Improving the ladder to F1? GP2 series set to be rebranded as Formula 2 in 2017

An exciting new prospect for young drivers seems to be opening up as Liberty Media and the FIA begin their working relationship.

Reports are emerging that the GP2 series is set to be rebranded as the FIA’s new Formula 2 championship and complete the governing body’s desired pyramid of progression for young drivers hoping to make it to Formula 1.

According to a report on Autosport.com, GP2 is on course to be renamed as FIA F2 in time for the start of the championship’s 2017 season, which begins with two support races at the Bahrain Grand Prix on 15-16 April.

The FIA has been trying to bring GP2 under its remit for some time – Formula One Management currently controls the series – but Bernie Ecclestone reportedly blocked negotiations last year.

Pierre Gasly (right) won the 2016 GP2 series

After Ecclestone was removed from his position as FOM’s CEO and replaced by Liberty Media’s Chase Carey, the report suggests that there as been significant progress to move GP2 across to the FIA’s ladder of single seater racing.

If the rebranding of GP2 does take place, it will complete the FIA’s desired path for young drivers, which, after karting, goes from regional Formula 4, to European Formula 3, F2, and then on to F1.

The FIA’s F4 concept was launched in 2014 with a low-cost mentality designed to aid young drivers stepping up to car racing for the first time. There are now 12 national and regional F4 championships taking place around the world in countries including Australia, Britain, Japan, Germany, Italy, China and the USA.

The next step on the FIA ladder is European F3, which was won last year by Williams’ new F1 recruit, Lance Stroll. The governing body recently announced it would move to control costs in the series more tightly from 2017 with staff numbers at races being reduced, additional aerodynamic parts outlawed and windtunnel testing banned.

The FIA has also reduced the entry fee for teams to a maximum of €18,000, stopped drivers testing in any car on a track that is on the F3 calendar, and capped engine running costs at €65,000.

Moves to control costs in F3 are in response to the dominance of well-funded teams that have enjoyed considerable success in the category in recent seasons.

“The playing field is not quite as level as it used to be because people are spending disproportionate amounts of money to do the job, and that’s their privilege,” Trevor Carlin, whose eponymous single seater squad competes in European F3, told JA on F1 last year.

While the rebranding of GP2 to F2 would complete the FIA’s path for junior single seater racing, it remains to be seen what would become of the GP3 championship.

The series, which also runs on the F1 support bill and has been won by the likes of Esteban Gutiérrez, Valtteri Bottas, Daniil Kvyat and Esteban Ocon, is on a similar level to F3, but provides much less track time for drivers.

GP2 was established in 2005 as a replacement for the Formula 3000 championship that had previously been F1’s long-term feeder series. So far in the series’ history, 30 of its drivers have graduated to F1 and it has been won by world champions Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton, as well as Timo Glock, Nico Hülkenberg, Pastor Maldonado, Romain Grosjean, Jolyon Palmer and Stoffel Vandoorne.

F2 has a long history in motorsport and even replaced F1 as the world championship for grand prix racing in 1952 and 1953. It was superseded by F3000 in 1985 but was brought back by the FIA between 2009 and 2012 via a new spec series that was run by Jonathan Palmer’s MotorSport Vision organisation, before the governing body announced the latest revival of the F2 moniker in 2015.