The new chassis Formula 2 will use from next year has been revealed for the first time in the paddock at Monza.
Dallara’s F2 2024 will replace the F2 2018, which is in its sixth year of service.Its design closely resembles the latest generation of F1 cars which followed the introduction of its new technical regulations last year. F2 said the design is intended to give junior drivers a close approximation of driving an F1 car, while also ensuring close racing.
Particular attention has been paid to altering the cars’ steering system to make it accessible to a wider range of drivers, following concerns the previous design was poorly adapted for female racers. Tatiana Calderon, who raced in the series in 2019 and 2022 and found the car harder to handle than an F1 car, was chosen to shake down to F2 2024 at the Varano circuit in Italy last month.
Development of the car will continue over the coming months. Reigning champion Felipe Drugovich is among those who will test the F2 2024 for Dallara.
F2’s 11 teams are due to receive one example each of the new car in December. A further example will follow in January.
In order to keep cost increases to a minimum, the car retains the same gearbox and 3.4-litre turbocharged V6 Mecachrome engine used by its predecessor.
The FIA’s deputy president for sport, Robert Reid, said “a huge amount of work has been done by the FIA, Formula 2 and its partners to put together what is a truly impressive package focused on close racing, the latest safety technologies, even greater environmental sustainability and better accessibility for drivers than ever before.
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“This significant step will bring Formula 2 closer to the pinnacle of motor sport, ensuring that the next generation of drivers get the best possible preparation for the future and also put on a fantastic show for the fans around the world.”
F2 CEO Bruno Michel described the new car as “powerful, challenging and safe”, and said it will “continue to provide great racing and a lot of overtaking opportunities, something that the fans expect from F2.”
“It has been designed also to fit all types of drivers, taking into account FIA’s consideration regarding the steering effort,” he added. “This is obviously key to making our sport more inclusive, by enhancing our car’s driveability and comfort.”
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Coventry Climax
31st August 2023, 12:09
Interesting rear wing design.
Calderon did the shakedown. What did she have to say about it?
11 examples in december, another 11 in januari, followed by: In order to keep cost increases to a minimum …
That somehow makes little sense, creating 22 full cars that will never be raced.
Jere (@jerejj)
31st August 2023, 12:27
You can find out her first impression on the video uploaded on F1’s official YT channel.
Coventry Climax
31st August 2023, 20:15
What’s the problem with giving a short version (or verdict) here?
Coventry Climax
31st August 2023, 23:48
Tried it, but only get ‘Video unavailable’. With all of the official FiA videos, by the way. Everything else just works fine.
Coventry Climax
31st August 2023, 23:52
sorry, that should have been official F1 videos
S
31st August 2023, 12:40
Those 22 cars will be their 2024 race cars….
And that rear wing is really ugly.
Coventry Climax
31st August 2023, 20:07
The word ‘example’ has a double meaning. English is not my native language, so I may have misinterpreted that.
And your opinion is that that rear wing is really ugly.
Like I said, I think it is interesting. Pretty or ugly is irrelevant for a racecar as far as I’m concerned. That shape is not chosen for easthetic reasons; there’s a philosophy behind it, that I’d like to know about.
S
1st September 2023, 3:49
Yes, example can also mean a single (fully completed) item – not just a mock-up.
And yes again – my opinion is that I think the wing is really ugly. Not only that, I have 100% confidence that they could design a different one that looks better, suits the rest of the car better and still provides satisfactory performance.
Given that most of the redesign is intended to make F2 more visually aligned with F1, aesthetics are absolutely a major factor – just as they were with the F1 car appearance this is modelled on.
That philosophy is marketing, and it involves creating a visual brand consistency.
Jere (@jerejj)
31st August 2023, 12:26
The rear wing design is weird.
RH
31st August 2023, 12:29
Do they carry venturi floors or flat bottom floors? That moves the center of pressure quite a bit in the cars and subsequently a lot of adaptation is needed.
