Formula 2 Reveal 2024 Car That Has Been Designed With ‘Inclusivity’ In Mind

Posted on August 31, 2023 | by Charley Williams What is better on a Thursday morning than a brand-new car being unveiled? Formula 1’s primary feeder series, FIA Formula 2, revealed its latest car design, which will be raced from the 2024 season. It’s… certainly different! But what’s interesting is how much of the redesign was inspired by the FIA’s desire to get more women involved in the series.  The aim was to make the car as close as possible to F1 cars to give young drivers the best preparation as F2 has previously done for numerous current F1 drivers like Charles Leclerc and George Russell. The rear wing has definitely stolen the show – it’s strikingly different to what we see in F1, F2 or F3 currently, but it does share similarities with a Super Formula car. It, along with the nose, front wing and floor, has been designed to encourage wheel-to-wheel racing. But possibly the best thing about the new car is the drive for inclusivity. It’s been built to accommodate a wide range of drivers and make the championship as accessible as possible. Lighter steering (no, not power steering) that was suitable for everyone and a smaller and thinner steering wheel has been designed, the shape of the cockpit has been modified so that it’s comfortable for any racing driver. After the launch, Bruno Michel, F2 CEO, said: “The first objective was could we find a steering weight that was acceptable for all drivers? One that female drivers would find acceptable, small male drivers would find acceptable, also the top drivers would find acceptable. “So we defined what we thought was an acceptable steering weight. The second part was, can we then achieve that same steering weight throughout the pyramid? The objective is that the steering weight in Formula 4, Formula Regional, Formula 3, Formula 2 is consistent.” He continued: “An extremely key aspect of the development is to make sure that this car and the effort requested by this car, whether it’s the steering or braking effort, are available to any kind of drivers. “It’s something we’ve put a massive emphasis on together [with the FIA]. It’s a very important part of this car.” Since the junior series launched in 2005, the series has seen only one female driver, Tatiana Calderon, who raced in the series in 2019 and in the second half of 2022. She has been assisting F2 with developing the new car, providing the research needed to make this car more accessible for everyone. These changes sound very promising!