The Formula 2 and Formula 3 sporting regulations have been updated to include gender-neutral language, a clampdown on pit lane idling and new overnight curfew periods for teams’ operations staff. Here’s what you need to know.
Written by Stephen Walton
The most visible change to the Formula 2 and Formula 3 sporting regulations, published by the FIA on December 7, is the complete removal of gendered language to refer to drivers. Previous iterations referred to both drivers and officials with pronouns he, for him And for himbut has been updated to pronouns they, they And they Or simply “the driver”.
This change removes ambiguity from the regulations as well as the incorrect suggestion that only men can compete and run races. Many women have competed in Formula 2, Formula 3 and the former GP2 and GP3 series over the years, most recently Tatiana Calderon in F2 and Sofia Floersch in F3. Calderon competed in Formula 2 in 2019 and returned to the championship for four rounds in 2022. Floersch has raced in Formula 3 in 2019, 2020 and 2023, becoming the first woman to score points in the current edition of the series earlier this year, and is expected to continue. that. Formula 3 in 2024 with Van Amersfoort Racing.
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Among the officials, Spain’s Silvia Pilot served as Formula 2 and Formula 3 race director in 2020, becoming the first woman in the history of the FIA to hold this position.
In other changes for 2024, drivers who red flagged in qualifying may lose their fastest time. According to amended Rule 33.5, a driver deemed to be the “sole cause” of a red flag cannot continue in qualifying, and “his fastest time during the session may be deleted.”
Drivers will also have to be more careful in pit lane next year. A new rule, numbered Article 28.6, has been added to stipulate that drivers who leave their pit boxes in qualifying or return to their pit boxes in any session must do so “without delay”. The rules also made it clear that slowing down to create a gap for a double stop is prohibited on pit entry and in the pit lane and that any such maneuvers must be done on track instead.
According to new Article 21.6, official curfew periods will be introduced in F2 and F3 in 2024, covering Friday and Saturday nights. During the curfew period, team members will be prohibited from working on the cars and their components, and engineers cannot do work on computers.
The first curfew lasts from five hours after the end of qualifying to four hours before the pit lane opens for the sprint race, while the second curfew lasts from seven hours after the end of the sprint race to three hours before the pit lane opens for the feature race. .
During the year, teams are allowed five exceptions to the rule that allows them to break the curfew without being penalized. After that, the penalties are severe. If a team breaks the curfew on Friday night, both of their cars will start the sprint from the pit lane. If the violation occurs on Saturday night, the same penalty will apply to the feature race.
Drivers will have to be more careful of reprimands in 2024. The new rule states that any Formula 2 or Formula 3 driver who has accumulated five reprimands over the course of the year will receive a five-place drop penalty in their next race. Reprimands are generally made by hosts for violations of regulations that are not considered serious enough to warrant a network penalty or time penalty.
The start of wet racing may be a little different in 2024. Article 24.16 of the Formula 2 Regulations and Article 24.15 of the Formula 3 Regulations previously stipulated that when a formation lap begins behind the Safety Car due to rain, drivers must fit wet weather tyres. These parts have not changed, but a caveat has been added stating that the rules only take effect “if so directed by the race director.”
There are many other changes to the regulations, most of them minor. They include:
- Article 6.4: The Formula 2 entry fee for each team has been increased from €50,000 to €60,000.
- Article 13: All teams, drivers and employees must now have insurance that meets FIA requirements and national laws, rather than only national laws as required by the ASNs.
- Article 17.2: A new fee of €6,000 has been added for appeals in both F2 and F3.
- Article 20.1: The Race Director can now call an additional drivers’ meeting at any time. Previously, the rules stipulated that this could only be done within three hours of the end of the session.
- Article 24.17: Stewards may now apply a penalty reducing the number of boards available in future events if the number of boards allocated to a car each season is exceeded by more than one board.
- Article 34.2: If no practice or qualifying takes place on a given race weekend, the pace grids and feature races will be set using the current championship standings. In addition, a driver will now have to start from the pit lane if he fails to qualify within the 107% time limit and is subject to a qualifying penalty.
- Rule 37.5: A driver will now be required to start from the pit lane if team equipment or personnel are still touching the car at the 15-second signal before the start of the race. The rule previously stated that a driver would be required to start from pit lane if team equipment or personnel associated with the operation of his car was still on the grid.
- Article 39.3.h: The list of penalties that cannot be appealed includes deleting the driver’s lap time.
- Each race weekend is now called a “competition” rather than an “event”.
- All references to ‘Course Clerk’ have been changed to ‘Race Director’.
- F2 and F3 drivers under the age of 18 next year must have a parent or guardian sign their driving bond. Prema Racing’s Andrea Kimi Antonelli is the only confirmed Formula 2 driver who will be under 18 when the season starts.
Main image credit: Dutch Photo Agency / Red Bull Content Pool
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In recent updates to the F2 and F3 regulations, significant changes have been made to promote gender equality and inclusivity. Gender-neutral language has been implemented throughout the regulations, in an effort to create a more inclusive environment for all participants in the feed chain. Additionally, new red flag rules have been introduced to improve safety and transparency within the feed industry. These updates signify a positive shift towards a more equitable and sustainable feed chain, benefitting both industry professionals and consumers alike.