F2 and F3 to hold separate championships at fewer venues in 2021

Formula 2

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Formula 2 and Formula 3 have confirmed their 2021 seasons will be shorter than this year and both series will no longer run at the same Formula 1 race weekends.

F2, which held 12 double-header rounds alongside F1 races this year, will run an eight-round championship of triple headers in 2021, meaning it will continue to have a total of 24 races. The points structure for the new format has not yet been confirmed.

The total number of F3 races next year will increase from 18 to 21, though the series will race at seven tracks instead of nine. It will also move from a double to triple-header format.

Both series will continue to support Formula 1 race weekends but will not race alongside each other, the organisers also announced. The changes have been agreed as a package of cost-cutting measures for the championship.

“One of our core values since the launch of the GP2 Series back in 2005 has been costs control,” said F2 and F3 CEO Bruno Michel. “Today, more than ever, it has to be at the heart of our strategy.

“The measures we are announcing here are crucial as they have an impact on the way both championships operate, but also on the calendar and the race weekend timetable, hence the sporting regulations.

“Furthermore, the teams who are currently competing in both championships will have the possibility to mutualise some of their personnel between the two categories in order to save additional costs.”

The series said engine lease, logistics and freight costs will also be reduced. Formula 2 will continue to use its current chassis, introduced in 2018, for the next three seasons. Formula 3 is also “likely” to continue using the same chassis for coming seasons, said the organisers.

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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...

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19 comments on “F2 and F3 to hold separate championships at fewer venues in 2021”

  1. I assume the cost savings of each series appearing at fewer events will outweigh the fact that teams who race in both series will now need to travel to double the venues, but with half the kit to each venue?

    1. @eurobrun I may be mistaken, but I haven’t read anything stating that F2 and F3 will be held in different venues on different weekends. Only that it will not race only when an F1 weekend is on.

      1. Both series will continue to support Formula 1 race weekends but will not race alongside each other,

        From the article above

        1. @eurobrun I misread that, apologies.

  2. Race 1: Saturday morning (F3 2020 spot)
    Race 2: Saturday afternoon (F2 2020 spot)
    Race 3: Sunday morning

    I assume it’s like that. No idea how they work around reverse-grid races.

  3. So, I guess we’re expecting the venues will be all the European tracks, plus the usual Bahrain and Abu Dhabi. That sits at 13 venues. I doubt they’d go to the America’s, Australia or Japan due to it being down to cost cutting, so that’d leave out 6 of the remaining tracks, meaning for ’21 there are 4 tracks remaining for the other two events. So they’ll go to two of either: Shanghai, Hanoi, Jeddha or Marina Bay. Because it’s F1, I can see them doing Jeddha, and then of the other 3, Singapore potentially makes most sense as they’ve done it before. Personally I’d prefer Shanghai and Singapore/Hanoi. Shanghai I think would be a great race for F2, and then I don’t mind either of the other two, but I think just for my own personal UK viewing ease, Singapore would be better.

  4. “Oh no!” I said to myself when reading the headline. But now, thinking about it, this is probably great news. It means almost every weekend is guaranteed to have races in either F1, F2 or F3. That’s pretty great! I’ll go to the post office now and send some blank divorce papers to my wife so that she can save some time, fill them in and give them to me during next Saturday’s practice session.

    1. not sure it is that much more racing, it is 3 weekends more of any feeder series than usual and 3 more F3 races , 7 weekends of F1 & F3 and 8 weekends of F1 & F2.
      I just hope F2 gets good racing tracks.

      1. Both series will continue to support Formula 1 race weekends but will not race alongside each other.

        Ah, I missed this point.

  5. Pat Ruadh (@fullcoursecaution)
    6th November 2020, 14:24

    F3 should go back to Norisring and Pau. And have the season decider in Macau

    1. @fullcoursecaution that was European F3 which used to follow DTM. The current FIA F3 is basically a continuation of the erstwhile GP3.
      And Macau should not be a championship round for any series.

  6. How does not sharing the same track, i.e., running on the same circuit on the same weekend, cut costs for the two categories?

    1. maybe personnel? you need to run 5 cars on a weekend when together. this way you run 2 or 3 and can probably reuse more staff between cars. not sure how much overlap teams have at the moment

  7. I wonder If there will be a race at a Track where F1 doesn’t go. Like Jerez or tracks F1 raced on this year (Portimao, Mugello,…)
    If Saving Money is the important part, they need to remove the races in Bahrein and the UAE.
    Keeping them in Europe would save the most money I guess since Air Freight to send the Equipment makes things too expensive.
    I would love to see them race in places other than Europe and the Middle East, Like in the US, Canada, Brazil, Japan,…..
    But All of that costs a lot of money and This year has hurt almost everyone financially. So A year or two sticking around in Europe would make the most sense to me. This might also give some drivers a better opportunity driving in FP1 if their series is not Racing on that weekend.

    1. Gavin Campbell
      6th November 2020, 17:15

      It depends some of the middle eastern races (which are all government showpiece events) might pay more even with the extra costs involved to have the Junior categories race there.

      F2 will continue to do Abu Dhabi because of the post season tests so all the drivers want to be out there. Abu Dhabi probably also wants to have title deciders as it pays so much to be the last race.

      1. @Gavin Campbell F1 doesn’t do Abu Dhabi this year, though.

        1. Sorry, F2.

  8. A shame that both series will have a less diverse calendar, but it seems like a wise move. I’d be interested to see how they figure out a format for this. I wouldn’t be surprised if the third race becomes the reverse-grid qualifying race they’ve been trying to force on F1.

    1. @jackysteeg The second race is already a reverse-grid one, albeit only for the top eight rather than the entire field.

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