Let the Formula 2 champion return to the category? Drugovich is for it!

This is a debate that has been going on for years and which resurfaced a few weeks ago. According to the regulations dictated by the FIA, the driver titled in Formula 2 cannot compete in the championship for the following two seasons. A rule introduced to facilitate the renewal of the grille in the anteroom of the Formula 1 and to encourage the premier category teams to take an interest in the stars of tomorrow. Felipe Drugovich, just crowned with the Formula 2 title, will therefore not be able to participate in the F2 championship in 2023. 

A ban which upsets the Brazilian champion. At the end of the Italian Grand Prix and the formalization of his coronation, the MP Motorsport driver explained that he would like a change in the regulations and the removal of this rule. “ In my opinion, when you are champion, you either cannot stay and you have to be promoted to F1, or you choose to stay, said Felipe Drugovich, a few days before that he joins Aston Martin's new young driver program.

The 22-year-old driver would like the FIA ​​to take inspiration from the system used by the MotoGP notably. “ That's a bit like how it works in Moto2 and Moto3. Above all, what needs to change is that whoever wins the championship needs to get a chance in F1. We had some contacts in IndyCar, but as I've said many times, that's not the main goal right now, we're just trying to get to F1. If I have to race somewhere other than F1 next year, it's definitely a category to consider. »

"Seither we go up or we leave” : Bruno Michel against Drugovich's request

If a change in the regulations is requested by Felipe Drugovich, the CEO of Formula 2 and the Formula 3, Bruno Michel, is opposed to this idea. “II don't agree. JI think it's a pyramid, and you have to have a system where at one point, you either go up or you leave., estimates the French director. I would not like F2 and F3 to become professional championships. If we do that, that's exactly the problem we're going to have: there are drivers who will stay in the same championship forever with a big advantage because they will have enormous experience compared to the young drivers who will arrive. »

Bruno Michel is not in favor of Drugovich's request to protect newcomers and their chances of success in promotion formulas. According to him, giving the F2 champion the opportunity to stay in the category would also give him the opportunity to drag on and eclipse the performances of less experienced drivers. “ [The young drivers] would be fighting against people who are probably not better than them but have much more experience, know all the circuits, know the car, know the teams, know this and that. So for me, there is absolutely no question of it, and I have always insisted on this a lot (…). The winner cannot stay, and I think that is a very important point to maintain. »

Currently, except for the F2 champion, there are no restrictions on the participation of drivers in Formula 2, who can even stay in the championship for several seasons. What if the best solution was ultimately not to win? 

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