As one chapter in Formula 2’s history closes, with the retirement of its 2018 car, another begins in 2024 with the introduction of its new model. The new Dallara-built F2 2024, which will be raced for at least the next three seasons, features the latest FIA safety innovations, and aspires to be as close as possible to the latest Formula 1 machinery to help prepare young drivers for the final step on the single-seater ladder.
The radically redesigned car, unveiled over the Italian Grand Prix weekend at Monza in September, has several features that move it more towards F1’s current generation. It features ground effects and similar wing concepts, with a rear wing not dissimilar from that used in Japan’s Super Formula championship, for which Dallara is also the constructor. Powered by a 3.4-litre turbocharged Mecachrome engine, it will continue to run on Aramco 55% bio-sourced sustainable fuel for 2024 before moving to synthetic sustainable fuel in 2025.
The main phase of testing was completed at the end of October, with 5000 kilometres achieved across several days of running at Magny-Cours, Jerez and the Bahrain International Circuit in the hands of 2022 F2 champion Felipe Drugovich and former series driver Tatiana Calderon.
The 11 teams have now received one car each, which was delivered before Christmas, with the second due to arrive in mid-January. There will be a shakedown, with the teams running one car each, before the first official pre-season test in Bahrain next month. Although there have been some “little adjustments here and there”, newly appointed series technical director Pierre-Alain Michot is “quite happy with what we have achieved”.
“It’s really nice what we’ve done,” affirms Michot. “The process to design the car has been quite long and intense over the past winter because we had to design a new car completely… not from scratch, because the philosophy is the same, but we had to accommodate a lot of new features and make sure that we are getting closer to the F1 family look that we wanted to achieve.
“We have taken into consideration the look, but also the performance, and all the new technical requirements from the FIA in terms of safety. All the guidelines that they wanted to achieve with F1 with the latest regulations, we had to follow these as well, just to make sure we increase a bit more the following-car performance that we already had in our DNA. It’s something that we always wanted to have and we have made a little step more for this car.”
Williams driver Logan Sargeant has labelled the gap between current F1 and the outgoing F2 car as “probably a bit too big for what it should be”, and addressing this was an important concern for Michot.
“We have always wanted to make sure that we can prepare the driver as much as possible for the next step, which is F1, which means we have to follow what they are doing,” he says. “One of the main targets was to follow it in terms of look, in terms of performance and all of the aero package. That’s why we have this nice car now with all the F1 features.
“It was really driven by the fact we wanted to get the drivers in a good shape for the next step. That’s why we have a car which looks so close to F1.”
Corrado Casiraghi, the FIA’s technical head of single-seater feeder categories, says the car’s development priorities were strategically aligned to “improve racing, enhance safety standards, elevate the series’ visual appeal, and ensure economic viability for all stakeholders involved”.
The car features more adjustability than ever before, including a mandatory cap on steering load, a modified steering wheel for smaller hands and a cockpit able to fit drivers from 1.5 metres to 1.97m tall
“The development team focused on incorporating key insights gained from the project undertaken to devise the latest set of regulations in Formula 1 that came into effect in 2022,” explains Casiraghi. “By adopting and adapting these learnings [lessons], the aim was to include advancements in aerodynamics and car design to facilitate closer racing.
“The 2024 F2 car underwent a design transformation to capture the essence of Formula 1 aesthetics. This involved a meticulous process to create a fresh and visually appealing image, establishing a clear lineage to its F1 counterpart.”
For Casiraghi, safety was a “top priority” in the car’s development, especially given the extended lifespan of some chassis: “Any updates and changes need to be as advanced and future-proof as possible.”
One area in which development was focused was the roll hoop with incidents in both F1, involving Zhou Guanyu, and F2 at the 2022 British Grand Prix when Dennis Hauger was launched into Roy Nissany prompting a strengthening of its structure to bear a load 20% higher than the previous generation.
