The new Formula Two car which the series will use from the 2018 to 2020 seasons has been revealed at Monza.
Formula Two was known as GP2 until this year and has used the same Dallara chassis since 2011. The new chassis, also designed by Dallara, is the fourth the championship has used.
The car reflects recent changes in F1 design and also incorporated the Halo, which will be mandatory on F1 cars from next year.
The FIA’s director of F1 and single-seater development Charlie Whiting said the series “needed a car that will not only educate, but will also allow the drivers that are most ready for Formula One to shine brightest”.
“The car has been developed to include improved aesthetics, as well as bringing the safety level up to the highest standards for single-seater cars – and to ultimately bring it closer to a modern Formula One car on both of these points.”
Underneath the bodywork the V8 engine has been replaced with a new, 3.4-litre turbocharged unit producing 620bhp.
The car remains 1.9 metres wide, which is 100mm narrower than an F1 car, but has been extended by 159mm to a total length of 5,224mm.
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Scalextric (@scalextric)
31st August 2017, 12:28
Can’t get over the dubious stain on the tarmac.
Rick (@)
31st August 2017, 13:02
@scalextric That stain says “Verstappen’s RB13 was here”.
Sensord4notbeingafanboi (@peartree)
31st August 2017, 18:50
@addvariety Haha
I was hoping the Halo had been designed with a further integration to the chassis, it still looks like the add-on it was in f1 testing. I hope for F2 that Pirelli brings really hard tyres, we need to see the talent rather than the team that can get the best out of the tyres.
Yeezy918 (@)
31st August 2017, 12:42
That’s a nice looking single seater apart from the Halo.
Having said that I think we’ll get used to it fairly quickly, being the same colour as the bodywork helps a lot.
Yeezy918 (@)
31st August 2017, 12:44
Also, I don’t know why Leclerc is looking at it so closely, it will be a crime if he isn’t in F1 next year!
Rick (@)
31st August 2017, 13:04
@offdutyrockstar I wouldn’t call it a crime, at least if he can’t find a decent seat. I can’t think of a Ferrari-minded team that would be able to give him a F1 seat in 2018. Besides, even though Leclerc definitely belongs in F1, another year F2 with this new car is also quite nice (if there are no good F1 seats available).
Yeezy918 (@)
31st August 2017, 13:06
@addvariety it’s a bit of a crime when the likes of Palmer and Stroll are in F1 and Charles has more talent in his little finger than both combined.
Sauber should be respectable next year with a 2018 Ferarri PU, i’d like to see him there or maybe even in a Haas in place of K Mag.
Sundar Srinivas Harish
31st August 2017, 14:36
K-Mag has his seat down till the end of 2018, so Haas is impossible. I’m sure Vasseur would be happy to have him at Sauber, Merc would have to hustle to find a seat for Wehrlein though.
Rick (@)
31st August 2017, 14:38
@offdutyrockstar True, but that’s different than Leclerc not being in F1 in 2018 being a crime. I agree that it’s better to see extremely talented drivers get a chance and not those guys. But I also honestly think that without Stroll especially, Williams wouldn’t be on the grid anymore. Look at how awful their performance is, without Stroll’s money they might not even be able to develop at all. I do think their current lack of performance is due to the focus on 2018, but still. I’d rather see Williams with 1 pay driver and 1 talent/experienced driver than not seeing Williams in the first place.
If you mean solid midfield for Sauber, I agree. Due to the recent changes in the team, I hope for the best and hopefully they are now focussing on building a stronger team and package after the Kaltenborn/Honda debacle. I never liked her and her personality/background was never good for the sport. Two very notable and public situations are proof of that: Van der Garde and Honda. So yeah, Sauber might be a good option for Leclerc, but it’s a big if at the moment.
Finally I don’t really get why Kevin Magnussen’s getting all that hate? It’s not that he’s the next Hamilton or something, but I’d choose him anytime over Romain “brakes” Grosjean.
Yeezy918 (@)
31st August 2017, 14:44
@addvariety it wouldn’t be an actual crime… it’s a figure of speech.
No hate for K-Mag at all, I quite like him but if you look at Keith’s teammate comparison article from the start of the summer break, he has been comprehensively whipped in qualifying by Grosjean, so if one Haas driver were to make way for Charles my pick would be him.
