The 2017 FIA Formula 2 Championship was the fifty-first season of the second-tier of Formula One feeder championship and also the first season under the moniker of FIA Formula 2 Championship, a motor racing championship run in support of the 2017 FIA Formula One World Championship. The championship is sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) and is open to teams and drivers competing in cars complying with Formula 2 regulations. [1]
2017 was the final season that the Dallara GP2/11 chassis package—which débuted in the 2011 GP2 Series—was used in competition. It was also the final season that the Mecachrome 4.0 litre V8 naturally-aspirated engine package that débuted in the 2005 GP2 Series was used, as a brand new chassis and engine package was introduced for the 2018 season. [2] [3]
The season was dominated by Charles Leclerc, who secured the drivers' championship with three races to go. [4] Second place went to Artem Markelov with Oliver Rowland finishing third. The teams' championship was decided in the final race, with Russian Time winning by fifteen points over Prema Racing and DAMS in third, a further eleven points behind.
Champion Charles Leclerc took 7 wins, while runner-up Artem Markelov took 5 victories, Oliver Rowland took 2 wins, Luca Ghiotto, who finished fourth in the championship, took 1 win, Nobuharu Matsushita took 2 victories, Norman Nato, Nicholas Latifi, Antonio Fuoco, Nyck de Vries and Sérgio Sette Câmara each took one race win.
All FIA Formula 2 drivers competed in a Dallara GP2/11 chassis, using a Mecachrome GP2 V8 engine and Pirelli tyres.
After six seasons in the series, Carlin withdrew to concentrate on their Indy Lights programme. [31] German entry Hilmer Motorsport were due to return to the series while it was still known as GP2, however, this never came to fruition. [32]
Prema Racing drivers Antonio Giovinazzi and reigning GP2 champion Pierre Gasly both left the series; Giovinazzi began a role in Formula One as Ferrari reserve driver and Gasly moved to Super Formula. [33] They were replaced by Ferrari Driver Academy members Charles Leclerc and Antonio Fuoco, who finished first and third respectively in the 2016 GP3 Series [5]
Racing Engineering drivers Norman Nato and Jordan King both switched teams. [21] [30] Their seats were taken by Renault Sport Academy member and Formula V8 3.5 Series runner-up Louis Delétraz — who had made an appearance for Carlin at the final GP2 round the previous year — and Gustav Malja, who moved across from Rapax. [6] [8]
Russian Time driver Raffaele Marciello left the series to begin a career in GT racing. [34] He was replaced by Luca Ghiotto, who moved from Trident to join the retained Artem Markelov. [9]
ART Grand Prix continued with Nobuharu Matsushita and hired GP3 runner-up Alex Albon to replace Sergey Sirotkin, who left the series to begin a Formula One test and reserve driver role with Renault. [11]
DAMS driver Alex Lynn left the championship to serve as a Formula E reserve driver with DS Virgin Racing. [35] He was replaced by Renault Sport Academy driver Oliver Rowland, who switched from MP Motorsport to join Nicholas Latifi at the team. [13]
Campos Racing drivers Sean Gelael and Mitch Evans both departed the team, with Evans leaving the series after four years to join Jaguar Racing in Formula E. [36] Ralph Boschung, who finished 11th in the previous two GP3 seasons, graduated to Formula 2 with Campos. [14] Stefano Coletti, who previously raced in GP2 between 2009 and 2014 and had since raced in IndyCar and the European Le Mans Series, joined Boschung for the opening round. [37]
MP Motorsport changed both drivers, with Oliver Rowland switching teams and Daniël de Jong leaving the category for sportscar racing. Jordan King joined the team from Racing Engineering and was partnered by Sérgio Sette Câmara, who graduated to Formula 2 having placed 11th in the 2016 FIA Formula 3 European Championship. [20]
Trident drivers Luca Ghiotto and Philo Paz Armand departed the team, with Armand leaving racing entirely. The team signed Nabil Jeffri and Sergio Canamasas, [16] who moved across from the Arden and Carlin teams respectively.
