The FIA Formula 2 Championship celebrates a decade of success

As the FIA Formula 2 Championship marks its tenth season, the championship proudly reflects on a decade that has firmly established it as the definitive final step to Formula 1 and a cornerstone of the FIA single-seater pyramid.

Since its inaugural season in 2017, Formula 2 has fulfilled its primary mission: to develop and deliver the very best talent to the Formula 1 grid. In the past nine seasons, twenty-two drivers have graduated to Formula 1 from F2, including inaugural Champion Charles Leclerc, 2018 F2 Champion George Russell, 2021 victor Oscar Piastri, current F1’s 2025 World Drivers’ Champion Lando Norris, Williams’ driver Alex Albon, Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson, the recent cohort of rookies, Isack Hadjar, Oliver Bearman, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, 2024 F2 Champion Gabriel Bortoleto, Franco Colapinto, and 2026 F1 debutant, Arvid Lindblad. With 12 current drivers hailing from Formula 2, their successes underline the championship’s proven status as the competitive path to the pinnacle of the sport.

The F2 drivers who have progressed to Formula 1 have gone on to claim 33 F1 Grand Prix victories, 150 podiums, one Formula 1 World Championship, and a total of 5,728 points scored.

In 2026, the Formula 1 grid features twelve F2 alumni out of twenty-two drivers, and there are 17 confirmed current F2 or alumni drivers that hold testing and development or official Reserve Driver roles with F1 teams in 2026.

A Proven Platform for Performance and Visibility

The FIA Formula 2 Championship is a single-make category that was created to provide the best up-and-coming young drivers with a car designed to be challenging to drive but allowing close racing and overtaking opportunities that closely mirror the technical and sporting demands of Formula 1.

With powerful turbocharged engines and high levels of downforce, the F2 car helps the drivers develop their skills under immense pressure and with limited track time, learning F1 tracks, how to manage Pirelli tyres, DRS, the Virtual Safety Car system, and the marshalling systems.
The driver makes the difference.

The Race Format has been designed to fit into the F1 programme while offering four sessions, including two races per weekend, with a Sprint Race on Saturday showcasing a reverse grid, and a longer Feature Race on Sunday that includes a mandatory pit stop and tyre strategy and where bigger points are on offer. This format enables outstanding races, pushing the quickest drivers in Qualifying to learn how to cut through the field in the Sprint Race. With fewer points allocated on Saturday, the reverse grid does not affect the end-result: the best prepared and most consistent driver always takes the crown when the season closes.

Formula 2 also plays a significant pioneering role in the advancements of technology in motorsport. In 2020, Pirelli’s 18’’ tyres were introduced, two years before they were used in F1, and the advanced sustainable fuels debuting in Formula 1 this season, were rigorously tested and successfully introduced by Aramco in F2 and F3 cars since 2023.

Furthermore, significant work has gone into making the car suitable for a wide range of drivers, with a particular focus on steering effort, braking, and the size of the steering wheel.

The championship’s technical stability and cost-control framework have been fundamental in maintaining competitiveness and financial sustainability for the teams. This has been achieved by centralised purchasing, strict limits on team personnel and testing, and an outright ban on individual development costs. Any modifications made are produced with an eye on how they will affect the price structure for the teams.

Finally, the calendar is central to F2’s success. As part of the official Grand Prix weekend programme, Formula 2 is a key element of the Formula 1 entertainment package, racing in front of global audiences at fourteen F1 circuits in 2026. This integration ensures that drivers develop in the same environment as F1 teams and decision-makers, while providing fans with a complete and enthralling race weekend experience.

Since Season 1, Formula 2 has delivered:

• 224 highly competitive races across three continents and sixteen countries.
• 20 different circuits raced, all bar one part of the Formula 1 calendar.
• Grids representing a total of 40 nationalities.
• 122 drivers who have entered a race ahead of the 2026 season, with exactly half of them winning at least one F2 race.
• Consistently close championship battles, often decided in the final Round.
• Nine F2 Champions representing eight different countries, with Brazil the most represented with two.

Growing Global Reach

Formula 2’s sporting success has been matched by significant commercial and audience growth over the past decade.