Rick (@)
31st August 2017, 14:52
@offdutyrockstar I know it’s a figure of speech. ;-)
And we all know that stats don’t say the full story, just look at Red Bull. Besides that the morale of a team is also important. That’s for example why Alonso won’t be joining Mercedes and Bottas most likely will be kept for 2018. Grosjean is a good driver, but he’s also very annoying (especially concerning the brakes) to the point that certain people inside Haas (including Steiner) have publicly commented that Grosjean will need to stop whining and accept the brakes as they are.
Yeezy918 (@)
31st August 2017, 14:57
His whining is irritating for sure but you have to think, if hes not happy with something then he’s going to bring it up. That’s what pushes engineers to improve things.
I also haven’t been very impressed with K Mag’s driving recently, the move on Hulkenberg was dirty when Rosberg used to do it and it’s still dirty now. Brake testing Ocon in Spa behind the safety car and weaving infront of Perez after appearing to pull to the side to let him through? He’s a bit erratic at the moment.
Regardless, i’m pretty indifferent to either. I just want to see Leclerc in F1!
Yeezy918 (@)
31st August 2017, 14:57
@addvariety
Rick (@)
31st August 2017, 16:01
@offdutyrockstar Whining might push engineers to improve things at first, but if you constantly whine the opposite is achieved. Grosjean is doing it constantly.
And no, Magnussen did not brake test Ocon in Spa, his own Twitter comment was meant as joke. There’s an on-board video on the official F1 YouTube channel where you can clearly see that Magnussen is constantly keeping almost the exact same distance between him and the Williams in front of him. Ocon at first reacts, then stops accelerating and notices he’s losing ground to the pack in front (probably thinks the restart is underway) and accelerates aggressively to make up for the lost ground. All the cars in front then slow down, but Ocon keeps accelerating so the moment he notices everyone else is braking/slowing down, his speed his too high and therefore needs to take an evasive action. The video is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGQl0lj7j04
The Ocon/Magnussen incident starts at 2:39.
Yeezy918 (@)
31st August 2017, 16:10
@addvariety fair on the brake test. Other incidents were less than great driving though and as mentioned, I’m pretty indifferent to both Haas drivers tbh. I’m not making a case for RoGro as some sort of exceptional talent or anything. 👍🏽
Yeezy918 (@)
31st August 2017, 16:11
@addvariety are you secretly K Mag?! 😂
anon
31st August 2017, 21:16
@addvariety, I’d probably be more inclined to criticise Magnussen for the mistake he made on the restart, where he was rather lucky not to smash straight into the back of Grosjean and take out a chunk of the midfield pack in the process.
Magnussen was, at the time, running in 9th place, and probably would have held onto that place without that mistake – as it was, he only just managed to get past Ericsson (Sauber really were struggling that weekend) into 15th place on the last lap, wasting a chance for points in what is proving to be a very tight battle between Williams, Toro Rosso, Haas and Renault over 5th to 8th in the WCC (currently in that order). That mistake, which has allowed Renault to close the gap to one point in the WCC, could prove to be rather costly for the team at the end of the season if Renault can ease ahead of them.
I would say that @offdutyrockstar does have a point about Magnussen getting into trouble on track, and it is something that he has been criticised about for a few years now – in the past, he has had a personal warning from Whiting about his conduct on track, and in 2016 I think that he was the driver who was most frequently investigated for his behaviour on track (not to mention that, whilst people gave Palmer grief, it was Magnussen who was the more accident prone of the two).
Man United_Vettel (@siegfreyco)
31st August 2017, 13:12
@offdutyrockstar
Unfortunately, winning f2 bans you from competing from it again (not sure if it is only for a year or forever).
Jere (@jerejj)
31st August 2017, 13:37
@siegfreyco To my knowledge, it’s forever.
Michael
31st August 2017, 15:39
everyone said it about Vandoorne too. There is actually no place for him unless Ferrari buys Sauber and throws Wehrlein out.
Man United_Vettel (@siegfreyco)
31st August 2017, 15:54
Leclerc did it on his rookie year though. Besides, just look at his qualifying gaps, not just the poles but the gap to second, even when his practice was not smooth.
anon
31st August 2017, 21:23
@siegfreyco, that said, if he really is standing out that far, is it necessarily just a reflection of Leclerc’s talent, or does it also reflect the quality of the competition he is facing and the calibre of the team he is racing for (Prema Powerteam, a team which has tended to be one of the more dominant teams in junior series)?
