What's happening to the F1 ladder?

Last week the FIA was expected to confirm details about its new Formula 2 series. All it revealed was that it was in discussions with GP2.

The knock-on effect is a lot of question marks over the junior single-seater scene, even as we edge ever closer to 2016. So how exactly is the Formula 1 ladder shaping up?

Unsurprisingly, the big talking points are the expected transition of GP2 to FIA F2, and the impact this will have on Formula Renault 3.5. But there are significant points to note further down the ladder as well.

What do we know about the new F2?
Edd Straw

Currently the FIA has only got as far as confirming that it has "received an offer" from GP2 to become the promoter of F2 and that "discussions are ongoing".

That doesn't give us much to go on, but behind the scenes there are several clear indications of the direction things will go in.

First, it does appear that the plan is for F2 to continue on the Formula 1 support bill. Several times FIA president Jean Todt has referred to his liking for such a package, citing the MotoGP/Moto2/Moto3 strategy, and while the Formula 3 European Championship is now locked in to the ITR-run DTM package, GP3 is set to continue to form the bottom tier of that trio.

It does seem that talks are still ongoing between GP2 boss Bruno Michel and Renault, promoter of the rival FR3.5 championship on the World Series bill. But it doesn't necessarily mean that these two categories will merge.

What it could result in is GP2 becoming F2 with increased Renault involvement. That could run to prominent branding on the car and a Renault turbocharged engine.

GP2 plans to replace the ageing four-litre Mecachrome V8 in 2017 anyway and it would be logical to align the new F2 with F1 by switching to a turbo.

Michel is on record as ruling out a switch to a hybrid engine, and for very good reasons. That would be an expensive path to go down, and if GP2-run F2 is to hit FIA budget targets of around £1million per car, it will need to find further savings on top of the recent good work in terms of stabilising budgets and then shaving costs off.

Chassis-wise, it seems pointless to look beyond Dallara. The third-generation car, originally introduced in 2011, was given a second three-year lifespan starting last year.

So, conveniently, that means it, too, will be ready to be replaced in 2017. On the one hand, it could be an excellent time to replace it but that too could raise costs.

If it is possible to adapt the current monocoque to take a Renault turbo, that would be ideal cost-wise. Realistically, that is probably not going to work.

As for the teams competing in GP2, which would surely be given first call when it comes to F2 entries (after all, the new F2 would effectively be a continuation of the current feeder series), it's not unrealistic to expect them to shell out for new cars given that they've got twice the life out of the third-generation machines.

Exactly what all this would mean for FR3.5 is unclear, although it is perfectly feasible for it to continue even with the marque having an involvement in GP2-F2.

And if plans for Renault to take over the Enstone-based Lotus F1 squad come off, it is understood there will be a recreation of the old driver-development programme that helped to bring through Heikki Kovalainen and Lucas di Grassi among others.

But it still remains to be seen exactly what direction the series goes in. The framework outlined above seems most likely, but with the question marks of the potential revival of the Renault F1 team, it might not be until the August F1 break or beyond that the landscape is stable enough to rubber-stamp the final plans for F2.

Will Formula Renault 3.5 continue?
Peter Mills

The lack of information about the new F2 has led to wild speculation in the FR3.5 paddock. This includes scenarios where, in the event of F2's calendar being split over the F1 support bill and World Series package, FR3.5 could move away to run with another championship.

A meeting between Renault Sport boss Patrice Ratti and team representatives was convened at 4pm last Saturday to discuss developments, but the question of what impact F2 will have on FR3.5 in 2016 appears unresolved.

The FR3.5 team bosses and representatives were understood to have been not entirely satisfied with their appointment with Mr Ratti. A second meeting was therefore held later on Saturday evening with Renault Sport Technologies' director of motorsport Jean-Pascal Dauce.

Renault Sport, understandably, did not put out a press release after what was a private meeting. However, there are believed to have been proposals for greater collaboration between the teams and discussions on the possibility of a revised repartition of prize money to make the series more attractive to drivers.

The World Series by Renault package is important for the Renault brand and is highly likely to continue in some format. The pressing issue surrounds FR3.5's place. For DAMS boss Francois Sicard, who has feet in both the GP2 and FR3.5 camps, it appears the situation will not become clear for another couple of months.

"We don't know exactly what will happen," he says. "We hear many rumours, but nothing is 100 per cent sure. Normally, F2 should stick to what is in the tender; that means a car of 600bhp with a €1million budget, but at the moment we [GP2] are far above one million.

"For the time being, the question is what will World Series become? Renault said to us they are discussing that. We are only in July, so there is some time."

Other FR3.5 teams are understood to have wondered if Jaime Alguersuari Sr, boss of championship joint-organiser RPM and the father of World Series, could step in as promoter if required.

"I cannot see them stopping the championship now, because we have all the cars," continues Sicard. "Even if the grid decreased a bit, today we have 21 cars on the grid. Most of the teams are only involved in World Series by Renault and there are 15 people per team, so I don't see them stopping from one day to another."

The situation is clearly sensitive, and several potential scenarios exist. However, the World Series by Renault organisers are understood to be working on a 2016 calendar in which FR3.5 is included.

