Was Formula 2’s radical format switch a success?

After watching the opening round in Bahrain you could easily make a compelling case to argue that Formula 2 is the most entertaining category in motorsport right now.

The Formula 1 feeder series kicked off last weekend with some gusto. Its new radical weekend format produced three exciting races, three different race winners with two of those victories claimed by rookies.

Such was the lively start to the season, it appears we will have a fascinating title scrap that could feature as many as 10 contenders. But there was a burning question from the weekend. Was the new format a success?

Formula 2 has undergone a fairly large makeover in the off-season, with its boss Bruno Michel describing the format changes, also adopted by its sister Formula 3 series, as the biggest in the categories’ history.

When explained on television the changes sound like a headache but on paper they are not too difficult to comprehend. This year the series will run three races on a weekend, two 45-minute sprints on Saturday, followed by a 60-minute feature race prior to the F1 race on Sunday morning.

Friday’s qualifying session sets the grid for the Sunday feature race with four points on offer for pole position. However, this is where the twist occurs. The grid for race one uses the results from qualifying with the top 10 reversed. The results from race one is then used to set the grid for race two, with the top 10 inverted.

Liam Lawson, Hitech Grand Prix

Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images

It effectively creates a weekend with two reverse grid races, but to ensure qualifying remains a focus the series has continued its decision to skew the championship points more heavily towards the feature race, using the same points system as F1.

There will be many asking what was wrong with the old F2 format of two races, a feature and a reverse grid sprint, as that format produced equality entertaining races.

But there is more at stake behind the 2021 format change, and it is important to understand the reason why it has been introduced before analysing how it performed.

To understand just how tough the economic climate is right now two of the drivers on the Bahrain grid are operating on race-by-race deals, which shows securing the budget is difficult

Ultimately the reason why this format exists is to reduce the financial impact on the teams in what is arguably one of the most difficult economic climates on record. To relieve some of the burden, the F2 calendar has been reduced from 12 to eight events and to ensure drivers, teams, sponsors, and the fans get the same bang for their buck, the series has retained its 24-race format by increasing the number of races per weekend to three.

“Originally they [the changes] were motived by costs but then when we started to think about it and to reduce the amount of events for both categories and by doing that increasing the number of races, then we knew we would have to change the sporting regs and the format of the two categories,” Michel told Autosport before Bahrain.

“I must say it has been something very interesting to work on. We have had the same format for quite some time now and I think it was time for a change. Having three races allowed us more creativity, let's put it that way, in the way we are going to operate.

“Of course everybody is struggling at the moment and the teams are relying on their clients who are the drivers and at the moment for drivers it is not the easiest thing in the world to find sponsors.

“I hope all the measures we took to cut the budget are going to apply and are going to make everybody’s life a bit easier.”

Bruno Michel of the FIA F2 Championship

Photo by: Joe Portlock / Motorsport Images

To understand just how tough the economic climate is right now two of the drivers on the Bahrain grid are operating on race-by-race deals, which shows securing the budget is difficult. Richard Verschoor, who emerged as one of the star performers in Bahrain, says he is basically a businessman away from the track as he tries to find the funding to go racing.

Going back to the format, the unconventional way F2 has chosen to form its grids was thrashed out with input from F1 organisers, before it was given green light. The end result is designed to create more of a show and it’s fair to say in Bahrain it certainly did that.

It is however a system that will upset the purists and there is a strong argument to be made that an F1 feeder series should be about allowing the best talent to rise to the top and show their worth to the F1 teams.

In the past you would have seen the top drivers dominate the championship. If you cast your mind back to 2006 when Lewis Hamilton claimed the title, then known as GP2, the now seven-time F1 world champion claimed 14 podiums from 21 races. The days of seeing a driver be that dominant and rack up that many podiums with this new F2 format look long gone.

But we live in very different times now. The pressure to deliver entertainment week in week out is much higher and all sports have had to ask themselves difficult questions and adapt. Motorsport is no different. We’ve seen the launch of the fast and short form T20 cricket which has proved an immense success to name just one and it has helped create immediate excitement for fans.