Scottie (@scottie)
7th December 2017, 2:32
Funny reading this in hindsight…
StefMeister (@stefmeister)
31st August 2017, 12:44
Looks like a GP3 car with an F1 rear wing on it.
StefMeister (@stefmeister)
31st August 2017, 12:48
Disappointed (But sadly not surprised) that it still has DRS on it.
The GP2/F2 category didn’t need DRS to begin with but even if it did surely a new car in a spec series could be designed with good racing in mind thus removing the need for stupid & artificial gimmicks such as DRS (And high-deg tyres).
jpvalverde85 (@jpvalverde85)
31st August 2017, 12:49
It’s okay on that livery. Bring it on!
JIckx
31st August 2017, 13:12
They should change the F2 logo accordingly… it looks too dangerous now…
Mangy Black Sheep (@mangyblacksheep)
31st August 2017, 13:35
Finally the box wings (F1 rear wings from 09 to 16) are gone for good, and it has a (kinda) shark fin. I don’t get the FIA. They tolerated those hideous rear wings for seven years, but killed off the shark fins after only three years, then killed them off again as soon as they came back?
Oh and it has a halo too, but who cares?
Jere (@jerejj)
31st August 2017, 13:38
@mangyblacksheep Eight years.
Mangy Black Sheep (@mangyblacksheep)
31st August 2017, 16:30
@jerejj Eight seasons
Jere (@jerejj)
31st August 2017, 18:45
@mangyblacksheep Usually I use the word ‘season,’ but sometimes I use the word ‘year’ instead. It doesn’t matter that much which one a person uses.
NicoTexas (@nicotexas)
31st August 2017, 13:51
Interesting they left out the halo on the “F2 2018” logo (upper left on the photo). I guess that would look silly.
Also according to FIA web site
Performances
Acceleration: 0 – 100 km/h, 2.90 sec
Am I the only one not impressed by this?
David (@wushumr2)
31st August 2017, 14:14
I think F1 cars only do it in 2.2 or so with over 50% more horsepower and even more grip. I think it’s all about traction and gearing.
Damon (@damon)
31st August 2017, 15:51
@wushumr2
The difference between 2.9 and 2.2 is substantial, if not huge. And yes, it’s about traction and gearing. I believe such difference can be made on the first 5 or 10 metres after the start, when you’re most likely to get wheel spin (although those cars can wheel-spin full through anyway), so you accelerate only as fast as your traction allows you to.
Matthijs (@matthijs)
31st August 2017, 14:51
@nicotexas @wushumr2 – I am really curious about this engine. I think the sound and the performance will impress us next year.
The Last Pope (@the-last-pope)
1st September 2017, 16:28
Yeah the article didn’t mention that its a V6. Don’t know about the sound, I would think it would be a bit quieter with the turbo. The performance I’m a bit worried about. The engine power is similar to the V8 but the car is bigger and over 30kg heavier and has higher down force wings with the drag that comes with it. These cars are going to absolutely rely on DRS to overtake.
David (@wushumr2)
31st August 2017, 14:59
It doesn’t look intercooled, which is quite surprising. I’m wondering if the piping done for the display cut out the intercooling system on purpose.
anon
31st August 2017, 21:28
@wushumr2, yes, I suspect that they probably chose to remove it for the display engine so the engine itself could be seen more clearly.
Armchair Expert (@armchairexpert)
31st August 2017, 15:02
Hahaha. Good luck to those watching this silliness in the future. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it tremendously now that it’s super safe and nothing can happen, no risk is involved and no courage has to be displayed.
I’ll enjoy last 1 year/few years of other open cockpit formulas until it’s banned for good everywhere and switch exclusively to MotoGP. It still has the same qualities Formula 1 had when I truly loved it and hopefully safety brigade will stay away from motorcycle racing.
Damon (@damon)
31st August 2017, 16:19
“I’m sure you’ll enjoy it tremendously now that it’s super safe and nothing can happen, no risk is involved and no courage has to be displayed.”
First of all, the halo doesn’t miraculously make the cars super safe. It only addresses one type of driver injury source.
