Should F2 introduce a maximum stay for drivers?

Formula 2 CEO Bruno Michel recently confirmed that the Formula 1 Championship doesn’t need to impose a limit on the variety of seasons a driver can compete.

In response to an issue raised in the course of the post-season media roundtable – Richard Verschoor's entry for the fifth time as a catalyst – Michel said: “That's a excellent query.

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“We're a part of a pyramid, so that you normally go up at the tip or do something else. On the opposite hand, we’ve got 22 cars and never all drivers will go to Formula 1 – we all know that.

“We're very blissful because quite a couple of drivers can be there this 12 months, but it surely won't be like that each season and I'm quite blissful to see the drivers we've had up to now – some drivers who’ve done as many races as Richard will do next 12 months. 12 months. We had Ralf Boschung who spent 4 or five years in F2 and I don't see an issue with that.

“I would see a problem if these guys were taking the places of really bright talents that needed to emerge.”

While Michel is definitely right, other series comparable to the Euroformula Open and F1 Academy limit the variety of campaigns a driver can participate in, with the previous being three and the latter two.

Explaining why this is significant to F1 Academy, a spokesperson told Autosport: “To encourage development and support emerging talent, the Sporting Regulations specify that drivers can only compete for 2 F1 Academy seasons.

“This rule ensures that each year the most talented young women coming through the karting and single-seater ranks have the opportunity to compete in the series.”

Driver's view

Podium: Race winner Ralph Boschung, Campos Racing

Photo: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

Climbing the ladder, the upper you go, there are fewer and fewer drivers competing for space; it’s a natural technique of separating the wheat from the chaff. This implies that although categories lower down the order may require a limit on the variety of participants, the chance of a driver becoming an obstacle on the road decreases at higher levels. However, if the driving force reaches the ceiling and is unable to climb higher, it should be admitted that this generally is a problem.

While it could be tempting to side-shoot a driver who creates such a blockage, it’s best to all the time have in mind the several situations of those behind the wheel.

Ralph Boschung is one such example. With a record 120 starts within the second division, the Swiss driver featured in F2 between 2017-23, but as a result of financial difficulties he only accomplished two full seasons.

With Verschoor having a high bar to boost this 12 months – and his total variety of starts potentially rising to 130 – Boschung explained to Autosport why he was still struggling against the wave.

“I always had problems with the budget – that was the main reason why I always tried to come back and compete throughout the season with the team I wanted, which was always quite difficult in the beginning,” he said.

“If a driver is having trouble getting sponsors and he actually races in F2 and his dream is to race in F2, I don't think there should really be a restriction. Of course, in some unspecified time in the future as a driver you could have to be realistic and say, “OK, if this doesn't work, I can just try something else.”

“For my part, I used to be all the time very keen to play a full season and show what I can do when the financial situation finally clears up, which it did towards the tip.

“Obviously, if you have drivers who are fully budgeted and they stay there for many years but don't really produce any results, I think that's a sign that maybe they should actually go somewhere else.”

Acknowledging that F1 teams often look less favorably on drivers who stay in F2 for longer than a 12 months or two – prime examples of this are champions Theo Pourchaire and Felipe Drugovich, who won the title for his or her third full years respectively, but remain out of the image for longer periods Seats F1 racing – Boschung believes that constant pressure and the resulting mental strength can attract the eye of other “professional” teams.

Referring again to Verschoor, he added: “His case may be very similar and I actually think he's chasing – to not discount the F1 dream – but still showing lots of podiums and victories in F2 will open up potentially some opportunities in knowledgeable position, whether or not it's in GT, Formula E, Hypercar, IndyCar… so I feel that's what he's attempting to do.

“On the other hand, he has only managed to secure all of his funding in the last two years, not five, so I think he is trying to maximize that with the sponsors he has and also himself, in terms of performance.”

Advantages of a protracted stay in F2

Richard Verschoor, Trident

Photo: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images

While there’s a risk of roadblocks for F1 teams from drivers being left on the network past their sell-by date, that doesn't mean they’re a waste of space.

“Ultimately it's not an issue and I feel it's very necessary for a vivid driver who wants to succeed in Formula 1 that he has to fight against drivers with that type of experience since it gives a vital and precise level of where they’re when racing with a driver like Richard Verschoor,” Michel said.

Adding his thoughts on experienced hands acting as a “barometer” of newcomers' success, Boschung added: “I consider what Bruno says is true, that if you could have one or two very experienced drivers within the series, they will really achieve some as a reference.

“And also potentially for F1 teams or other skilled teams, in the event that they see a certain rookie consistently beating a man who has been there for a couple of years and really wins races or gets on the rostrum lots, that would even be a sign of how briskly that guy may be debutant.

According to Motorsport.com

It is a matter much richer in color than the black and white lens through which it could possibly be easily viewed. Given the large variety of drivers who fall off the ladder after a stint in F3, it's natural to want more of those aspiring talents to have a likelihood at the subsequent level, fairly than seeing a handful of the standard faces return 12 months after 12 months.

However, even in light of the extra context pointing to the advantages for drivers who stay on for an extended period, it’s difficult to see how a three-term maximum stay – barring an end-of-year appearance or two for F3 graduates – would have a net effect.

Novices will still face rivals with around 60 races of experience, and the chance of a roadblock can be eliminated. Yes, it might mean that drivers like Boschung and Verschoor could be forced to go elsewhere, but it surely might be a blessing in disguise in some ways, forcing an uncomfortable belief on them and removing them from an environment by which they might potentially feel comfortable.

Furthermore, as Michel has previously said, F2 exists to make sure drivers are ready for F1 when their time comes. So as admirable because the side-task of giving drivers who fail to qualify for a race a future within the series away from F1 is, if it potentially comes on the expense of bringing in a promising junior driver, it becomes an issue. The predominant thread is to remove this risk before it becomes an issue, not after.

It should be said that drivers agree that there isn't much incorrect with F2 in its current form, but here's an example of an improvement that may benefit the general product.