Formula Two, abbreviated to F2, was a type of formula racing. Marc Surer (born 18 September 1951) is a former Racing driver from Switzerland. Formula racing is a term that refers to various forms of open wheeled single seater motorsport. It was replaced by Formula 3000 in 1985.
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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 represented the penultimate step on this road.
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. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including 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. Voiturette is a word mostly used to describe a miniature car however it has several meanings depending largely on the usage date 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 unsupercharged.
Official beginnings (post war–1953)
In 1946, the 3. Veritas was a famous West German post World War II sports and race car company located at Hausen am Andelsbach, near Sigmaringen, Baden-Württemberg 0 L supercharged rules were abandoned and Formulae A and B (later 1 and 2) introduced. Formula A permitted the old 4. 5 L unsupercharged cars, but as the 3. 0 L supercharged cars were more than a match for these (and the pre-War German and Italian cars were no longer available), the old 1. 5 L voiturette formula replaced 3. 0 L supercharged cars in an attempt to equalise performance. This left no category below Formula A/Formula 1, so Formula Two (originally known as Formula B) was first formally codified in 1948 by FIA as a smaller and cheaper complement to the Grand Prix cars of the era.
The engines were smaller and less powerful than those used in Formula One, and the cars were also smaller, lighter and cheaper than their big brothers, having two litre unsupercharged or 500 cc supercharged engines (an option that was very rarely used). This encouraged new marques such as Cooper to move up to Formula Two, rather than to compete against the big manufacturers of Alfa Romeo and Maserati. The Cooper Car Company was founded in 1946 by Charles Cooper and his son John Cooper. Alfa Romeo participated in Formula One, as both a constructor and engine supplier from to. Maserati is an Italian manufacturer of racing cars and Sports cars established on December 1, 1914, in Bologna. In fact, Formula One in its early years was so expensive and entrants were so few that in 1952 and 1953 all World Championship Grand Prix races were run in Formula Two (although non-championship F1 events continued to be held - the Indianapolis 500 was part of the World Championship between 1950 and 1960 but ran to its own regulations and was never formally a Formula One race). Grand Prix motor racing has its roots in organised automobile racing that began in France as far back as 1894 The Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, often shortened to Indianapolis 500 or Indy 500, and historically known simply as "The 500" is an American
The 1. 5 litre era (1957–1960)
F2 went into decline with the arrival of the 2. 5 L F1 in 1954 (with small-capacity sports car racing becoming particularly popular), but a new Formula Two was introduced for 1957, for 1. 5 L cars. This became dominated by rear-engined Coopers drawing on their Formula 3 and 'Bobtail' sports car, with Porsches based on their RSK sports cars enjoying some success. Formula Three, also called Formula 3 or F3, is a class of open-wheel formula racing. Porsche SE or Porsche ( German, ˈpɔɹʃə is a German manufacturer of automobiles which is majority-owned by the Porsche and Piëch Ferrari originally developed their 'Sharknose' Dino 156 as an F2, while still racing front-engined Grand Prix cars. Ferrari SpA is an Italian Sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy The dominant engine of this formula was the Coventry-Climax FPF four cylinder, with the rare Borgward sixteen-valve unit enjoying some success. Coventry Climax was a British forklift truck, fire pump and speciality Engine manufacturer Borgward was a German Automobile manufacturer founded by Carl F
A slightly-enlarged version of the F2 Cooper won the first two F1 Grands Prix in 1958, marking the beginning of the rear-engined era in F1. The Cooper Car Company was founded in 1946 by Charles Cooper and his son John Cooper. The 1. 5 L formula was short-lived, with Formula Junior effectively replacing first F3 and then F2 until 1963—but the 1961 1. Formula Junior is a Formula racing class first adopted in October 1958 by the CSI ( International Sporting Commission, the part of the FIA 5 L Formula One was effectively a continuation of this Formula Two.
The Formula Junior interregnum (1961–1963) and the one-litre Formula Two (1964–1966)
Formula Junior was introduced in 1959, an attempt to be all things to all people (both a 'training formula' replacing F3 and a high-level international category below F1 replacing F2), and it was soon realised that there was a need to split it into two new formulae; F2 and F3 were reintroduced for the 1964 season, with F3 requiring one-litre production-based engines (very similar to FJ in fact) with very restricted tuning, and F2 also having a 1. 0l engine size, but permitting pure-bred racing engines. The one litre F2 was largely the domain of F1 stars on their 'off-days'. Engines were mostly by Cosworth (based on Ford blocks) and Honda, though some other units appeared, including various FIAT based units and dedicated racing engines from BMC and BRM. Cosworth is an Automotive engineering company founded in London in 1958 specialising in engines for automobile racing (motorsport () is a Multinational corporation, engine Manufacturer and engineering corporation headquartered in Japan. Fiat SpA (an Acronym for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino (Italian Automobile Factory of Turin) is an Italian automobile manufacturer "BRM" redirects here For other uses please see BRM (disambiguation.
