Formula 2 drops Zandvoort and adds Qatar on 28-race calendar for 2024

Formula 2

Posted on

| Written by

Formula 2 will race in Qatar next year in place of Zandvoort as the series confirmed a 28-race calendar for the 2024 season.

Advert | Become a Supporter & go ad-free

Following the announcement of the 2024 F1 calendar last month, its support series F2 and F3 have announced largely unchanged schedules for next year.

F2’s 2024 schedule will largely mirror this year’s calendar. The only change of venue comes from the series not joining F1 at the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort as F2 will instead race at the Losail circuit in Qatar in late November. It’s season concludes alongside F1 at the Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi.

F3 will again run over ten rounds and a total of 20 races, starting alongside F1’s season-opener at the Bahrain Grand Prix. The lower level junior category will return to the Albert Park circuit in Australia after competing there for the first time this year before its first European round at Imola as part of the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix. As with F1 and F2, this year’s planned round at Imola was cancelled due to the impact of flooding in the region in May.

Once again, F3 season’s finale will be held at Monza as part of the first grand prix weekend held after the summer break.

F2 and F2 CEO Bruno Michel says that the series will be mindful of team costs associated with replacing a European round with another flyaway round.

“For next year, we will race in Qatar, which is a very exciting new venue,” Michel said. “The final leg of the season will see Baku, Qatar and Abu Dhabi after the race weekend in Monza, making the 2024 calendar more balanced.

Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and go ad-free

“We keep receiving interest from many promoters and it’s great that we can add new tracks every season. Even though there will be more flyaway events in 2024, we continue to ensure the teams’ budget remains at a proper level.”

2024 F2 and F3 calendars

DatesVenueCircuitSeries
29th February – 2nd MarchBahrainBahrain International CircuitFormula 2Formula 3
7th-9th MarchSaudi ArabiaJeddah Corniche CircuitFormula 2
22nd-24th MarchAustraliaAlbert ParkFormula 2Formula 3
17th-19th MayItalyImolaFormula 2Formula 3
23rd – 26th MayMonacoMonacoFormula 2Formula 3
21st – 23rd JuneSpainCircuit de CatalunyaFormula 2Formula 3
28th – 30th JuneAustriaRed Bull RingFormula 2Formula 3
5th – 7th JulyGreat BritainSilverstoneFormula 2Formula 3
19th – 21st JulyHungaryHungaroringFormula 2Formula 3
26th – 18th JulyBelgiumSpa-FrancorchampsFormula 2Formula 3
30th August – 1st SeptemberItalyMonzaFormula 2Formula 3
13th – 15th SeptemberAzerbaijanBaku City CircuitFormula 2
29th November – 1st DecemberQatarLosail International CircuitFormula 2
6th – 8th DecemberAbu Dhabi, United Arab EmiratesYas MarinaFormula 2

Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and go ad-free

Formula 2

Browse all Formula 2 articles

Author information

Will Wood
Will has been a RaceFans contributor since 2012 during which time he has covered F1 test sessions, launch events and interviewed drivers. He mainly...

Got a potential story, tip or enquiry? Find out more about RaceFans and contact us here.

9 comments on “Formula 2 drops Zandvoort and adds Qatar on 28-race calendar for 2024”

  1. Profile Photo

    PacificPR (@streydt)
    4th August 2023, 14:21

    “For next year, we will race in Qatar, which is a very exciting new venue,” Michel said

    Looking at the balance of his bank account. What a nonsense. Having another event outside of Europe is adding to the costs for the teams, they can try and dress it up nicely but indirectly they they are making the sport even less affordable for drivers with no or small backing. But who needs talent when you can have a field full of pay drivers. Not that it matters much on soulless tracks like Qatar.

    1. Miane
      4th August 2023, 15:51

      I think Qatar will pay the bill like Australia.

  2. Profile Photo

    Bullfrog (@bullfrog)
    4th August 2023, 14:35

    Look at the current World Champion’s record in F2… that calendar’s a load of soft-power testicles. Why isn’t there a round in Sochi? At least F3 has the right idea, packing it in after Monza.

    1. Profile Photo

      Phil Norman (@phil-f1-21)
      4th August 2023, 14:54

      That’s quite interesting you know. F3 only goes to one Middle-eastern venue in Bahrain. A bit like F1 used to many years ago. No others in the middle-east, although there are less rounds of course.

      I can only imagine that Qatar must be paying F2 a lot to host the extra race there.

  3. Profile Photo

    Ciaran (@ciaran)
    4th August 2023, 15:25

    The only good thing I can see here is that it somewhat bridges the gap between the finale in Abu Dhabi and the rest of the season that finished almost 3 months prior. But like Abu Dhabi, this circuit is buying its way into the calendar at the expense of better circuits that are cheaper for the teams to participate in. Very unimpressed with the way F2 is making itself prohibitively expensive at every turn.

  4. Profile Photo

    Jere (@jerejj)
    4th August 2023, 19:35

    Weird that F2 rather travels to a single faraway location than all European ones, although they at least added Qatar alongside the other three Middle East locations.

  5. Coventry Climax
    4th August 2023, 19:41

    In the revenues article, it says F1 paid 7 million to get Las Vegas up and running for this year.
    Makes me wonder how much more than Zandvoort Qatar paid, and into who’s pockets the money goes. Straight to Vegas?

  6. melanos
    5th August 2023, 18:53

    Bummer I really like Zandvoort, it has character. Nowhere else you can ride such banked turns, high-speed in spite of short radiuses and with alternate routes. Not even in the long ago gelded Peraltada (Banked) which lost the right to its name about 2002

    1. melanos
      5th August 2023, 19:01

      At least I hope they keep it for F1. For many years to come

Comments are closed.