Several changes have also been made to the survival cell, which has been subject to a test generating a deceleration 30% higher than the previous-generation chassis. The front impact structure can now absorb 50% more energy, and the intrusion protected surfaces have been extended, covering the full sidewall and the front surface of the survival cell. The sidewall around the cockpit area is now designed to resist 380kN, protecting the driver in case of a T-bone crash such as the one in which Anthoine Hubert tragically lost his life at Spa in 2019.
The car is also more accommodating for a variety of shapes and sizes in the cockpit in a bid to increase accessibility to female talent. Complying with the FIA 2024 specifications in terms of braking, steering effort and ergonomics, the car features more adjustability than ever before, including a mandatory cap on steering load, a modified steering wheel for smaller hands and a cockpit able to fit drivers from 1.5 metres to 1.97m tall.
Casiraghi says the driver fit issue was “acknowledged as a primary obstacle to greater inclusivity,” and believes the changes “aim to create an environment where driving talent and skill take precedence over physical characteristics”.
Calderon, still the only female driver to have raced in the modern era of F2 after competing in 2019 and 2022, has praised the new car on both its safety and accessibility, and says it’s “definitely a step forward in terms of steering effort and comfort for small drivers”.
“It was a privilege to be one of the first drivers to get the call to drive the car,” she enthuses. “I think in terms of performance it’s a very similar car to the previous one, but for me the biggest differences were the position that you are sitting in the car, the view and for me it was much easier to be comfortable straight away.
“Sometimes I take two days to do a seat fit and this time it was really easy. The steering effort as well is something we worked on really hard during testing. As female drivers, we have less muscle than men, and sometimes the F2 car was really heavy. We managed to find a really good compromise with the steering effort, so we never really had any issues in terms of driveability. It felt very similar but all those aspects and the safety side are a big step forward.
“They really took a lot of care in the design of the car to be able to accommodate small drivers and have a bit more flexibility with the pedals, with the steering. Sometimes the steering wheel is very thick and they have two options, so they are definitely taking a step forward to accommodate more drivers into their cars.”
From a safety perspective, Calderon says the seating angle feels different: “They made the side of the cockpit stronger and they are really taking a step even further than F1 will get in 2026. They [were looking at] the incidents we had in the past, and took a really big step in that regard. As a driver, you always want to know you’re driving something that’s very safe.”
With positive feedback from both teams and test drivers alike, 2024 looks set to be the beginning of a glittering new era for F1’s leading feeder series.
Team perspective
Trident team manager Giacomo Ricci is no stranger to new cars – both in his current role and as a driver.
Having raced in Formula 2’s GP2 forerunner and its Asian-based winter series, winning races in both in 2010, Ricci has experienced all four previous generations of the Dallara-built machinery. He raced the original 2005-07 chassis in Asia, started 25 races in the GP2/08 of 2008-10, and also sampled the GP2/11 in a non-championship round at the Yas Marina Circuit in 2011. Since joining Trident in 2014, he also accumulated extensive experience with GP2/11 and the outgoing GP2/18 from the other side of the pit wall.
With that in mind, what are his impressions of F2’s latest car?
“It’s looking amazing to me, like a more modern car and closer to F1 in appearance, so that’s the first thing,” the Italian reflects. “The biggest changes for me, 100% would be the aero package. The floor, the bodywork and everything is completely different, so I strongly believe the priority will be to place the car in the right [set-up] window from an aero package perspective. This will be the biggest difference for me compared to the old car.”
"It’s remarkable, because thinking so much about the future and the safety of the driver is absolutely a priority" Giacomo Ricci
Ricci also praises the championship’s response to the teams’ feedback, and believes this will be “a plus for the future of the series”.
“I think the organisation made the right choice following the suggestions of the various teams,” he says. “Yes, it’s a new car, but the most sensible parts – for example, in the first year [of the previous generation] we had a bit of an issue with reliability – are remaining the same. They made some small upgrades in the areas that still had some problems – I’m talking small issues – because in the end, the most important part is the reliability.
“I like the fact that the chassis is maybe a tiny bit heavier compared to the old one, but in terms of safety it respects F1’s standards for 2026. I have to say that it’s remarkable, because thinking so much about the future and the safety of the driver is absolutely a priority. This is very nice from the series and also from the FIA.”
