Photos: Formula Motorsport Ltd
Formula 2 has announced that Dallara has the contract to supply its next car, which is to debut in 2024, and has already unveiled the chassis that the Italian firm has designed.
The FIA did not publish an invite to tender for chassis supply – with F2 continuing its long-running relationship with Dallara – but did for the next-generation F2 engine which will have to run on Aramco’s 55% mix sustainable synthetic fuel.
French manufacturer Mecachrome has won that contract, with its next design being an evolution of its current turbocharged 3.4-litre V6 engine which has been used for six seasons in the Dallara F2 2018. Both the new chassis and engine will be used for the next three seasons, with a supply to 22 cars as F2 retains its 11-team paddock structure.
The new chassis – dubbed the F2 2024 – was displayed in the Monza paddock today with Pirelli tyres ahead of F2’s race weekend at the track and has taken design cues from the current era of Formula 1 cars that were introduced last year.
There is a three-plane front wing, with the main plane curving upwards at either end to form the endplates rather than them being built from a seperate piece of carbon to the main wing element.
The drag reduction system has been retained, although there is a radical new rear wing shape – again inspired by current F1 trends – with a central supporting beam connecting to an arched piece of carbon that is the main plane of the wing but also curves around to form the endplates and extends downwards to the floor of the car. The tilting second plane is actually cut from the main plane and arches over it, with hinges on either side of it enabling it to move when DRS is enabled.
According to F2, the car will be more accessible to drive as it has “been designed to comply with the FIA 2024 specifications in terms of braking, steering effort and ergonomics to accommodate a wide range of drivers”.
Dallara shook down the F2 2024 at Varano in July, with Tatiana Calderon driving, and further running is planned through the rest of 2023 with current F2 champion Felipe Drugovich the first driver to be confirmed as getting behind the wheel.
Each team will recieve their first car before the end of this year, with the second being “delivered in mid-January 2024” ahead of a shakedown test featuring all the teams. Only one car per team will be allowed to run in that test.
Other technical details include a six-speed sequential gearbox, controlled via paddle shift, adjustable rideheight and 18-inch front and rear wheels.