WRC has the Power Stage, Rallycross has the Joker lap and NASCAR has stage races; these are but three examples where motorsport has adapted. There is more on the way as F1 is now set to trial sprint races this year, which F2 has successfully brought to the top level single-seater arena.

Guanyu Zhou, Uni-Virtuosi Racing and Felipe Drugovich, Uni-Virtuosi

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

So, while the days of drivers dominating F2 are likely consigned to the past, wins and podiums will remain the barometer of a driver’s talent, but arguably consistency and scoring points regularly is now just as important a factor for junior drivers. It will be a KPI that F1 teams will review when assessing future talent.

So let’s look at how the format performed. In the lead up there were concerns that drivers and teams could manipulate the system by being overtaken voluntarily or not going for pole position to gain better grid slots in the two reverse grid sprint races.

Guanyu Zhou originally said in pre-season he wasn’t sure if qualifying pole or P10 would be better in the long run, although he changed his opinion at Bahrain.

“People were worried that the grid system may be too complicated, but now that we have gone through one race weekend, they can see that it is quite simple and brings a lot of fun on the track” Bruno Michel

Michel was strong in his defence of such “funny games” saying it would be “stupid” for drivers to try and play the system. Suffice to say it appears nobody tried to cheat the system, however, when the title race heats up it is likely these tactics could be considered by competitors.

Three exciting races were produced and some of the entertainment can be levied at the new format as we saw fast drivers having to make clutch and risky moves in the sprint races to move up the order. On the flip side of that there will be occasions where drivers simply avoid taking such risks given the harsh rear of grid starting berth punishment for a retirement in race one.

It also delivered on the promise of bringing more drivers into the mix. We saw rookies come to the fore as Liam Lawson benefited from the reverse grid race one to win the opening heat, while Oscar Piastri also took a win in race two and fellow newcomer David Beckmann snared a podium on debut.

Guanyu Zhou, Uni-Virtuosi Racing, 2nd position, and Oscar Piastri, Prema Racing, 1st position, celebrate on the podium

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

The feature race did allow the cream to come to the top too as Zhou, after a slick strategy call, converted his pole position into a race win.

PLUS: Why 2021 is make-or-break for the driver F1 needs

But there are still a few problems that could arise in the future that may need to be ironed out. For example polesitter Zhou was under investigation after qualifying for having entered the wrong pitlane after the session. He received a reprimand, but had he been issued a grid drop penalty of three, five or even 10 places, that would have actually seen him better his starting position for race one.

With new systems you will always inevitably encounter some unusual circumstances and in many ways you have to applaud F2 for being bold and trying something quite different. So was it a success? In his event debrief Michel, outlined his belief that it was.

“It is safe to say that it was a success: we saw two amazing races, Sprint Race 2 and the Feature Race,” he said. “To be honest, there was less show in the first Sprint Race, but having talked to some drivers, they all said that the high temperatures made it difficult for them.

“The following two events, which took place in cooler conditions, delivered some incredible fights throughout the field. Fifteen drivers have already scored points.

“People were worried that the grid system may be too complicated, but now that we have gone through one race weekend, they can see that it is quite simple and brings a lot of fun on the track.”

Theo Pourchaire, ART Grand Prix, Dan Ticktum, Carlin and Jehan Daruvala, Carlin

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

His verdict is hard to argue against at this point, although social media comments seem to have the fans very much divided in their views on the system.

But from a driver's point of view, Dan Ticktum, who finished second in the feature race, summed it up best.

The true test of the format will be how it performs on streets circuits like Monaco where it is notoriously hard to pass, which will see next month

“I quite like it so far, but I'll give you my verdict at the end of the season,” said Ticktum.

The true test of the format will be how it performs on street circuits like Monaco where it is notoriously hard to pass, which will see next month.

So in summary the format received a thumbs up after Bahrain but the jury is still out as to whether it will prove a success in the long term.

Start action, Dan Ticktum, Carlin, spins

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images