How does F3 fit into this?
Marcus Simmons

It isn't done yet, but the renewal of the FIA's agreement with F3 European Championship promoter Formel 3 Vermarktungs received a nod of approval in the governing body's World Motor Sport Council statement last week.

F3V, whose parent company the ITR runs the DTM, used to promote the F3 Euro Series, and then picked up the FIA's relaunched championship on a three-year deal from 2013-15.

Some took that as a signal that F3 could follow the new F2 onto the F1 bill, as a replacement for GP3. But while that would be great for the short-term prestige of F3, such a scenario may not benefit the category further down the line.

Firstly, the DTM (which F3 predominantly supports) allows the single-seater boys 80 minutes of free practice, two 20-minute qualifying sessions and three 35-minute races per weekend.

On the other hand, the F1 programme allows GP3 45 minutes of free practice, a single 30-minute qualifying session, one race of just over 35 minutes and another of less than half an hour.

So F3 would be down to two races per weekend - and decreased practice and qualifying time - at a stroke, plus costs would necessarily rise because of accommodation prices over grand prix weekends, possibly taking the category out of reach of several drivers whose budgets only just stretch to the existing level.

We should also consider the support given to F3 on the DTM bill by the DMSB (the German national governing body) as well as engine suppliers Mercedes and Volkswagen.

F3 forms an integral part of the German motorsport programme, with Mercedes and VW (through sister make Audi) promoting young talent into its DTM teams, and supporting the most promising in F3. Would the same happen if Todt's fondness for the bike system was replicated on four wheels, and F3 was placed on the F1 bill? Possibly not.

While it would be good to see F3 on the occasional grand prix support card - ex-Single Seater Commission boss Gerhard Berger tried to revive the much-missed Monaco race, for example - it would not necessarily benefit the category to move away from the DTM.

Renewing the agreement with F3V would pretty much ensure F3 stays with the DTM, although how long such a contract would run for is another matter: if it gets another three-year deal, then we can be pretty sure the FIA wants to leave well alone; if it's only for one, we can probably assume GP3's days are numbered.

Have superlicence tweaks appeased Renault?
Peter Mills

Renault also used its Spielberg gathering to convey its reaction to the revised allocation of Formula 1 superlicence points. This is, perhaps, the easier topic to cover off, Renault's stance, unofficially, being that it was only satisfied in part with the concessions handed to its championships since the original points proposal.

On the positive side, Formula Renault 2.0 drivers can now earn superlicence points for results in two championships in a single season.

In the example of McLaren protege Nyck de Vries, the Dutchman would have picked up 10 points for winning both FR2.0 Alps and FR2.0 Eurocup last year under the FIA's initial superlicence rules.

But in amendments announced by the World Council in Mexico, a driver emulating de Vries's achievements would now earn 20 points.

In another favourable development, FR3.5 points will be awarded retrospectively back to 2013. This will assist second-year driver Oliver Rowland if he finishes in the top three of this year's FR3.5 standings, as appears likely.

But Renault Sport clearly would have preferred for FR3.5 to have at least been given points parity with the FIA F3 European Championship and FR2.0 with the FIA's Formula 4 offerings.

Many feel the company's valuable contribution to the single-seater ladder over many years, including its hugely generous €500,000 prize fund for the Eurocup champion, has been poorly rewarded.

Additional (and unconventional) rungs of the ladder
Mitchell Adam

Within the revised superlicence structure, the DTM and World Touring Car Championship become the only two 'tin-top' categories.

Hardly a touring car series in the traditional sense and overlooked initially, the DTM's manufacturers sought a rethink from the FIA, which has now come to fruition.

Its supporters point to its massively competitive field and level of professionalism, both of which single-seater convert Antonio Felix da Costa says would prepare a driver for F1.

"It's equally hard to win in any series - World Series, GP3, GP2, DTM," the Red Bull F1 reserve notes.

"But the difference here is that you make a mistake and you're not fifth, because in those categories the drivers are spread across a lot of them - GP2, GP3 or World Series.

"Here there's all of us in one series and we're all professional drivers, so if you make a mistake, you pay a huge price for it. You're P20 and your weekend is over.

"This really makes you be focused and have the right mindset, and outside of the car the way the teams work is very similar to Formula 1.

"There's all of these meetings, briefings and debriefs and it prepares you really well for F1."

The DTM also has F1 runs on the board, with Paul di Resta winning the series before joining Force India, while Pascal Wehrlein is also Mercedes' F1 tester.

"We see Pascal - it looks like he's pretty close to a deal there," da Costa added. "He shouldn't be the only one.

"There's a lot of talent around here who should be able to race an [F1] car coming out of a car like this."

The WTCC is a less obvious case, ostensibly a political move to protect its stature as an FIA world championship. It features largely front-wheel-drive touring cars, while the series does not attract young, F1-quality talent from single-seaters in the way the DTM does.

The other unique addition is Formula E, with the champion of that series automatically receiving a superlicence.

While the cars are not what you would call fast, the top-end of the field contains quality drivers who wouldn't be out of place on a grand prix grid.

However they've generally come the other way - from F1, such as the top four in the inaugural season, led by champion Nelson Piquet Jr - so a superlicence would appear to be largely superficial, particularly compared to the traditional feeder series.