Karun Chandhok GP2 Monza 2008

Earlier this year, at the height of the Mosleygate came a surprising piece of news from FIA - plans to revive the Formula 2 series. Thanks to the timing of the announcement it was almost immediately considered to be just another shot fired in the Bernie vs. Max war. Thanks to the planned low budget (£195,000 per car) it was also almost immediately branded as impossible. Things have however moved ahead. Jonathan Palmer’s MotorSport Vision has been selected to run the series and the plans for 2009 season were announced last weekend including the 2009 FIA Formula Two Championship calendar (see the bottom of this post).

Many people are a bit confused with this Formula 2 thing especially when there already exists rather successful Formula 1 feeder series - GP2. So what are the differences between current GP2 series and the planned Formula 2 championship ?

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F1Wolf

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The FIA announced the winner of the Formula Two chassis and engine supplier tender - MotorSport Vision (MSV):

MotorSport Vision (MSV) has won the tender to supply chassis and engines for the new FIA Formula Two Championship, following a fax vote of the FIA World Motor Sport Council. As part of the winning tender it has been agreed that MSV will be the promoter of the Championship as well as the operating entity for all of the cars.
MSV has commissioned WilliamsF1 to design the car, which will incorporate a turbocharged 1.8 litre Audi engine and be built to Formula One-level safety standards. The first prototype car is on schedule for its testing debut in November 2008, with the Championship due to start in May 2009 and comprising 16 races over eight events. Performance levels will be between Formula Three and Formula One and the cost per competing driver will be less than €250,000.

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F1Wolf

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One of the decisions taken today in Paris by the World Motorsport Council is this:

The FIA will invite tenders for a new feeder series for Formula One. This championship, called Formula Two, would be launched in 2009 and used as an inexpensive platform to develop emerging driver talent for Formula One. It is hoped this can be achieved within a budget of around €200,000 a car per season.

The purpose of the new Formula Two series does not seem to be very different from the purpose of GP2. So one can make a conclusion - 2008 season is the last one GP2 as we know it. Or is the Formula 2 going to exist alongside GP2 ?

Will the new series be brand new with new chassis, engines, format or are will the new name be pretty much the only change ? One thing we can almost take for granted. With the budget only €200,000 a car per season the Formula Two would very likely have to be spec series, as GP2 currently is.

I must admit I do like the idea of Formula 1 having again, after 25 year absence, its feeder series called Formula 2. Now let’s hope that some good racing would come with it.

F1Wolf

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2008 will be the third year in a row when a feeder series champion makes the step up to Formula 1 - In 2005 Vitantonio Liuzzi (2004 F3000 champion) raced few races for Red Bull (alternating with Christian Klien). Frank Williams signed 2005 GP2 champion Nico Rosberg from the 2006 season. The 2006 GP2 champion Lewis Hamilton raced for McLaren in 2007 F1 season. Timo Glock will return to F1 in 2008 after winning the GP2 championship in 2007.

Lewis Hamilton wasted a glorious opportunity to become the first ever champion of one of the F1 feeder series to win the F1 title. Yes, no Formula 2, Formula 3000 or GP2 champion ever won Formula 1 title. Almost all of them however raced in Formula 1. The only four without F1 start are Jörg Müller, Bruno Junqueira, Björn Wirdheim and Sébastien Bourdais.

Several of them will be on the grid in 2008 F1 season - Nick Heidfeld, Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg, Timo Glock, Sébastien Bourdais are confirmed. Vitantonio Liuzzi’s chances for 2008 drive are slim, but his F1 career may not be over yet. Will any of this guys be the first one to break the pattern ?

Here is the list of all Formula 2 (from 1967), Formula 3000 and GP2 title winners, with their F1 achievements:

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F1Wolf

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