Organisers of the Formula 2 championship are hopeful that a new package can be introduced for the 2024 season, if economic conditions are suitable.
Formula 2 is in its fifth season of using the Dallara-supplied F2/18 chassis powered by a Mecachrome turbo V6 engine, though minor revisions have taken place since, most notably the introduction of 18-inch Pirelli tyres in 2020.
Two drivers on the current Formula 1 grid – George Russell and Mick Schumacher – won titles in the F2/18, which replaced the GP2/11 that had been in service for seven years.
Formula 2 previously opted to keep the F2/18 for its second three-year cycle, from 2021 through 2023, but boss Bruno Michel is hopeful a replacement can be introduced for 2024.
“The idea is generally that if the economic situation allows it, we will launch a new F2 car for 2024, and a new F3 car for 2025,” Michel said.
“We work on three-year cycles but sometimes we keep the car for six years because we don’t want to impose heavy financial burdens on the teams, such as new materials and spare parts.
“We need to try and stay as close as possible to Formula 1, and with a three-year old car already it is not easy because Formula 1 is evolving so much every year. With a six-year-old car it is even a little bit further [from Formula 1] – it doesn’t mean we are performing less, or races are less entertaining, but it is a question of technology.
“We have to balance technology with costs – that’s the big, big issue we have in F2 and F3, and that’s something we will always have.”
Michel outlined that “there are a lot of plans” over the potential 2024 concept and emphasised that cost is the primary issue because “you can imagine the cost of an F1 engine is much, much higher than the whole budget of an [F2] team for the whole season. We need to take that into consideration.”
Formula 2 expects to make a decision on whether to go ahead with a new car before the end of the year.
“When you want to have a new car ready for 11 teams for 2024, [a decision is needed] by the end of this year; we need to be ready with the design, so we need to choose the suppliers, and we need to work on the specification of the car,” he said.
“It takes at least one year to do the design, do the prototype, go track testing, then to go back to the suppliers and get the cars ready for the first test – so we need to be ready very soon.”
Michel also outlined that Formula 2 is working on plans to replace its cancelled Russia round – ensuring 14 events are held – and that a decision is expected soon.
Formula 2’s third round of 2022 will take place alongside Formula 1 at next weekend’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
