in his
2010 Formula Two car driving a 1998
International Formula 3000 car during a 2008
International Formula Master race at
Kyalami during the 2008
Superleague Formula race at
Donington Park launch event in
Hong Kong in 2006 Formula series from the 21st century that could be categorised between Tier 1 and Tier 5 (see top of page), but are now defunct, are described below.
Formula Two (1947–1985; 2009–2012) The
Formula Two regulations were first defined in 1947 as a form of B-class below Formula One. It was not unusual for some Formula One events to include a number of F2 entries in the same field and the entries in the World Championship seasons of 1952–53 comprised exclusively F2 cars for reasons of cost. F2 had a patchy history until the inauguration of the European Formula Two Championship in 1967. F2 was an open formula that allowed the use of any chassis that met the prescribed regulations; it was well supported during the 1970s, with chassis from
Tecno,
March Engineering,
Toleman,
Ralt,
Matra and others. The European championship ran continually until the creation of its successor,
Formula 3000, in 1985. In 2008 it was announced by the FIA that Formula Two would return in 2009 in the form of the
FIA Formula Two Championship. This series was discontinued after the 2012 season.
Formula 3000 (1985–2004) The
Formula 3000 was created by the
Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile in
1985 to become the final step for drivers before entering
Formula One.
Formula Two had become too expensive and was dominated by works-run cars with factory engines. Formula 3000 offered quicker, cheaper, more open racing. The series began as an open formula, but in
1986 tyres were standardized, followed by engines and chassis in
1996. The series ran until
2004 and was replaced in 2005 by the
GP2 Series.
Formula 5000 (1968-1982) Formula 5000 (or
F5000) was an
open wheel, single seater auto-racing formula that ran in different series in various regions around the world from 1968 to 1982. It was originally intended as a low-cost series aimed at open-wheel racing cars that no longer fit into any particular formula. The '5000' denomination comes from the maximum 5.0 litre engine capacity allowed in the cars, although many cars ran with smaller engines.
International Formula Master (2005–2009) International Formula Master, a.k.a.
Formula Super 2000, was conceived as a competitor for
Formula Three. It started in 2005 as the
3000 Pro Series, organised by Peroni Promotion. MTC Organisation took over in 2006 and turned it into a support series for the
WTCC. Drivers used second-hand Formula 2000 cars made by
Tatuus that were powered by a 250
hp Honda K20A engine.
A1 Grand Prix (2005–2009) A1 Grand Prix (
A1GP) was unique in its field in that competitors solely represented their nation as opposed to themselves or a team, the usual format in most formula racing series. As such, it was often promoted as the "World Cup of Motorsport". Also, the series attracted equal numbers of (former or future)
Formula One drivers and
IndyCar Series drivers. The concept was founded by
Sheikh Al Maktoum of Dubai in 2004, but sold to the
FIA in 2005. The races were held in the traditional
Formula One off-season, the northern hemisphere winter. Between
2005 and
2009 29 countries from five continents participated.
Superleague Formula (2008–2011) Using 750
hp V12 engines,
Superleague Formula introduced team sponsorship by association football clubs. In qualifying, the link with football was also present as the series employed a system based on a group stage to knock-out format used in some football tournaments. Another unique feature of Superleague Formula was the Super Final, a five-lap shootout between the six best drivers of a weekend. In 2010, the series offered the biggest prize fund in European motorsport with the champion set to earn €1 million. In theory, it would be possible for a driver to earn up to €2.2 million over the course of the season. This was all done to give drivers a chance to earn a living from motorsport. By 2011, the link with football was fading with more than half the teams no longer associated with football teams, The later races of the season did not take place, and no further seasons were organised.
Formula Dream (1999–2005) See: Formula Challenge Japan Formula V6 Asia (2006–2009) Formula Asia V6 (Renault) was launched in 2006 to give
Southeast Asian-based drivers a chance to progress from karting through junior single-seaters to international motorsport.
Karun Chandhok, for example, won the
2006 championship and was rewarded with a test in a
World Series by Renault car at
Paul Ricard. Drivers ran with
Tatuus chassis, a
Renault 3.5L
V6 engine and
Michelin tyres.
Auto GP (1999) The
Auto GP World Series' roots can be traced back to 1999 and the Italian Formula 3000 series. At first, nearly all races were held in Italy, but the series expanded throughout Europe quickly. In 2001 the series became European Formula 3000 and in 2004 Superfund became the title sponsor, planning to set up the Formula Superfund series. However, the funding was pulled and the series was cancelled. Therefore, Coloni Motorsport re-established the Italian Formula 3000 and expanded this in 2006 to the Euroseries 3000. In 2010, the first-generation A1 Grand Prix cars replaced the Lola F3000 chassis and the Auto GP name was adopted.
Others •
Atlantic Championship •
ADAC Formel Masters •
China Formula Grand Prix •
EuroBOSS Series •
Florida Winter Series •
ADAC Formula 4 •
Formula Atlantic •
Formula Acceleration 1 •
Formula BMW •
Formula Holden •
Formula Masters China •
Formula Renault •
Formula Volkswagen South Africa Championship •
W Series ==See also==