The FIA Formula 2 Championship celebrates a major milestone in 2026 as the series enters its tenth season, marking a decade of developing some of motorsport’s most promising talents on the road to Formula One.
Created in 2017 following an agreement between the FIA and the GP2 Series organisation, the series was designed as the final step in the FIA single-seater pyramid before Formula 1, providing young drivers with the experience needed to reach the pinnacle of motorsport.
Formula 2 CEO Bruno Michel highlighted the championship’s role in developing talent, saying the series has become “a fast-growing, competitive, highly regarded and healthy championship.” Meanwhile, Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali described the championship as “fundamental to the development of the sport”.
Since its first season in 2017, some of the biggest talents have risen through this championship to the pinnacle of motorsport. In nine seasons, twenty-two drivers have secured full-time spots in Formula One, among them Formula 2 champions Charles Leclerc, George Russell, Oscar Piastri and Gabriel Bortoleto. Other notable graduates include 2025 world champion Lando Norris, Alexander Albon and Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
With drivers now spread across almost every Formula 1 team, Formula 2 graduates have claimed 33 F1 victories and more than 5,700 points. The 2026 grid will feature twelve alumni as full-time drivers, as well as seventeen current and former F2 drivers with confirmed testing, development and reserve roles within Formula 1.
The mission of Formula 2 is simple: test the best talents with challenging cars that resemble the demands of Formula 1. According to FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem, “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.”
Drivers are not only challenged behind the wheel but also learn technical and strategic elements required to reach the top. From learning F1 tracks to managing tyres and understanding VSC and marshalling systems, the series aims to prepare drivers for the realities of competing in Formula One.
In a championship where every team runs the same machinery, “the driver makes the difference.”
Every weekend sees the drivers join the Formula 1 programme, taking the track in one practice session, one qualifying session and two races. Saturday’s Sprint Race features a reverse grid that encourages overtaking throughout the field, while Sunday’s Feature Race is longer and includes a mandatory pit stop, with bigger points at hand.
Over the past decade, the series has also seen technology advancements that would later be introduced into Formula 1. Formula 2 CEO Bruno Michel added: “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.”
The series also maintains strict cost-control regulations that include limits on team personnel, a ban on individual car development and centralised purchasing.
The numbers behind it also highlight the championship’s growth. More than 220 races have been staged across three different continents and sixteen countries, featuring forty different nationalities. Racing the same circuits as Formula 1, the drivers get the opportunity to perform in front of the same global audience and become part of the weekend’s entertainment.
As Formula 2 enters its tenth season, the championship strengthens its place as the final step into Formula 1. With fresh talent arriving every year and the pressure of being part of the biggest stage in motorsport, the series remains one of the most important testing grounds for the next generation of racing drivers.
Photo by James Sutton – Formula 1/Formula Motorsport Limited via Getty Images