And as for the courage, I don’t think anything changes here because of the halo. It’s not like F1/F2 cars needed much courage to be driven without the halo to begin with.
I believe a racing car (in a given environment) requires more courage the less sense of control it gives you. And modern F1/F2 are super controllable and forgiving.
Armchair Expert (@armchairexpert)
31st August 2017, 19:07
@damon No, halo fundamentally changes what formula racing is and what this type of motorsport stands for. It was a culture of controlling the fear, now it’s a culture of fear, fear of bad thing that can happen once in a blue moon. Apparently motorsport is dangerous, well, maybe it was. There is no skill (figuratively speaking, of course) anymore in racing on circuits looking like car parks, only in dry or damp conditions and pressing button to breeze past by another car. And now it’s seemingly too dangerous to use open cockpit, so these guys will earn tens of millions for… I don’t know, driving in circles, not having to worry about anything? As I said, enjoy it, while I’ll switch to a sport, where “no danger, no fun” mantra still applies.
@mangyblacksheep) I don’t celebrate death, I celebrate life and lives of those brave enough to conquer danger. That’s my choice, my preference and my future. There’s a reason all these years ago I’ve picked up on open cockpit racing, not anything else – I don’t watch NASCAR, V8s, DTM, I barely watch WEC. Now open cockpit is getting banned, so I’m out, because I’m not interested in it, as simple as that.
anon
31st August 2017, 21:37
@armchairexpert, so did you complain when, last year, the MotoGP series changed the layout of the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya by significantly slowing down the final few corners of the circuit following the death of Luis Salom in a practise accident during the Moto 2 support race? Would you call them cowards and complain that the “safety brigade” is ruining MotoGP?
Mangy Black Sheep (@mangyblacksheep)
31st August 2017, 16:50
I find it interesting that your idea of ‘risk’ and ‘courage’ is someone dying an avoidable death.
GT Racer (@gt-racer)
31st August 2017, 19:27
@armchairexpert The Halo doesn’t remove the danger, It doesn’t remove the skill or bravery of the drivers. All it does it help protect drivers against against a specific type of accident, Just like raising the cockpit sides in 1996 did.
Halo or no halo it will still be a dangerous sport, The drivers will still be putting there lives on the line & they will still be just as brave & skillful as they are currently.
If you truly feel that the halo is going to remove danger, bravery or skill then frankly you don’t know as much about this sport as you perhaps think you do.
Thomas
31st August 2017, 19:58
@GT Racer: Note that several of the drivers have commented that the halo removes some bravery which is already somewhat lacking. So if an -F1 driver- says so, I think -you- should perhaps review how much you yourself know about the sport.
On top you have the esthetical which is not popular either:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zb4HjMu8p1I
David Not Coulthard (@davidnotcoulthard)
31st August 2017, 19:48
@armchairexpert
You mean now after everything Jackie Stewart’s done to ruin the sport?
Or was his efforts not enough until the halo came along? /s
that said, I don’t think you’ll be missing much by sticking to 2 wheels anyway, I don’t think Bernie going to have a go at Dorna any time soon
montreal95 (@montreal95)
31st August 2017, 15:43
Crap looks with halo as usual. You cannot polish a turd no matter how hard you try.
dutchtreat (@dutchtreat)
31st August 2017, 17:59
What are the F1 officials hiding? They all have their hands behind their backs…??
Probably loads of cash from Papa Stroll to keep Lance in F1.
cm (@cm-cm)
31st August 2017, 19:11
@armchairexpert well…. BYE!
Seriously, no need to threaten us f1 fans with your continued presence.
Ashwin (@redbullf1)
31st August 2017, 19:16
All three people in white looks as if someone just died,
perfectly sums up the looks of halo !
GT Racer (@gt-racer)
31st August 2017, 19:31
Something that was missed over the weekend during the F2 race at Spa was that when Nobuharu Matsushita had a big accident at Eau Rouge during the Sunday race, One of his front wheels became detached & rolled across the circuit.
https://youtu.be/zb540tdPl0I?t=1m37s
falken (@falken)
1st September 2017, 8:21
Looks bad. Why not put a whole tin top on it and be done ?
Hans (@hanswesterbeek)
1st September 2017, 11:39
If I was Alonso I’d know what I’d be driving next year. A proper GP2 engine there.