FIA Formula 2 and Formula 3 have confirmed they will return to their two-race weekends in 2022.
Both series have been running separate race weekends this year with one Free Practice, one Qualifying session and three races staged on each weekend they contest.
From next season, it will be one Free Practice, one Qualifying session and two races on each weekend, all of which will be alongside Formula 1.
Also, the top ten qualifiers for F2 will be reversed for Race 1, and the same for the top 12 in F3. Race 2 for both categories will be held on the Sunday, where the bigger points get allocated.
The number of events for F2 and F3 are still to be confirmed, along with the calendar.
Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali is confident that changes will keep the fans “engaged and excited” during a race weekend.
“We are pleased to announce the changes to the weekend format for Formula 2 and 3 for next season and I am grateful to Bruno and the teams for their efforts to make this happen,” Domenicali said.
“The 2021 season has been hugely exciting and the talent on display in both Championships is incredible. We want to ensure all our fans get the maximum entertainment during a race weekend and bringing the Championships back together in 2022 will provide more racing action during our events and ensure our fans have activity that will keep them engaged and excited.”
Formula 2 and Formula 3 CEO Bruno Michel has been happy with the points format of this year and believes that can help enhance the experience for fans.
“In 2021, we introduced a new race weekend format and chose to have F2 and F3 race separately, mainly for costs reasons, and it proved to be quite efficient,” Michel added.
“However, even if sporting-wise that new format worked pretty well, we understood that there was too much time in between each event, which was not ideal for the teams, the drivers and the fans. At the same time, there has been a strong will by the different stakeholders to have F1, F2 and F3 racing together again. After careful consideration, together with the FIA, we have decided to change the sporting regulations accordingly.
“This is great news for the fans because we are enhancing the overall F1 Grand Prix weekend experience, having all three Championships racing together, at as many events as possible. However, we are keeping our races where the most points are allocated and the stakes are higher on Sundays, ahead of the Formula 1 Grand Prix. It’s worked quite well this year and I believe this has brought a lot of action and entertainment on Sunday morning.”
Formula 1 Race Director Michael Masi is also confident that with having F1, F2 and F3 all on the same weekend will help the Single-Seater pyramid develop further.
“We have carefully looked at the impact of the changes that were made to the weekend format throughout 2021, and while there have been some notable benefits, the FIA together with the promoters have concluded that a shared billing that showcases Formula 3, Formula 2 and Formula 1 at the same events wherever possible is more beneficial for both competitors and spectators,” Masi said.
“The regulatory process is one of constant evolution and there have been a great number of things that we have learned this year that we will implement throughout the FIA’s Single-Seater pyramid, which is continuing to go from strength to strength.”
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