F2 and F3's Blueprint for Controlling Costs

While the climb to Formula 1 is notoriously expensive, the F2 and F3 championships have a multi-pronged strategy to keep costs manageable for teams and drivers. Series CEO Bruno Michel outlines how measures like covering freight and limiting personnel are crucial to ensuring the feeder series remains a viable path for talent, not just the wealthy.

Why it matters:

The financial barrier to entry is one of the biggest threats to motorsport's talent pool. Without aggressive cost control in the primary feeder series, F1 risks becoming an exclusive club for only the wealthiest drivers, potentially sidelining world-class talent who lack financial backing. F2 and F3's efforts are essential for maintaining the meritocratic ideal that competition should be decided on the track, not in a bank account.

The details:

• Logistics Support: The series covers the significant cost of air and sea freight for teams as they travel globally with F1, which dramatically reduces a team's biggest operational expense.
• Personnel Caps: Teams are restricted to just 12 operational personnel for an F2 entry and 10 for an F3 team, forcing efficiency and limiting salary overhead.
• Tire & Fuel Partnerships: A key deal with Aramco provides all teams with free fuel, while a partnership with Pirelli ensures tires are significantly cheaper than their F1 counterparts. The number of tires available per weekend is also strictly limited.
• Cost-Effective Chassis: The cars themselves are designed to meet the highest safety standards while remaining as affordable as possible, preventing a technological arms race at this level.

The big picture:

Michel's philosophy is clear: F2 and F3 are not trying to be cheap, but rather to be cost-effective. Every financial decision is filtered through the primary mission of being the ultimate training ground for future F1 stars. By controlling the variables they can—like logistics and consumables—the series creates a more level playing field where driver talent can be the ultimate differentiator, preserving the integrity of the motorsport ladder.