Rapax retained Johnny Cecotto Jr., who raced with the team in the final two rounds of the previous season in place of Arthur Pic. He was joined by GP3 sixth-placed finisher and McLaren junior driver Nyck de Vries in place of the departing Gustav Malja. [26]
Pertamina Arden did not retain Emil Bernstorff, who debuted with the team in the final round of 2016. Norman Nato and Sean Gelael joined the team from Racing Engineering and Campos respectively, in place of Bernstorff and Nabil Jeffri. [30]
Campos Racing initially stated that Stefano Coletti would continue to race with them for the second round at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, but he was replaced with former Formula One driver Roberto Merhi shortly before the event. [17] Merhi was then replaced by former Rapax driver Robert Vișoiu before the third round at the Circuit de Monaco. [18]
A broken collarbone from a bicycle accident forced ART Grand Prix driver Alex Albon to miss the fourth round at the Baku City Circuit. [38] [39] Sergey Sirotkin returned to the team to deputise. [12]
Trident driver Sergio Canamasas switched to Rapax for the fifth round at the Red Bull Ring in place of Johnny Cecotto Jr., who left the series. [23] His Trident seat was filled firstly by series returnee Raffaele Marciello, then by FIA Formula 3 European Championship title contender Callum Ilott at Silverstone Circuit, [40] and finally by GP3 racer and Haas Formula One test driver Santino Ferrucci for the remainder of the season. [41]
The eighth round at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps saw Rapax driver Nyck de Vries and Racing Engineering's Louis Delétraz swap seats for the rest of the season. [7] Sergio Canamasas left the series before the round and his Rapax seat was taken by Roberto Merhi, who returned to the championship. Canamasas later revealed he had left motorsport entirely due to an incident involving security at the Hungaroring round during which he "almost lost [his] father". [42]
Robert Vișoiu left the series for "personal reasons" before the tenth round at Circuito de Jerez. His seat at Campos Racing was filled by Japanese Formula 3 driver Álex Palou for the final two rounds. [19] World Series Formula V8 3.5 driver René Binder, who had raced in GP2 between 2012 and 2016, joined Rapax in place of Roberto Merhi for the Jerez round. [43]
Merhi returned to the Rapax seat for the final round at Yas Marina Circuit. Reigning FIA Formula 3 European champion Lando Norris made his debut in the category at Yas Marina, [15] taking the Campos Racing seat vacated by Ralph Boschung. [44]
The following eleven rounds took place as part of the 2017 championship:
Round | Circuit/Location | Date | Supporting | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir | 15–16 April | Bahrain Grand Prix | |
2 | Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Montmeló | 13–14 May | Spanish Grand Prix | |
3 | Circuit de Monaco, Monaco | 26–27 May | Monaco Grand Prix | |
4 | Baku City Circuit, Baku | 24–25 June | Azerbaijan Grand Prix | |
5 | Red Bull Ring, Spielberg | 8–9 July | Austrian Grand Prix | |
6 | Silverstone Circuit, Silverstone | 15–16 July | British Grand Prix | |
7 | Hungaroring, Mogyoród | 29–30 July | Hungarian Grand Prix | |
8 | Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Stavelot | 26–27 August | Belgian Grand Prix | |
9 | Autodromo Nazionale Monza, Monza | 2–3 September | Italian Grand Prix | |
10 | Circuito de Jerez, Jerez de la Frontera | 7–8 October | stand-alone event | |
11 | Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi | 25–26 November | Abu Dhabi Grand Prix | |
Source: [45] |
The series returned to the Bahrain International Circuit in support of the Bahrain Grand Prix, [45] while the rounds at the Hockenheimring and the Sepang International Circuit were discontinued. [45] The series made its début at the Circuito de Jerez, with a stand-alone event that was run as the penultimate round of the championship. [45]
The series was originally intended to be run as the GP2 Series before it was rebranded as the FIA Formula 2 Championship in March 2017. [1] The decision to rebrand the series brings it in line with the FIA Global Pathway, which aims to create a linear path of feeder series from domestic Formula 4 to the top tier of open-wheel racing, Formula One. Despite the name change, it will retain the GP2 regulations as originally scheduled, making the 2017 season the thirteenth to use GP2 regulations. It will be the first time that a series has been run under the name of Formula 2 since Jonathan Palmer's unrelated series collapsed in 2012.