The 1. 6 litre era, and driver grading (1967–1971)
By the late 1960s, with the "Return to Power" of Formula One the gap between F1 and F2 was felt to be too wide, and the introduction of a new 1600 cc production-based engine formula for F2 restored the junior series to its intended role as a feeder series for F1. The most popular 1600 cc engine was the Cosworth FVA, the sixteen-valve head on a four cylinder Cortina block that was effectively the "proof of concept" for the legendary DFV. Cosworth is an Automotive engineering company founded in London in 1958 specialising in engines for automobile racing (motorsport The Ford Cortina is a mid sized family car built by Ford of Britain in various guises from 1962 to 1982 The 1967 FVA (3. 373 x 2. 72 in) gave 220 bhp @ 9,000 rpm. Other units also appeared, including a four-cylinder BMW and a V6 Dino Ferrari. ( BMW) (Bavarian Motor Works is an independent German automobile manufacturer founded in 1916 The Ferrari Dino engine is a line of mechanically similar V6, V8, and V12 engines produced by Ferrari for the past 40 years Alfredo Ferrari SpA is an Italian Sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy
Nevertheless, many Formula One pilots continued to drive the smaller and lighter cars on non-championship weekends, and some Grand Prix grids (notably in Germany, where the long circuit at the Nürburgring could cope with large entries) would be a mix of Formula One and Formula Two cars. The Nürburgring, known as simply " The Ring " by enthusiasts is a Motorsport Race track in Nürburg, Germany. Jacky Ickx made his Grand Prix debut there in a Formula Two car, qualifying with the fifth fastest time overall. Racing career Jacky Ickx was introduced to the sport when he was taken by his father motoring journalist Jacques Ickx, to races which he covered Forced to start behind even the slower Formula One cars, Ickx quickly forced his way back into a points position, only to be forced to retire with broken suspension. Less happily, Jim Clark, regarded as one of the greatest race drivers of all time, was killed in a Formula Two race early in 1968, at the Hockenheimring. Jim (or Jimmy) Clark OBE ( 4 March, 1936 &ndash 7 April, 1968) was a Scottish Formula One The Hockenheimring Baden-Württemberg is an Automobile racing track situated near the town of Hockenheim in Baden-Württemberg, Germany.
In 1967, the FIA introduced the European Formula Two Championship. Ickx, driving a Matra MS5, won the inaugural championship by 11 points from the Australian, Frank Gardner. Mécanique Avion TRAction or Matra was a French company covering a wide range of activities mainly related to automobile Bicycles Aeronautics Frank Gardner (born October 1 1930) is a former Racing driver from Australia.
The "invasion" of Formula One drivers in Formula Two ranks (a situation similar to that of Buschwhacking in modern-day NASCAR) was permitted because of the unique grading system used. A Buschwhacker is a term for NASCAR drivers who are regulars in the Sprint Cup Series but who also compete in races in the Nationwide Series. The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing ( NASCAR) is the largest sanctioning body of Stock cars in the United States. Any driver with an "A" grading was not permitted to score championship points. A driver gained an "A" rating via various means (that changed somewhat over the years), such as finishing in the points in two Grand Prix events or the top three in two World Sports Car events. A Le Mans Prototype (commonly abbreviated as LMP) is a type of custom-built Race car intended for Sports car racing and Endurance racing, most The annual Formula Two champion was also granted an A rating for one year, and a Formula One World Champion was A graded for five. This system permitted less experienced drivers to work towards the championship and forward their careers, while allowing senior drivers to keep their hand in during the long breaks between Grands Prix of the time.
In the early years of this formula, Brabham and Lotus were the most numerous constructors, although Ferrari intermittently entered a works team, as did BMW (with Lola and Dornier-built chassis). Lola Racing Cars (also Lola Cars International) is a Racing car Engineering company founded in 1961 by Eric Broadley and based in Huntingdon A number of smaller construtors such as Chevron and GRD also provided cars. This article is about the manufacturer of racing cars for the Chevron promotional cartoon see Chevron Cars.
