Formula Two

Formula Two, abbreviated to F2, was a type of open wheel formula racing first codified in 1948. It was replaced in 1985 by Formula 3000, but revived by the FIA from 2009–2012 in the form of the FIA Formula Two Championship.

The goal of the 2009 revival was to develop a low-cost series to allow young drivers a chance to compete in the highest tiers of motorsport. In December 2012, series promoter MSV announced that Formula Two would not take place after 2013 due to declining entrant numbers, and the series was disbanded.

A third attempt at establishing the series was announced in 2015.

History

While Formula One has generally been regarded as the pinnacle of open-wheeled auto racing, the high-performance nature of the cars and the expense involved in the series has always meant a need for a path to reach this peak. For much of the history of Formula One, Formula Two has represented the penultimate step on the motorsport ladder.

Pre-war

Prior to the Second World War, there usually existed a division of racing for cars smaller and less powerful than Grand Prix racers. This category was usually called voiturette ("small car") racing and provided a means for amateur or less experienced drivers and smaller marques to prove themselves. By the outbreak of war, the rules for voiturette racing permitted 1.5 L supercharged engines; Grand Prix cars were permitted 3.0 L supercharged or 4.5 L naturally aspirated.

FIA Formula Two Championship

The FIA Formula Two Championship was a one-make class of auto racing for Formula Two open wheeled single seater racing cars. It was a revival of the former European Formula Two Championship that was previously run from 1967 to 1984, and was organised by MotorSport Vision. Drivers competed in identical Williams F1 built cars with an Audi supplied and Mountune Racing developed 400 bhp engine, over 16 rounds at eight venues.

Formula Two was revived due to the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile's concern that the cost of competing in motor racing at a level to progress directly to Formula One was becoming unreachable for many participants, and the category was re-introduced as a lower-cost alternative for drivers. The FIA tender to supply and operate the Championship was awarded to the British MotorSportVision Racing company, owned by former Formula One racer Jonathan Palmer.

Compared to rival series such as GP2 and Formula Renault 3.5, Formula Two cost significantly less per season whilst allowing drivers to prove their skill and develop their racecraft, in identical vehicles designed by a six man team from WilliamsF1, led by Director of Engineering Patrick Head. The F2 vehicles were assembled and prepared between races at MotorSport Vision's Bedford Autodrome facility, prior to each championship event.

Formula

In science, a formula is a concise way of expressing information symbolically as in a mathematical or chemical formula. The informal use of the term formula in science refers to the general construct of a relationship between given quantities. The plural of formula can be spelled either as formulas or formulae (from the original Latin).

In mathematics, a formula is an entity constructed using the symbols and formation rules of a given logical language. For example, determining the volume of a sphere requires a significant amount of integral calculus or its geometrical analogue, the method of exhaustion; but, having done this once in terms of some parameter (the radius for example), mathematicians have produced a formula to describe the volume: This particular formula is:

Having obtained this result, and knowing the radius of any sphere in question, we can quickly and easily determine its volume. Note that the volume V and the radius r are expressed as single letters instead of words or phrases. This convention, while less important in a relatively simple formula, means that mathematicians can more quickly manipulate larger and more complex formulas. Mathematical formulas are often algebraic, closed form, and/or analytical.

Race

Race, RACE or "The Race" may refer to:

Classifications

Competitions

Art, entertainment, and media

Fictional characters

Film

Championship

In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion.

Championship systems

Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship.

Title match system

In this system, a competitor has to challenge the current champion to win the championship. A competitor can challenge the current champion after defeating other challengers. This form of championship is used in wrestling, boxing, mixed martial arts and other combat sports.

Tournament system

The term championships (in the plural) is often used to refer to tournament competitions, either using a knockout format, such as at Wimbledon and other championships in tennis, or a mixed format with a group stage followed by knockout rounds, such as used in the European Football Championships.

A variation of the knockout format is the "best-of-X" or series format where two teams face each other for a specified number of times until one team wins the majority of specified games, most of the time the remaining games are not played anymore; only then is the losing team eliminated from contention and the winning team advances to the next level. This format is predominant in American sports such as baseball, ice hockey and basketball, and on test cricket.