This Word Means: Formula 2

WHY ARE THERE SO MANY ‘FORMULAS’ IN RACING?

It has to do with the various rules for each category of competition, related to the cars’ engine size, design, and more. F1 is the topmost category, followed by F2 and F3.

In all three, single-seater cars are pitted against each other. It may seem like an individual-focused sport, with the glory surrounding names like Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher. However, teams are needed to change tyres and maintain the vehicle quality amid multiple laps, such as the 78-lap Monaco circuit.

Formula 1 was instituted as a world championship competition back in 1950, with the first-ever race held at the Silverstone Circuit, a former Royal Air Force station, in the United Kingdom.

OKAY, SO WHAT ARE F1, F2 AND F3?

F1 racing is seen as the pinnacle of the sport. Companies such as Red Bull and McLaren don’t just act as sponsors, they also build the chassis or metal frame of the car, or its engine, all in service of having the best, fastest car. In recent years, spending limits have been established to ensure a somewhat level playing field. For the 2023-2025 seasons, it has been set at a whopping €121 million.

In F2, each team is given the same car and engine to have the race focus on their skills. This category mostly sees young, rising drivers contest, with hopes of making it to the F1 competitions. All 14 Formula 2 rounds are held on select Formula 1 race weekends across the globe, according to the official F1 website.

The engines in F1 cars are also more powerful than their F2 counterparts, meaning that the top race speed for an F1 car is over 370km/h, while the top speed for an F2 car is less than 320km/h.

F3 refers to junior motorsport, where players aim to eventually graduate to F2. The minimum age for competing is 16 years.

Notably, there is no formal division of men and women drivers, but women’s participation has been low, including in recent years.

AND WHY IS THE MONACO CIRCUIT CONSIDERED PRESTIGIOUS?

First is the wealth and luxury associated with the seaside city-state of Monaco. It is known as a major banking centre, which scrapped income taxes on its residents more than a century and a half ago. As a result, several of the world’s richest people have purchased homes in Monaco, drawing elite cultural events to the region.

Coming to the Grand Prix itself, the Monaco edition is seen as particularly challenging. Brazilian former motorsports racing driver Nelson Piquet described the track, which goes through the city itself, “like riding a bicycle around your living room”. Winning the race thus becomes a matter of prestige.