1 team and in the Ferrari driver's academy; he will surely race for the team which his father made dominant in the early 2000s, perhaps even alongside fellow Formula 2 graduate Charles Leclerc.
However, skill isn't all that's in play here. The playing field may be greater even than in Formula 1, but this is still a team sport, and if a team doesn't have the funds for staff, it will fall behind the championship leaders. Over the race weekend, Formula 2 sees multiple races, with the final event being the longer Feature Race which covers over 100 miles which is usually around 30 laps, and takes just over an hour.
When Leclerc made the jump into Formula 1 it was reported by Race Fans that the longer Grand Prix were "extremely long” and that it was challenging to manage fuel and tires over the longer distance. However, this doesn't mean it is easy in Formula 2. In the Feature Race, drivers must stop once and change tires; also, planning the correct strategy is vital to keeping your driver in the race for the championship.
The recent Formula 1 United States Grand Prix proved just how important executing pit stops perfectly is, with a strategic blunder on Mercedes' part ensuring the success of Red Bull's undercut strategy. Lando Norris came second with Carlin racing in 2018 after a season with zero points at Campos Racing; such a drastic change can't be attributed to more time spent in the simulator.
Race strategy is just one example, where, although the cars in Formula 2 are the same, the engineers and strategists not in the limelight are so important to success; those who are good at this come at a premium that not every team can afford.
Stepping Into Formula 1
PREMA Racing and ART Racing are at the front of the pack because under the current regulations, they continue to excel. It is no surprise that many of their drivers make it to the Formula 1 grid. George Williams won with ART, and Alex Albon drove for the team. Charles Leclerc and Mick Schumacher with PREMA.
The fact remains that winning races and the championship makes a statement; however, the reigning Formula 2 champion in the interest of fairness isn't allowed to return the following season. For the current Formula 2 championship leader Oscar Piastri, who races with PREMA, it puts him in an interesting position, there is currently only one undecided seat in Formula 1 for the 2022 season at Alfa Romeo alongside Valteri Bottas. If Piastri has to sit the 2022 season out, he risks being overlooked in favor of next year's victor and other talented drivers like Zhou Guanyu.
According to Auto Sport, Piastri is setting his sights on 2023. The driver says, "I'd be okay with spending one year on the sidelines I think. Obviously, it's still not ideal, but it's happened to quite a lot of drivers out there". Formula 2 is an excellent series for drivers to develop their talent. Pat Symonds called it a "proving ground for F1", and he is correct with Formula 2 being a supporting series for Formula 1; they race on the same tracks, allowing these young drivers to race on the same FIA grade 1 tracks as the tier 1 sport.
In 2020, the FIA announced that the series would race alongside Formula 1's first eight races. The weekend's format takes this a step further, with two sprint races on the Saturday offering drivers plenty of track time. But the championship winner can very easily be forgotten about, and so can those who find seats in less well-funded teams.