The 2. March Engineering was a Formula One constructor and manufacturer of customer racing cars from Britain. ( BMW) (Bavarian Motor Works is an independent German automobile manufacturer founded in 1916 0 litre era (1972–1984)
In 1972, the formula was changed to increase power by permitting 2. 0 L production-based engines—Cosworth BDs and BMW four-cylinder engines dominated the early years, with BMW-powered Marches gradually establishing dominance. For 1976, engines developed purely for racing were permitted to compete, with Renault developing a particularly potent V6; allied to a sponsorship scheme from oil company Elf the formula was briefly dominated by French teams and drivers; BMW started to back a works March team and raised the stakes in the late seventies. This is about the company for other uses see Renault (disambiguation. Even the Ferrari engine returned briefly with minimal success. Ferrari SpA is an Italian Sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy The Hart 420R (ultimately derived from the Cosworth BDA) was briefly successful in Marches but most notably in the works Toleman team's cars. Brian Hart Ltd, also known as Hart and Hart Racing Engines was a motor racing Engine manufacturer that participated in 157 Formula One Toleman Motosport was a Formula One constructor based in the U Dominant chassis of this era were generally from March and Ralt, with Chevron, the French Elf and Martinis and German Maurers being briefly successful. March Engineering was a Formula One constructor and manufacturer of customer racing cars from Britain. RALT was a manufacturer of single-seater Racing cars founded by ex- Jack Brabham associate Ron Tauranac after he sold out his interest in Brabham Martini Cars is a constructor of Formula racing cars from France, founded by Tico Martini in 1965 when Martini and partner Bill Knight founded the Winfield Racing Maurer is the surname of Alfred Henry Maurer (1868&ndash1932 an American artist Angela Maurer (born 1975 German long-distance swimmer
Honda returned to F2 in the early 1980s with a powerful V6, but this was very much a works engine and the cost of competing with the works Ralt-Honda team became prohibitive. () is a Multinational corporation, engine Manufacturer and engineering corporation headquartered in Japan. As a result, grids diminished in size and declining interest in the series threatened it with extinction.
Formula 3000
After the 1984 season, Formula Two was upgraded to Formula 3000 in an attempt to merge F2-style chassis with the normally-aspirated 3000cc Cosworth DFV V8 engines that were by now obsolete in the all-turbocharged Formula One. A turbocharger, or turbo, is an air Compressor used for forced-induction of an Internal combustion engine.
Formula GP2
When F3000 was replaced by GP2 Series in 2005, the Formula 2 designation was partly revived. For the article about the Asian version of the GP2 series see GP2 Asia Series. To save money, standard 4000cc V8 engines are used in order to provide 580 hp at low cost. They are larger but in a much lower state of tune than the F1 engines that were reduced from 3000 to 2400cc.
Other Formula Two series
Japanese Formula Two
Japan ran a series known as "Formula 2000" to similar rules to two-litre F2 for several years. Formula Nippon is a type of Formula racing and the top level of single-seater racing in Japan. Production-based single-cam engines were permitted to run at 2. 4 L, but they soon came into line with FIA rules in the mid 1970s. The Japanese F2 series ran for two years after the end of European F2, before Japan too adopted a set of regulations very similar to F3000 rules. The series is now known as Formula Nippon. Formula Nippon is a type of Formula racing and the top level of single-seater racing in Japan. Japan also ran a series for full-bodied versions of F2 cars called Grand Champion - somewhat akin to the F5000-based revival of Can-Am. The Canadian-American Challenge Cup or Can-Am, was an SCCA / CASC Sports car racing series from 1966 to 1974
Australian Formula 2
Australia still has a local Formula 2 category. Australian Formula 2, sometimes abbreviated to AF2 or ANF2, is a wings and slicks Formula racing category in Australia. The cars are powered by production-based single-cam engines, with an engine capacity between 1100 cc and 1600 cc. The engines are carburetored and have an 8500 rpm rev limit.
Mexican Formula Two
Mexico ran its own Formula Two series (previously known as Formula K) for many years in the 1980s and early 1990s. The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. The cars were similar to Formula Atlantic vehicles, fitted with 2. The Cooper Tires presents the Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda is a Formula racing series with races throughout North America 2 L Chrysler engines. Chrysler LLC is an American Automobile manufacturer that has been producing Automobiles since 1925
British Formula Two
The British Formula 3000 series was briefly known as "Formula Two" in an attempt to make its status more apparent to casual spectators. Sadly the series was in terminal decline and the change of name did not help. At one point the use of 4. 2 L TVR engines cars in F3000 chassis was discussed as a possible British F2, but this did not materialise.
