XXL casting but mechanics in question: the great paradox of Formula 2

Gabriel Bortoleto versus Isack Hadjar. Today, it could look like a duel for Q3 or for points in Formula 1. But a few months ago, it was a clash for a championship title of Formula 2, antechamber of the queen category and privileged path to access the Grail.

But in Abu Dhabi last December, the expected battle was cut short... even before the first corner. Second overall at the start, Isack Hadjar couldn't defend his chances: he remained stuck on the grid, the victim of a stall at the worst possible moment. F2's Mechachrome engines suffer from recurring stalls, which distort the championship, ruining chances of victory, or even the title in Hadjar's case. He suffered the wrath of the mechanics at the worst possible moment, a perfect illustration of the paradox of Formula 2: a category where talent is legion, but where the mechanical resources are not always up to the challenge.

Uneven engines?

Since the arrival of the new single-seaters at the start of 2024, the gaps between teams have widened: the giants Prema and ART GP have fallen down the hierarchy, despite—in theory—having the same machines as the others. Today, the teams themselves are struggling to understand what separates them. “The disparity between cars and engines in F2 affects performance far more than most people realize (which is why I didn't want to compete anymore),” tweeted Max Esterson, without any points for Trident this year, before his debut in IMSA to Small Le Mans.

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In this new established order, the role of the driver is reduced: he no longer makes as much of a difference as before, and some are inevitably upset by this. Victor Martins and Oliver Bearman, first and second in the rookie standings in 2023, were the big favorites for the title in 2024. But the Frenchman finished 7th, while the Briton had to settle for 12th place. Without his stint at Ferrari in Saudi Arabia (brilliant 7th), Bearman could have missed his chance to go to Formula 1, despite his certain talent. Victor Martins, for his part, will probably never be called up to the next level, because his team, ART GP, missed the transition to the new car, who struggles to keep up with the racing pace of the best.

Thus, Formula 2 has sometimes veered into parody in recent months. Some drivers, even less well-known ones, like Josh Dürksen, are winning races and securing podium finishes, while the heralded "stars" are struggling. A feeling of legitimate injustice is emerging among some drivers like Max Esterson, who prefer to look elsewhere.

Talents galore

But Formula 2 remains a huge paradox. When sporting fairness is disrupted, more and more renowned drivers arrive to drastically raise the level of the grid. By attracting Ritomo Miyata, champion of Super Formula and Super GT, ART GP has launched Japan's greatest talent to the eyes of Europe - so far without success. While the Japanese driver is expected to join Hitech TGR, he could find another big attraction on the grid there: the American Colton Herta, hope of theIndyCar, who comes to rub shoulders with the most promising youngsters in Europe, hoping to show that he deserves his chance at Cadillac in 2026.

The Californian, second in IndyCar in 2024, will have to discover a new way of driving in very different cars, whose level remains a big unknown. While Hitech shone in 2024 thanks to Paul Aron, who ultimately finished 3rd in the championship, it's more complicated this season for Dino Beganovic (8th) and Amaury Cordeel (18th). Colton Herta has no guarantee of having a competitive single-seater next year.

The American has the courage to try his luck, like the double class winner at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Nicolas Varrone, who leaves the WEC to come and test himself in single-seater racing. The Argentinian's choice reflects the renewed appeal of the championship, which should also see the arrival of Kalle Rovanperä in 2027.

The two-time world rally champion has also taken to the Formula 1 highway and chosen Formula 2 as his second step, after a planned debut in Super Formula in 2026. With Colton Herta, IndyCar runner-up and youngest winner in the category, Kalle Rovanperä, crowned with two - or even three, by then - titles in WRC, Ritomo Miyata, star of the Japanese categories, and Nicolas Varrone, double winner of Le Mans in LMGTE-AM and LMP2 Pro-Am, Formula 2 will have a five-star field for the next two seasons. If we add to this the young talents coming from the promotional formulas like Rafael Câmara, the level displayed promises to be sparks - provided that the mechanics do not seek to play the leading roles and are content to occupy the role of extra.

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