Points were awarded to the top 10 classified finishers in the Feature race, and to the top 8 classified finishers in the Sprint race. The pole-sitter in the feature race also received four points, and two points were given to the driver who set the fastest lap inside the top ten in both the feature and sprint races. No extra points were awarded to the pole-sitter in the sprint race.
Position | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | 10th | Pole | FL |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Points | 25 | 18 | 15 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 2 |
Points were awarded to the top 8 classified finishers.
Position | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | FL |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Points | 15 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
|
|
Notes:
|
|
Notes:
Rapax Team was an Italian motor racing team. The team's history can be traced back to when the GP Racing team was founded in 1997, and also to when Piquet Sports was created in 2000 by triple world champion Nelson Piquet. In 2007, Piquet Sports and GP Racing merged to create "Minardi Piquet Sports". In 2008, the team dropped "Minardi" from their name. In early 2009, the team was sold and rebranded as Piquet GP, but changed its name again in November to Rapax Team, once all remaining ties to part-owner Piquet were cut.
Trident Motorsport is a motor racing team that competes in single-seater formula racing. It was founded in 2006 in order to compete in the GP2 championship, which was Europe's second highest-ranking single-seater formula below Formula One. Trident is headquartered at San Pietro Mosezzo in the Piedmont region of Italy.
Campos Racing is a Spanish motor racing team based in Valencia, founded by former Formula One driver Adrián Campos. The team has been successful in Formula Three and the GP2 Series.
The GP3 Series, or GP3 for short, was a single-seater motor racing series launched in 2010 as a feeder series for the GP2 Series, introduced by GP2 organiser Bruno Michel. GP3 followed the entire European leg of the Formula One series and the GP2 series as a support race for the two. Like the GP2 series, GP3 gave drivers the experience of the Grand Prix environment, and took advantage of the infrastructure, such as marshals and medical facilities, in place for the Formula One events. GP3 Series mainly raced on European circuits, but had appearances on other international race tracks, with rounds in the 2015 season at the Bahrain International Circuit in Bahrain and the Yas Marina Circuit in United Arab Emirates.
Roberto Merhi Muntan, is a Spanish racing driver who previously competed in Formula E for Mahindra Racing and who drove in Formula One. Merhi has also raced in the Formula Renault 3.5 Series for Pons Racing, and won the Formula 3 Euro Series championship, while driving for Prema Powerteam. In 2018, he drove for MP Motorsport and Campos Vexatec Racing in the FIA Formula 2 Championship. Since 2019, he has competed in sportscar racing, including finishing third in the 2019–20 Asian Le Mans Series. In May 2023, it was announced he would drive for Mahindra Racing from the 2023 Jakarta ePrix.
The 2012 GP2 Series season was the forty-sixth season of the second-tier of Formula One feeder championship and also eighth season under the GP2 Series moniker and also the first season after merging with the GP2 Asia Series. The championship was expanded to include rounds in Malaysia, Bahrain and Singapore, in support of the 2012 Formula One season.
The 2013 GP2 Series season was the forty-seventh season of the second-tier of Formula One feeder championship and also ninth season under the GP2 Series moniker, a support series to the 2013 Formula One World Championship.
MP Motorsport is a Dutch auto racing team currently competing in the FIA Formula 2 Championship, FIA Formula 3 Championship,Formula Regional European by Alpine Championship, Eurocup 3, Spanish Formula 4 Championship and the newly established F1 Academy in 2023. The team has also participated in Auto GP, Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 and Formula Renault 2.0 Northern European Cup in conjunction with Manor Competition, using the name Manor MP Motorsport in the past.
The 2014 GP2 Series season was the forty-eighth season of the second-tier of Formula One feeder championship and also tenth season under the GP2 Series moniker, a support series to the 2014 Formula One World Championship. Russian Time were the defending team champions.
The 2015 GP2 Series season was the forty-ninth season of the second-tier of Formula One feeder championship and also eleventh season under the GP2 Series moniker, a championship for open-wheel racing cars run as a support series to the 2015 Formula One World Championship. Twenty-six drivers representing thirteen teams raced over eleven rounds, starting in Bahrain on 18 April and finishing in Abu Dhabi on 29 November.
