F2 and F3 drivers are returning to the two-race format for 2022

The Formula 1 feeder series has been split this season for the first time since Formula 3 – in its earlier guise as GP3 – as part of a radical format change intended to cut costs for teams with eight laps contested Support calculation for the 2010 season was added instead of the usual 12.

The schedule for 2021 is three races per weekend with two reverse grid races on Saturday – the top 10 qualifiers for F2 and top 12 for F3 are reversed for the first race before the top 10 (F2) or 12 ( F3) for the second race – before a feature on Sunday in which the starting grid is formed from the results of the Friday qualifying.

Gaps of up to 10 weeks for F2 have resulted in a disjointed season that has drawn heavy criticism from drivers, teams and fans.

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The organizers of the series have now taken on the situation and presented a revised format for the next year before the run last weekend at the Russian Grand Prix.

While the calendars for F2 and F3 are not yet released, it has been confirmed that the championships will be put together on the F1 sub-page and, as before 2021, there will be two races per lap, with the time between events being reduced.

The sprint race begins with the reverse qualifying order, top 10 for F2 and top 12 for F3, while the Sunday race is held with the results of the qualifying.

Format changes for next year have already been well received by drivers while the annoying rain in Sochi on Saturday accidentally led both F2 and F3 test drives due to a revised schedule.

F2 championship leader Oscar Piastri believes the tweaks will put more strain on qualifying, but advocates more laps and less time between events.

“I think next year will be an improvement on this year’s calendar,” said Piastri.

“It’s going to make qualifying even more important because the reverse grid comes straight from qualifying. So if you’re outside of the top 10, your weekend looks very, very difficult.

Oscar Piastri, Prema Racing

Photo by: James Gasperotti / Motorsport Images

“But if it leads to more laps in the calendar, then that’s great, because in my opinion that was missing in this year’s format.

“For me, the three races per weekend this year were not bad, but I think we would all have liked a few more laps.”

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Theo Pourchaire, winner of the F2 race of the ART Grand Prix, added: “We will have fewer gaps between races so it can only get better for sure.

“Three races were quite a lot to prepare the cars and the better drivers weren’t necessarily up front. It’s definitely better. “

Mercedes F1 junior and F3 race winner Frederik Vesti admits the changes could reduce the amount of fun races, but supports the move that he believes should reward the championship’s best drivers.

“For me it is clearly better, the new format,” said Vesti.

“This year I have the feeling that you have sometimes been rewarded with poor qualifying. If you qualify poorly in the top 10 or top 12, you will likely start from pole position and score more points over the weekend than the rest of the top 10. I feel like it was the wrong way to reward people .

“For me, the guys who qualify best are the people who should have the easiest time to score, because that’s the whole point in qualifying.

Frederik Vesti, ART Grand Prix

Photo by: James Gasperotti / Motorsport Images

“I think it’s the right step to go back, even though it has created great races this year, but for a driver it was really frustrating because you are bouncing back and forth all the time.

“It is difficult to find this consistency. We’ll probably miss a bit of the good races, but I think the consistency in the championship will be much better and the right people will benefit from that. “

The full F2 and F3 2022 calendars are expected to be released in October.