If it’s venturi floors I’m curious to see if f2 cars porpoise as well all over the place.
RandomMallard
31st August 2023, 12:55
As others have said, very weird rear wing design. A bit like the rear wing on the Super Formula car but more.
Slightly disappointed they’re keeping the current Mecachrome V6 though. I understand the reasoning to keep costs down, but that engine desperately needs reliability improvements.
Asd
31st August 2023, 14:02
Haha, the 2022 F1 Ferrari nose made me chuckle. The front wing is ugly, the rear wing is disgusting. All those rounded plates make it look like a boat or a 1960’s comic book car.
Imre (@f1mre)
31st August 2023, 14:13
The reason for the rear wing design is more effective DRS with the intention to apply similar rules in F1 from 2026. They are planning with DRS for the long term and they are planning to improve it’s effectiveness.
Roger Ayles (@roger-ayles)
31st August 2023, 14:26
@f1mre And that makes me sad as this was a category that never needed the silly gimmick to begin with.
The aim of every category should be to move away from the gimmicks and get back to some proper racing with some real overtaking yet instead they sadly all seem to be doubling down on the gimmicks to get quantity rather than quality.
Coventry Climax
31st August 2023, 20:24
Pity they intend to rely on DRS to that extent. That sounds like yet another racing series killed by the FiA. But, if the source of your information is correct, ofcourse. Even if I (we?) have no reason to doubt what you say, there’s no means to verify it.
And surely it’s not about more effective DRS alone? That shape must be intended to have an influence on the amount, shape and direction of dirty air. Anyone knows? Or can point to where it’s explained?
Alesici
1st September 2023, 6:56
You have to understand that F2 is about training drivers to drive F1 cars, and part of that is the skill of deploying DRS. Us mere mortals wouldn’t understand the detailed intricacies of that skill. You don’t just have to press the button. You have to *really* press it. It takes years of practice extracting the very human capability limits of button pressing.
Red Andy (@red-andy)
1st September 2023, 7:38
You forgot to mention the critically important skill of listening for the beep in your ear that tells you when you should press the button.
Phil Norman (@phil-f1-21)
31st August 2023, 14:14
It’s a very odd design. We need more pictures but what is going on with that rear wing? It looks like it would be quite unstable from this view.
Roger Ayles (@roger-ayles)
31st August 2023, 14:25
I hate that they have retained DRS (Especially as they say it will be more powerful) as GP2/F2 was a category that never needed it (Or High degredation tires) to begin with as the racing in that category was always fantastic without the silly gimmicks.
It’s a spec category so there should be no need for such gimmicks given how they can produce a car around the desire to have closer racing & more overtaking possibilities without having to worry about cars constantly evolving with teams developing ideas that go against that as we see in F1.
The racing in GP2/F2 was always some of the best around without the gimmicks & i’d go as far as saying the racing was far better without them as the racing, defending & overtaking was more down to the skill of the drivers rather than the gimmicks as it’s became since they were introduced. There are just far too many races where tyre deg & overly powerful DRS makes it more about the gimmicks than the skill & racing abilities of the drivers.
I just really miss when the racing was more down to the more pure ability of drivers to defend, attack & pull off overtakes rather than them becoming too reliant on pushing buttons in pre-designated passing zones where the art of defending is all too often rendered useless. Maybe this is why so many younger drivers struggle to think outside the box to try & pull off some real overtakes now, They are too used to having the easy push of a button option.
It’s all become too much about the quantity of passes rather than producing some actual quality racing.
PacificPR (@streydt)
31st August 2023, 15:49
+1 totally agree. DRS is for passing another car and has little to do with actual overtaking skills.
Abies de Wet
31st August 2023, 14:55
That Nose & Frong Wing Are Huge… Ridiculous…
MichaelN
31st August 2023, 15:59
The DRS addiction is just silly. Let these young guys learn how to race with these kinds of cars with cars that facilitate that process.
The oversized snowplough of a front wing just makes the race-ability worse. Drivers can’t see it down there.