The 2015 GP3 Series was the sixth season of the third-tier of Formula One feeder championship and also sixth season under the moniker of GP3 Series, a motor racing feeder series that was run in support of the 2015 FIA Formula One World Championship and sister series GP2. Thirty-one drivers represented eight teams over the course of the season's nine rounds, starting in Spain on 9 May and ending in Abu Dhabi on 29 November. It was the final season for the Dallara GP3/13-AER P57 V6 chassis and engine package that debuted in 2013. A new Dallara-built chassis was introduced for 2016 along with a Mecachrome normally-aspirated V6 engine.
Ralph Boschung is a Swiss racing driver who most recently competed in the 2023 FIA Formula 2 Championship for Campos Racing. He is a race winner in the GP3 Series and has previously competed in Formula 2 from 2017 to 2023, for Campos, MP Motorsport and Trident.
The 2016 GP3 Series was the seventh season of the third-tier of Formula One feeder championship and also seventh season under the moniker of GP3 Series, a motor racing feeder series that runs in support of the 2016 FIA Formula One World Championship and sister series GP2. In keeping with the series' philosophy of updating its technical regulations every three years, the Dallara GP3/13 chassis introduced in the 2013 season was discontinued and Dallara supplied all teams with a new model known as the GP3/16, which will be used until 2018.
The 2016 GP2 Series season was the fiftieth season of the second-tier of Formula One feeder championship and also twelfth and final season under the GP2 Series moniker, a motor racing feeder series that was run in support of the 2016 FIA Formula One World Championship. It was the final season run under the "GP2 Series" name, with the championship being rebranded as the FIA Formula 2 Championship from 2017. It was also originally scheduled to be the final season for the Dallara GP2/11 chassis that was introduced in 2011 and the Mecachrome 4.0 litre V8 normally-aspirated engine package that débuted in the maiden season of the series in 2005 before a brand new chassis and engine package was introduced for 2017, however due to another cost-cutting, the series announced it would keep the current chassis and engine package for one more season.
The 2017 GP3 Series was the eighth season of the third-tier of Formula One feeder championship and also eighth season under the moniker of GP3 Series, a motor racing feeder series that runs in support of the 2017 FIA Formula One World Championship and sister series Formula 2.
Dorian Boccolacci is a French racing driver, currently competing in the Porsche Supercup series. He has previously also competed in the FIA Formula 2 Championship until after the 2019 French round at Circuit Paul Ricard, where he was replaced by Arjun Maini.
The 2018 FIA Formula 2 Championship was the fifty-second season of the second-tier of Formula One feeder championship and also second season under the moniker of FIA Formula 2 Championship, a motor racing championship for Formula 2 cars that is sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). It is an open-wheel racing category that serves as the second tier of formula racing in the FIA Global Pathway. The category run in support of the 2018 FIA Formula One World Championship, with each of the twelve rounds running in conjunction with a Grand Prix. It was the first FIA Formula 2 season to feature a new chassis and engine package.
The 2018 GP3 Series was the ninth and final season of the second-tier of Formula One feeder championship and also ninth and final season under the moniker of GP3 Series, a motor racing feeder series that runs in support of the 2018 FIA Formula One World Championship and sister series Formula 2. This was the final contested season of GP3, as the series united with the FIA Formula 3 European Championship to form the FIA Formula 3 Championship.
The 2018 Bahrain FIA Formula 2 round was a pair of motor races for Formula 2 cars that took place on 7 and 8 April 2018 at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain as part of the FIA Formula 2 Championship. It was the first round of the 2018 FIA Formula 2 Championship and ran in support of the 2018 Bahrain Grand Prix.
The 2019 FIA Formula 2 Championship was the fifty-third season of the second-tier of Formula One feeder championship and also third season under the moniker of FIA Formula 2 Championship, a motor racing championship for Formula 2 cars that is sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). It is an open-wheel racing category that serves as the second tier of formula racing in the FIA Global Pathway. The category was run in support of the 2019 FIA Formula 1 World Championship.