FIA Formula 2 Championship
The FIA Formula 2 Championship is a second-tier single-seater championship organized by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). Held on racing circuits, the championship was introduced in 2017, following the rebranding of the long-term Formula One feeder series GP2. The series' original founders were Flavio Briatore and current managing director Bruno Michel. It is the last step on the FIA Global Pathway from Karting to Formula One. While it is not absolutely necessary to do so, most current F1 drivers have participated in either Formula 2 or GP2 before graduating to Formula One.
Drivers who graduated to Formula One
change2017 Formula 2 Championship champion Charles Leclerc was the only full-time driver of the season to graduate to Formula One, joining Sauber for 2018. Sergey Sirotkin also made his Formula One debut in 2018 with Williams; he had raced in the GP2 Series in 2015 and 2016, placing third in both championships, and made a one-round appearance in Formula 2 in 2017 as a replacement for an injured driver. The top three in the 2018 Drivers' Championship all graduated to Formula One for 2019, with George Russell, Lando Norris and Alex Albon joining Williams, McLaren and Toro Rosso respectively.
2019 runner-up Nicholas Latifi, who had raced in Formula 2 since 2017 and previously raced in the GP2 Series in 2014, 2015 and 2016, graduated to Formula One with Williams in 2020. 2019 fifth-placed finisher Jack Aitken also made his Formula One debut in 2020 with a single appearance at the Sakhir Grand Prix in his capacity as Williams' reserve driver. Three graduates of the 2020 season achieved promotions to Formula One in 2021. Champion Mick Schumacher and fifth-placed Nikita Mazepin joined Haas, and third-placed Yuki Tsunoda debuted with AlphaTauri.
2021 third-placed finisher Zhou Guanyu was the only Formula 2 driver to graduate to a full-time Formula One seat in 2022, joining Alfa Romeo. 2019 Formula 2 champion Nyck de Vries also made his Formula One debut in 2022. He had raced in the FIA World Endurance Championship and in Formula E (of which he was champion in 2021) since his Formula 2 win, and had also served as a Formula One reserve driver for Mercedes; it was through this role that he raced at the 2022 Italian Grand Prix for Williams as a replacement driver. De Vries would later gain a full-time seat with AlphaTauri in 2023. Two Formula 2 graduates debuted in Formula One at the start of 2023; Oscar Piastri, who was Formula 2 champion in 2021 and served as Alpine's reserve driver in 2022, signed with McLaren, and 2022 fourth-placed finisher Logan Sargeant signed with Williams. The 2023 season also saw the debut of Liam Lawson, who finished third in Formula 2 in 2022 and made reserve driver appearances for AlphaTauri whilst also competing in Super Formula.
No Formula 2 graduates joined the Formula One grid at the start of 2024, however two drivers made in-season debuts. Oliver Bearman, who finished sixth in the 2023 Formula 2 Championship, competed in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and Azerbaijan Grand Prix for Ferrari and Haas, respectively, in his capacity as reserve driver for both teams. He is set to drive for Haas full-time in 2025. Franco Colapinto is the most recent Formula 2 graduate; he left the 2024 Formula 2 Championship mid-season to replace Logan Sargeant at Williams for the remainder of the year. The 2025 Formula One World Championship is due to feature two further debutants as 2023 third-place finisher Jack Doohan joins Alpine and 2024 race-winner Andrea Kimi Antonelli debuts with Mercedes.
- Bold denotes an active Formula One driver.
