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

Since its rebranding in 2017, Formula 2 has established itself as the principal feeder series to Formula One, with many of its drivers progressing directly to the top tier of motorsport. Charles Leclerc and Sergey Sirotkin, were the first graduate from the series to F1 following their debuts with Sauber and Williams in 2018, respectively. Leclerc entered Formula One as the reigning Formula 2 champion, while Sirotkin had made a one-round appearance in the inaugural F2 season as a reserve driver and had previously competed in GP2, finishing third in both the 2015 and 2016 standings. In 2019, the three leading drivers from the 2018 season graduated to Formula One: champion George Russell, runner-up Lando Norris, and third-place finisher Alex Albon, who debuted with Williams, McLaren, and Scuderia Toro Rosso, respectively. The following year, 2019 runner-up Nicholas Latifi joined Williams as the only full-time newcomer from Formula 2, while Jack Aitken, who finished fifth in the 2019 standings, made a single appearance at the Sakhir Grand Prix as Williams' reserve driver.^[source?]

The 2021 Formula One grid featured three graduates from the 2020 FIA Formula 2 Championship: champion Mick Schumacher and fifth-placed Nikita Mazepin joined Haas, while third-placed Yuki Tsunoda debuted with AlphaTauri. Zhou Guanyu, who finished third in the 2021 Formula 2 Championship standings, was the only full-time graduate in 2022, signing with Alfa Romeo. That season also saw the debut of 2019 champion Nyck de Vries, who substituted for Williams at the Italian Grand Prix. De Vries had since raced in the FIA World Endurance Championship and Formula E, where he won the 2021 title, before joining AlphaTauri full-time the next year.

In 2023, two more former F2 drivers made their Formula One debuts: Oscar Piastri, 2021's Formula 2 champion (who also served as Alpine's reserve driver in 2022) and 2022 Formula 2 Championship fourth-place finisher Logan Sargeant, who signed with McLaren and Williams, respectively. 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. He would later gain a full-time seat with the team during 2024. Three other drivers also made in-season debuts in 2024. Oliver Bearman, sixth in the 2023 standings, raced for both Ferrari and Haas as a reserve driver before securing a full-time Haas seat in 2025. Franco Colapinto left his 2024 Formula 2 campaign mid-season to join Williams, while Jack Doohan, third in 2023, debuted for Alpine in the final race of the year ahead of a full-time promotion in 2025. The 2025 season featured three additional graduates: 2024 champion Gabriel Bortoleto joined Sauber, runner-up Isack Hadjar signed with Racing Bulls, and sixth-placed Kimi Antonelli entered Formula One with Mercedes.