A lot of reliability issues characterized the first half of the season. Is there a problem with this year’s F2 car?
During the 2023 Monza Grand Prix, Stefano Domenicali, Robert Reid, and Bruno Michel presented the Dallara F2 2024. The new F2 car, the result of the work of the Italian manufacturer Dallara, has immediately surprised motorsport enthusiasts. From 2024 onwards it was decided to change the design completely.
F2, the most important feeder series of Formula 1, is a spec series. This means that all teams compete with the same car. For this reason, there is no manufacturer championship in F2. To replace it, there is a championship for the teams. It rewards those who manage to do a better job with the cars. Each team can make specific changes to them, for example in the balance or some engine characteristics. The goal is to make it more competitive.
The Dallara F2 2024 seemed to be aimed at greater competitiveness on track. The cars are still far from those of F1, both in power and speed, size, or aerodynamic appearance. The new design that was chosen was aimed at encouraging wheel-to-wheel racing and resembling the wings of Formula 1 cars. The Mecachrome V6 engine and gearbox have remained the same. Therefore, what seems to have changed most are the aerodynamic aspects.
In the weeks of tests held in Barcelona with the new F2 car, here is what Oliver Bearman had said:
“Mainly the differences between last year’s car and this one start with the rear wing. It creates a bit more drag which hopefully means the DRS is more effective. So, the racing and overtaking should be slightly easier and make it even more interesting. The downforce created with this car is more from the floor than the old car, there are channels for the air to go under the car. That’s a bit different to the previous year.”
Therefore, the real question is: has the new F2 car shown better performance than the previous one? There seem to be contradictory answers, and here is why.
Too many reliability problems
Since the start of the season, there have been about 38 technical problems. These included electrical problems, grid stalls, engine problems, clutch and hydraulic problems. Among these numbers, there are certainly those due to the driver (such as leaving the clutch too early at the start), due to the team (a wrong balance), or those simply due to bad luck.
The speed of the F2 car has not changed so much, although on some occasions it exceeded the previous year’s time. On other occasions, however, the times have been higher than those in 2023. It could depend on many factors, such as temperatures or track conditions at the time of the sessions.
DRAMA! 😱
Isack Hadjar pits with smoke coming from the rear of the car, just a lap after going to provisional pole 😬#F2 #AustrianGP pic.twitter.com/h7evjN9PzV
— Formula 2 (@Formula2) June 28, 2024
Since Bahrain, all teams have so far complained of at least one technical problem, with PREMA first on the list. The Italian team is the one who had more inconveniences during a race weekend and these are heavily affecting their championship.
Is there also a problem with the engine? The leader of the Championship, Isack Hadjar, has complained twice about an engine problem in Austria, as well as other drivers before him like Kimi Antonelli, Oliver Bearman, Paul Aron, and others.
Therefore, annoying reliability problems are affecting the 2024 championship. For example, in Austria, three drivers stalled on the grid and they started from the pit lane.
What are the drivers’ opinions on the matter?
We had the opportunity to ask Jak Crawford and Zane Maloney their opinion on the new F2 car:
“Yeah, like I’ve said throughout the season the car itself drives pretty similar in terms of ground effect rules. And yeah, you can’t really tell a difference. I would say that the racing and the following have improved though. When we went to Budapest I was able to go from 20 seconds to 9th in the Sprint Race, while last year when I started 19th I finished 18th. So I would say the racing has definitely improved this year and I found it a lot easier to follow.”
The American, Zane Maloney agreed with him:
“I don’t think the goal initially was to get more performance out of Formula 2. There isn’t any performance left in terms of lap time or grip. I agree with Jak, it’s a bit easier to follow. I do think that the racing is a bit closer, DRS is a bit more effective. The teams have a few different things to set the car up, of course. If you change one small thing with the tires, then the teams will have to adapt to that. So in terms of the actual chassis of the car and how it works is very similar.”
The teams have yet to fully understand how the new F2 car works. A bit of confusion and uncertainty are marking this year’s Formula 2 season.
Now in the middle of the year, the category still has an uncertain leader and the challenge is still open. This year is a test for the teams to adapt to new cars and suggest changes to the Federation and Dallara if necessary.
