What Formula 2 actually is
Formula 2 is the FIA's own official single-seater championship sitting directly below Formula 1 — not an informal, manufacturer-run junior series, but a genuine FIA World Championship with its technical and sporting regulations deliberately designed to prepare drivers for F1 itself. Every car on the grid is mechanically identical, built to a spec chassis and engine package, so races are decided by driver and team execution rather than budget.
The one-sentence version: F2 is a spec single-seater championship, run on the same weekends as most Formula 1 Grand Prix, whose entire purpose is to prepare — and formally qualify — the next generation of F1 drivers.
The car: Dallara F2 2024 and its Mecachrome engine
Every team runs the identical Dallara F2 2024 chassis, powered by a Mecachrome V634T — a turbocharged 3.4-liter single-turbo V6 producing 620 horsepower at 8,750rpm, in a car weighing 795kg with driver and fuel. That's a genuine, deliberate step up from Formula 3's naturally aspirated 380hp version of the same basic engine architecture, and a clear step below Formula 1's roughly 1,000hp hybrid power units — a real, measured staircase built specifically to progressively prepare a driver for the car they're ultimately aiming to reach.
Race weekend: Sprint Race and Feature Race
An F2 weekend runs two races: a Sprint Race (120km or 45 minutes) on Saturday, with its starting grid set by reversing the top 10 finishers from Friday qualifying, and a Feature Race (170km or 60 minutes) on Sunday, typically run in direct support of the Formula 1 Grand Prix at the same circuit. The Feature Race grid is set directly by qualifying order, unreversed.
Try it: build a real F2 weekend score
The Feature Race copies Formula 1's own points scale exactly, while the Sprint Race uses its own smaller table — and there are genuine bonus points on top of both. See exactly how a real weekend total is built below.
Build a Real F2 Weekend Score
Every F2 weekend runs both a Sprint and a Feature Race. Pick a finish in each, plus the bonus categories, to see how a real weekend total is built.
From GP2 to Formula 2: a brief history
The championship existed under a different name for over a decade before becoming Formula 2. Launched as the GP2 Series in 2005, it ran under that name through 2016, with Nico Rosberg winning the inaugural title — Rosberg and that era's grid included Lewis Hamilton, both of whom went on to become Formula 1 World Champions. The FIA rebranded the series as Formula 2 starting with the 2017 season specifically to align its name with the sport's clear developmental ladder: F4, F3, F2, F1.
The 2026 season: 14 rounds, 28 races
The 2026 FIA Formula 2 Championship runs 14 rounds across 13 countries — 11 teams and 22 drivers contesting 28 races in total, every one of them a support event of the Formula 1 World Championship, running from March through December. The 2026 calendar adds a new venue for the series: Madrid, alongside F1's own new Madring circuit, subject to FIA circuit homologation.
Why F2 is the fastest route to an F1 seat
F2 results feed directly into the FIA Super Licence points system that determines whether a driver is even eligible to race in Formula 1 — a mechanism weighted more heavily toward F2 than almost any other feeder category. The top 3 finishers in the final F2 championship standings each receive 40 Super Licence points on their own — the exact minimum required for an F1 Super Licence application, achievable in a single season. See our full F1 vs F2 and F3 breakdown for exactly how that points system compares against F3 and other categories.
Real graduates: F2's own honour roll
Of the F2 era's champions since the 2017 rebrand, both Charles Leclerc (2017 champion) and George Russell (2018 champion) have gone on to become genuine Formula 1 race winners, while Oscar Piastri (2021 champion) currently races for McLaren in F1. All three won their F2 title in their rookie season, a pattern that goes back to the GP2 era too — Rosberg and Hamilton both won their titles (GP2 in 2005, and the 2006 F1 season respectively) at the first attempt. More recently, Isack Hadjar raced F2 through the 2024 season before graduating directly into a 2025 Formula 1 seat with Racing Bulls.
How to actually follow it
Because nearly every F2 round runs as a direct support event to a Formula 1 Grand Prix weekend, the easiest way to follow it is simply to tune into the F1 broadcast slightly earlier than the main race — F2's Sprint and Feature Races are typically broadcast on the same channels covering that weekend's Formula 1 sessions. F1 TV Pro also carries full F2 coverage for viewers who want every session, not just the two races.
For how F2 stacks up directly against F1 and F3, see our F1 vs F2 and F3 comparison.
Frequently asked questions
What is Formula 2?
The FIA's official single-seater championship directly below Formula 1 — a spec series where every car is mechanically identical, run specifically to prepare and formally qualify the next generation of F1 drivers.
What car does Formula 2 use?
The Dallara F2 2024 — a spec chassis powered by a Mecachrome V634T, a turbocharged 3.4-liter V6 producing 620 horsepower at 8,750rpm, weighing 795kg with driver and fuel.
How does an F2 race weekend work?
Two races: a Sprint Race (120km/45min) on Saturday with its grid set by reversing the top 10 from Friday qualifying, and a Feature Race (170km/60min) on Sunday with its grid set directly by qualifying order.
How many points does winning an F2 race give you?
25 points for winning the Feature Race (F1's exact scale), or 10 points for winning the Sprint Race, plus bonus points: 2 for Feature Race pole and 1 for fastest lap in each race.
Was Formula 2 always called Formula 2?
No — it ran as the GP2 Series from 2005 to 2016, with Nico Rosberg winning the first title. The FIA rebranded it as Formula 2 for the 2017 season to align with the sport's F4-F3-F2-F1 developmental ladder.
How many rounds are in the 2026 F2 season?
14 rounds across 13 countries, 28 races total, all run as support events to Formula 1 Grand Prix weekends from March through December, including a new Madrid round subject to FIA homologation.
Why does F2 matter so much for reaching Formula 1?
F2 results feed directly into the FIA Super Licence points system — the top 3 finishers in the final championship standings each receive 40 points, the exact minimum required for an F1 Super Licence, achievable in a single season.
Which current F1 drivers came up through Formula 2?
Charles Leclerc (2017 F2 champion), George Russell (2018 champion) and Oscar Piastri (2021 champion) all won the F2 title before reaching F1. Isack Hadjar raced F2 through 2024 before joining Racing Bulls in F1 for 2025.
How can I watch Formula 2?
Nearly every F2 round runs as a direct support event to a Formula 1 Grand Prix weekend, so it's typically broadcast on the same channels covering that weekend's F1 sessions. F1 TV Pro also carries full F2 coverage.
Is Formula 2 the same as Formula 3?
No — F3 sits one tier below F2, with a less powerful, naturally aspirated 380hp version of the same basic Mecachrome engine architecture, and its own separate Super Licence points table.
Sources
Pippa has followed open-wheel racing for 12 years, from Formula 1's turbo-hybrid era to IndyCar's short ovals, and has watched competitive sim racing grow from a niche hobby into a genuine motorsport discipline in its own right. She covers circuit and open-wheel racing, touring cars and esports for CNMOTOS.
View all articles by Pippa Cook →
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