Thread: FIA Announce Formula 2 (New F1 Feeder Series)

Amongst a raft of regulation changes and plans for the future, the FIA World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) announced today that they are to invite tenders for a new feeder series to 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," the FIA said in a statement. "It is hoped this can be achieved within a budget of around ?200,000 a car per season."

Should the new series materialise, Formula Two would be going head-to-head with the current GP2 Series, albeit at a much lower price-tag.

The WMSC also announced that "The FIA will enter into a wide-ranging consultation with the Formula One teams to examine plans for improved efficiency, including new technical regulations for the Championship. This will also involve a review of the governance of Formula One."

200,000 Euro target seemingly unrealistic

The media has questioned the feasibility of the FIA's stated intention this week to set up Formula Two as a low-cost feeder series for F1.

Following Wednesday's meeting of the World Motor Sport Council in Paris, F1's governing body said it will invite tenders for the new series, 'to develop emerging driver talent for F1', which would presumably be run in 2009 in competition with the Bernie Ecclestone-organised GP2 category.

A report published by The Press Association, however, dismissed as apparently 'unworkable' the FIA's desire for an approximate per-car annual budget in the region of 200,000 Euros.

"A GP2 boss has confirmed it costs 190,000 Euros to run their cars without the considerable expense of engines," the news agency's report said.

The news agency Reuters, meanwhile, said GP2 budgets are actually much higher than that, "with an estimated 1.5 million Euros per car per season the current going rate."

Press Release


Formula 2 Tender Process


11/07/2008

The FIA has launched the tender process for the proposed FIA Formula 2 Championship. The tender instructions and requirements are now available on the FIA website.

Interested parties are invited to tender to become the exclusive supplier of the single seat, open wheel racing cars to be used by the competitors in the 2009, 2010 and 2011 FIA Formula 2 Championship. The Championship will comprise ten events in Europe between the months of April and September.

Each event will take place over a Saturday and Sunday with one hour of free practice, one hour of qualifying and one race of approximately 175km. There will be six official testing events, of one day each ? three before the first race of the season and three during the season.

It is hoped that the cost to a competitor of competing in the Championship for a calendar year ? to include full participation in all official testing and events ? could be in the region of ?200,000 per car, though no minimum or maximum price is indicated in this tender.

Bids must be submitted by 29 August 2008.