F2 car with 18-inch wheels, Circuit de Catalunya, 2019

F2 to switch to 18-inch tyres one year before F1

Formula 2

Posted on

| Written by

Formula 2 will switch from 13-inch to 18-inch wheels and tyres in 2020, one year ahead of Formula 1’s move to low-profile rubber.

F1 cars currently use 13-inch wheels but are not due to adopt the new dimensions until 2021.

Pirelli, which is the official tyre supplier for both championships, announced F2’s move to low-profile rubber at the Circuit de Catalunya ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix.

F1’s chief technical officer Pat Symonds said the early introduction of 18-inch tyres to F2 would help Pirelli develop its new F1 compounds for 2021.

“The FIA Formula 2 championship has already proven to be the best possible feeder series for young rising talents who aspire to succeed in Formula 1 and now it’s going to used as a feeder for technology,” he said.

“It’s a great opportunity for our sport that the tyre development for 2021 can be done not only during bespoke testing but also in a racing environment. The amount of data that Pirelli and Formula 2 will be able to collect in the next 16 months will be very important for the next generation of Formula 1 tyres.”

The series, previously known as GP2, has pre-empted F1’s change of tyre format before when Bridgestone supplied rubber to both championships. In its inaugural 2005 season GP2 used grooved tyres, as F1 did. However the following season GP2 switched to slicks, three years before F1 did the same.

Formula 1 is moving to larger wheel sizes to reflect trends in the road car industry, where 13-inch wheels have largely fallen out of use. The change of wheel size is expected to require extensive alterations to suspension systems, and has been timed to coincide with Liberty Media’s planned overhaul of F1’s sporting and technical regulations in two years’ time.

F2’s Dallara chassis, currently in its second year of duty, is due to remain in use next season. Pirelli presented an example of its 18-inch 2020 tyres on one of the cars at the track today.

Don't miss anything new from RaceFans

Follow RaceFans on social media:

Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and go ad-free

Formula Two

Browse all Formula 2 articles

Author information

Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

Got a potential story, tip or enquiry? Find out more about RaceFans and contact us here.

5 comments on “F2 to switch to 18-inch tyres one year before F1”

  1. Sounds sensible for once.

    I do like the look of them on the F2 car, shame the F1 car will be ruined with spinners!

    1. hahaha. Would love to see that. I’m sure it’ll be aerodynamically functional too.

  2. Sush Meerkat
    9th May 2019, 18:29

    I’m in two minds over this issue

    If you want it to be Road relevant, make a road going car.

    Who cares about the wheel size? I do

    No we need to have to best wheels for the pinnacle of motorsport

    ,but monster trucks

  3. Well next year’s F2 championship is going to be shambles then!

    The car just isn’t designed for those tires. You’ll have a softer sprung car will all that power, on an unstable aerodynamic base to try and find the best potential F1 star. Then you’re going to apply the findings of that ‘sound baseline’ to F1 in 2021!

  4. With larger wheel sizes I presume that will mean larger breaks. Does this then mean that the breaking distances will become even shorter, thus making passing even harder than it is now?

Comments are closed.