European Formula Two champions
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Links
The term " pole position " comes from the Horse racing term where the number one starter starts on the inside next to the inside pole The 1967 European Formula Two season was the 1st FIA Formula Two European Championship season Racing career Jacky Ickx was introduced to the sport when he was taken by his father motoring journalist Jacques Ickx, to races which he covered Lower Formulae (1958 - 1967 Tyrrell Racing first came into being in 1958 running Formula Three cars for Ken Tyrrell and local stars Mécanique Avion TRAction or Matra was a French company covering a wide range of activities mainly related to automobile Bicycles Aeronautics Cosworth is an Automotive engineering company founded in London in 1958 specialising in engines for automobile racing (motorsport Calendar Final point standings Driver For every race points were awarded 9 points to the winner 6 for runner up 4 for third place 3 for Jean-Pierre Maurice Georges Beltoise (born April 26 1937 in Paris, France) is a former Grand Prix Motorcycle road Mécanique Avion TRAction or Matra was a French company covering a wide range of activities mainly related to automobile Bicycles Aeronautics Mécanique Avion TRAction or Matra was a French company covering a wide range of activities mainly related to automobile Bicycles Aeronautics Cosworth is an Automotive engineering company founded in London in 1958 specialising in engines for automobile racing (motorsport Calendar Final point standings Driver For every race points were awarded 9 points to the winner 6 for runner up 4 for third place 3 for Georges-Francis "Johnny" Servoz-Gavin (born 18 January 1942 in Grenoble France - died on 29 May 2006 at the same place Mécanique Avion TRAction or Matra was a French company covering a wide range of activities mainly related to automobile Bicycles Aeronautics Mécanique Avion TRAction or Matra was a French company covering a wide range of activities mainly related to automobile Bicycles Aeronautics Cosworth is an Automotive engineering company founded in London in 1958 specialising in engines for automobile racing (motorsport The 1970 European Formula Two season was contested over 8 rounds Personal and early life Gianclaudio Regazzoni was born in Mendrisio, Switzerland on September 5 1939 a few days after the start of the Second World War Tecno was a Formula One constructor from Italy. It participated in 10 grands prix entering a total of 11 cars and scored one championship point Tecno was a Formula One constructor from Italy. It participated in 10 grands prix entering a total of 11 cars and scored one championship point Cosworth is an Automotive engineering company founded in London in 1958 specialising in engines for automobile racing (motorsport The 1971 European Formula Two season was contested over 11 rounds This is about the racing driver For the ice hockey player see Ronnie Pettersson. March Engineering was a Formula One constructor and manufacturer of customer racing cars from Britain. March Engineering was a Formula One constructor and manufacturer of customer racing cars from Britain. Cosworth is an Automotive engineering company founded in London in 1958 specialising in engines for automobile racing (motorsport The 1972 European Formula Two season was contested over 14 rounds Stanley Michael Bailey Hailwood MBE, GM ( April 2 1940 &ndash March 23 1981) was a British Grand The Surtees Racing Organisation was a race team that spent nine seasons (1970 to 1978 as a constructor in Formula One, Formula 2, and Formula 5000. The Surtees Racing Organisation was a race team that spent nine seasons (1970 to 1978 as a constructor in Formula One, Formula 2, and Formula 5000. Cosworth is an Automotive engineering company founded in London in 1958 specialising in engines for automobile racing (motorsport Calendar Final point standings Driver For every race points were awarded 9 points to the winner 6 for runner up 4 for third place 3 for Jean-Pierre Jarier (born July 10, 1946) is a French Grand Prix racing driver now retired March Engineering was a Formula One constructor and manufacturer of customer racing cars from Britain. March Engineering was a Formula One constructor and manufacturer of customer racing cars from Britain. ( BMW) (Bavarian Motor Works is an independent German automobile manufacturer founded in 1916 The 1974 European Formula Two season was contested over 10 rounds Patrick André Eugène Joseph Depailler ( 9 August 1944 - 1 August 1980) was a Racing driver from France. March Engineering was a Formula One constructor and manufacturer of customer racing cars from Britain. March Engineering was a Formula One constructor and manufacturer of customer racing cars from Britain. ( BMW) (Bavarian Motor Works is an independent German automobile manufacturer founded in 1916 Calendar Final point standings Driver For every race points were awarded 9 points to the winner 6 for runner up 4 for third place 3 for Jacques-Henri Laffite (born 21 November 1943) is a French former racing driver who competed in Formula One from to. Elf Aquitaine was a French Oil company which merged with TotalFina to form TotalFinaElf. Martini Cars is a constructor of Formula