As the summer break comes to a close, I’m sure many of you here have been itching to see some racing action once again.
While there are many open-wheel series taking place all around the globe, I believe some of the best entertainment can be found in Formula 1’s feeder series, namely F2 and F3. This is especially the case if you are massive fans of Formula 1, which I’m sure most of you are if you’re on this site.
In this blog, I will go over some of the main reasons why you should watch Formula 2 and Formula 3. Why all the hype? Read on to find out!
1. A Level Playing Field
Oftentimes you would hear F1 fans complaining about the dominance of a select few teams over the course of an entire season.
In fact, this was certainly the case just a handful of years ago with Mercedes’ dominance from the start of the hybrid era in 2014 until 2020. Even before the start of first practice, we already kind of knew who was going to win the championship, let alone the race!
Formula 2 and 3 differ in that every team has the exact same car, so it is solely up to the drivers’ raw ability to claim the top spots.
Of course, luck still plays a significant role in determining the outcome of a championship, but it is usually the most talented and fast driver who ends up claiming the title.
With every pilot having equal machinery under their buttocks, the races are often hard-fought till the bitter end and you truly never know who is going to win each race. After all, that’s what we really want to see, right?
2. Up-and-Coming Talents
Obviously Formula One has the cream-of-the-crop when it comes to talented drivers, but there is no denying that there are many hugely gifted and accomplished drivers in the feeder series as well.
Both F2 and F3 lineups are jam-packed with young and determined young drivers who are raring to prove themselves and make their way to the upper echelons of open-wheel racing. And they are going to be trying their damned hardest week in, week out to achieve those coveted podiums and victories, even if it means jeopardising their team or getting involved in the occasional crash.
This all translates to more exciting races for us to watch! Also, let’s not forget that many current F1 drivers came from F2 and F3. Charles Leclerc won the series back in 2017, George Russell in 2018 and Mick Schumacher won the 2020 edition.
3. The Cars Sound Good
This one applies more to F2 than it does to F3, but it’s definitely a point worth mentioning. Perhaps a lot of us have grown accustomed to the sound that the hybrid engines F1 cars make, but it is by no means a satisfying exhaust note.
The Dallara F2 2018 currently in use for the F2 Championship has the same number of cylinders as the hybrid motors used in F1, but has a larger 3400cc capacity and the aural benefit of not having electric energy recovery system strapped to it.
The exhaust pops and bangs on gearshifts, and the engine note is a lot more guttural and powerful sounding, despite being at least 300 horsepower down on the F1 engines. My older audience probably misses the ear-piercing, melodic sounds of F1 vehicles pre-2014; F2 comes close to offering the same sort of sound symphony.
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