• Global TV Reach: annual cumulative television audiences have grown steadily, with F2 now broadcast in over 170 territories worldwide, reaching almost 60 million viewers through its integration with Formula 1’s unparalleled expertise in broadcasting and marketing.
• Digital and Social Media Growth: since 2017, Formula 2’s social media following has increased exponentially, with 3.5 million followers across platforms. Engagement rates have similarly surged, driven by exclusive behind-the-scenes content, strong storytelling and close racing.
  This growth reflects not only the sporting quality of F2 but also its ability to connect with the audience.

Looking Forward

As it concludes its first decade, F2 remains committed to driver preparation, performance, safety, sustainability and diversity, cost control, and entertainment while maintaining the highest sporting standards. The FIA Formula 2 Championship is set to continue developing the best up-and-coming talents on their road to Formula 1.

Stefano Domenicali – President and CEO, Formula 1

“What an incredible decade it has been for Formula 2! This is truly a special moment for us to look back on all that has been achieved both on and off the track for a series that has been so fundamental to the development of the sport.

“F2 gives drivers the opportunity to test themselves on the ultimate circuits as they push for their dreams in Formula 1 – the highest level of motorsport. It has delivered so much in just 10 years, producing 22 fantastic F1 stars and demonstrating the power of the pyramid. It is also the test bed of new technologies that go on to make real world changes in safety and sustainability.

“I’d like to congratulate the many people who have built F2 into the success it is today, above all CEO Bruno Michel and his team for a decade of passion, expertise, and devotion, the FIA, the drivers and teams, and of course, the promoters, stewards and volunteers who we couldn’t do it without. This 10th anniversary year is a real milestone, and I can’t wait to see what’s to come in the next decade.“

FIA President, Mohammed Ben Sulayem

“As we celebrate the 10th anniversary of FIA Formula 2, I feel a deep sense of pride in what this championship represents for our sport. In just a decade, it has firmly established itself as the definitive final step to Formula 1 and a cornerstone of the FIA single-seater pyramid. Since 2017, 22 drivers have graduated directly to the Formula 1 grid, and in 2026 more than half of the field are F2 alumni, a powerful testament to the strength and credibility of this pathway.

“Formula 2 is more than a support series; it is where future stars are forged and where drivers learn to perform under intense pressure, mastering the technical, sporting and mental demands that define success at the highest level. It is also a platform for progress, helping to introduce innovations and playing a key role in the testing of advanced sustainable fuels now used in Formula 1.

“FIA Formula 2 reflects our commitment to fairness, opportunity, and excellence. As it enters its second decade, I am confident it will continue to shape champions, inspire fans, and strengthen the future of global motorsport.”

FIA Formula 2 CEO Bruno Michel

“I am really proud to celebrate the first decade of the FIA Formula 2 Championship. Looking at the number of drivers who have graduated from F2 to F1, it is an amazing achievement. Since Day 1, we have worked very closely with the FIA and the Formula One Group to give the drivers a powerful, challenging and safe car that helps showcase their talent, and to provide the fans with races that are very entertaining. F2 has become a key factor in the FIA pyramid and the Formula 1 Grand Prix package.

“We made the conscious choice for F2 to be a single-make category from the very beginning, because we knew this would generate incredible races where the drivers’ skills can really make a difference. But it also allows for the costs to be kept as low as possible, which is absolutely key in ensuring that the championship stays healthy and strong.

“Our success is also made possible thanks to the hard work of our partners Aramco, Pirelli, Dallara and Mecachrome, with whom we collaborate very closely. Their technical expertise is crucial to making the F2 Championship the ultimate breeding ground for young racing talent.

“Throughout the years, F2 has also played an important pioneering role for F1, such as the introduction of the Pirelli 18’’ tyres or Aramco’s sustainable fuels and 100% advanced sustainable fuels.

“Today, F2 is a fast-growing, competitive, highly regarded and healthy championship. 2026 concludes F2’s first decade, and together with the FIA, F1, our teams, our partners and our suppliers, we will ensure that this championship keeps on thriving for years to come.”

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