racing cars from France, founded by Tico Martini in 1965 when Martini and partner Bill Knight founded the Winfield Racing ( BMW) (Bavarian Motor Works is an independent German automobile manufacturer founded in 1916 Calendar Final point standings Driver For every race points were awarded 9 points to the winner 6 for runner up 4 for third place 3 for Jean-Pierre Jabouille (born October 1, 1942) is a former Racing driver from France. Elf Aquitaine was a French Oil company which merged with TotalFina to form TotalFinaElf. Elf Aquitaine was a French Oil company which merged with TotalFina to form TotalFinaElf. This is about the company for other uses see Renault (disambiguation. Calendar Final point standings Driver For every race points were awarded 9 points to the winner 6 for runner up 4 for third place 3 for René Alexandre Arnoux (born July 4, 1948, in Grenoble) is a retired French Racing driver who is a veteran of 12 Formula One Elf Aquitaine was a French Oil company which merged with TotalFina to form TotalFinaElf. Martini Cars is a constructor of Formula racing cars from France, founded by Tico Martini in 1965 when Martini and partner Bill Knight founded the Winfield Racing This is about the company for other uses see Renault (disambiguation. Calendar Final point standings Driver For every race points were awarded 9 points to the winner 6 for runner up 4 for third place 3 for Bruno Giacomelli (born September 10 1952) is a former Racing driver from Italy. ( BMW) (Bavarian Motor Works is an independent German automobile manufacturer founded in 1916 March Engineering was a Formula One constructor and manufacturer of customer racing cars from Britain. ( BMW) (Bavarian Motor Works is an independent German automobile manufacturer founded in 1916 Calendar Final point standings Driver For every race points were awarded 9 points to the winner 6 for runner up 4 for third place 3 for Marc Surer (born 18 September 1951) is a former Racing driver from Switzerland. ( BMW) (Bavarian Motor Works is an independent German automobile manufacturer founded in 1916 March Engineering was a Formula One constructor and manufacturer of customer racing cars from Britain. ( BMW) (Bavarian Motor Works is an independent German automobile manufacturer founded in 1916 Calendar Final point standings Driver For every race points were awarded 9 points to the winner 6 for runner up 4 for third place 3 for Brian Henton (born September 19 1946 in Castle Donington, Leicestershire) is a former Racing driver from England. Toleman Motosport was a Formula One constructor based in the U Toleman Motosport was a Formula One constructor based in the U Brian Hart Ltd, also known as Hart and Hart Racing Engines was a motor racing Engine manufacturer that participated in 157 Formula One Calendar Final point standings Driver For every race points were awarded 9 points to the winner 6 for runner up 4 for third place 3 for Geoffrey Lees (born May 1, 1951 near Kingsbury, Warwickshire) is a former Racing driver from England. RALT was a manufacturer of single-seater Racing cars founded by ex- Jack Brabham associate Ron Tauranac after he sold out his interest in Brabham RALT was a manufacturer of single-seater Racing cars founded by ex- Jack Brabham associate Ron Tauranac after he sold out his interest in Brabham () is a Multinational corporation, engine Manufacturer and engineering corporation headquartered in Japan. Calendar Final point standings Driver For every race points were awarded 9 points to the winner 6 for runner up 4 for third place 3 for Corrado Fabi (born April 12, 1961 in Milan) is a former Racing driver from Italy. March Engineering was a Formula One constructor and manufacturer of customer racing cars from Britain. March Engineering was a Formula One constructor and manufacturer of customer racing cars from Britain. ( BMW) (Bavarian Motor Works is an independent German automobile manufacturer founded in 1916 Calendar Final point standings Driver For every race points were awarded 9 points to the winner 6 for runner up 4 for third place 3 for Dr Jonathan Charles Palmer (born 7 November 1956 in London) is an Entrepreneur and former Racing driver from England RALT was a manufacturer of single-seater Racing cars founded by ex- Jack Brabham associate Ron Tauranac after he sold out his interest in Brabham RALT was a manufacturer of single-seater Racing cars founded by ex- Jack Brabham associate Ron Tauranac after he sold out his interest in Brabham () is a Multinational corporation, engine Manufacturer and engineering corporation headquartered in Japan. Calendar Final point standings Driver For every race points were awarded 9 points to the winner 6 for runner up 4 for third place 3 for Michael Thackwell (born March 30, 1961) is a former Formula One driver from Auckland, New Zealand. RALT was a manufacturer of single-seater Racing cars founded by ex- Jack Brabham associate Ron Tauranac after he sold out his interest in Brabham RALT was a manufacturer of single-seater Racing cars founded by ex- Jack Brabham associate Ron Tauranac after he sold out his interest in Brabham () is a Multinational corporation, engine Manufacturer and engineering corporation headquartered in Japan.Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic