F2 and F3 are back in less than two months time, with many drivers switching teams and graduating from F3 to F2.
Both championships saw their winners crowned in Monza, with Victor Martins winning F3 for ART and Felipe Drugovich taking the F2 title in the penultimate round for MP Motorsport.
This year, F2 has a 14-round calendar, while F3 visits 10 rounds, and both will race in Australia for the first time. F3 will also make its long-awaited return to the streets of Monte Carlo.
But with much movement among teams and series, who is racing for which teams this year? And who is likely to take each title?
Where is Formula 2 racing in 2023?
03–05 March Sakhir, Bahrain
17-19 March Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
31 March–02 April Melbourne, Australia
28-30 April Baku, Azerbaijan
19–21 May Imola, Italy
25–28 May Monte Carlo, Monaco
02–04 June Barcelona, Spain
30 June–02 July Spielberg, Austria
07–09 July Silverstone, Great Britain
21–23 July Budapest, Hungary
28–30 July Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium
25-27 August Zandvoort, Netherlands
01–03 September Monza, Italy
24-26 November Yas Island, United Arab Emirates
Who is racing in Formula 2 this season?
MP Motorsport
Reigning double champions MP Motorsport will be hoping to replicate its hugely successful 2022 season this year. With Felipe Drugovich taking the team to its first ever driver’s title while team-mate Clement Novalak helped it to the teams’ crown, Sander Dorsman’s team enter the season as a firm favourite.
Confirmed 2023 drivers:
- Driver 1: Dennis Hauger (Norway) - joining MP from Prema for his second F2 season, the 2021 F3 champion will be hoping for more success this year after he was unable to replicate his earlier title. The Red Bull junior finished 10th last year, with two wins and four podiums.
- Driver 2: Jehan Daruvala (India) - Like Hauger, Daruvala moves from Prema to MP, as he prepares for his fourth season in F2. Last year he took seventh in the drivers' standings, highlighted by one win and seven further podiums. Daruvala will dovetail his F2 season with being reserve driver for the Mahindra Formula E team.
Carlin
Carlin had a late surge in 2022 to pip ART Grand Prix to second place in the teams’ title. Liam Lawson and Logan Sargeant finished third and fourth to help the British team to its highest finish in the teams’ standings since it won the title in 2018, courtesy of Lando Norris and Sergio Sette Camara. Trevor Carlin has a long history of success in junior series, and the team will be hoping to capitalise on a strong 2022 this season.
Confirmed 2023 drivers:
- Driver 1: Enzo Fittipaldi (Brazil) – Red Bull Formula 1 advisor Helmut Marko let the news slip late last year that the newly-signed junior driver would move to Carlin for his second full F2 season. He finished eighth in 2022 with Charouz, scoring six podiums and vastly outperforming his team-mates.
- Driver 2: Zane Maloney (Barbados) – With a stunning rookie F3 season behind him, 2022 runner-up Maloney makes the move to F2 to continue his charge through the junior series pyramid. With an experienced team-mate and a strong outfit behind him, he’ll be one to watch this season.
ART Grand Prix
Despite missing out on both titles in 2022, ART scored its best teams’ finish since 2019, while Theo Pourchaire secured second in the drivers’ standings. The French outfit is yet to announce its line-up, but expect two quality drivers – previous line-ups have included the likes of 2019 champion Nyck de Vries, 2018 champion George Russell and Williams F1 driver Alex Albon.
Confirmed 2023 drivers:
- Driver 1: Theo Pourchaire (France) – Returning for his third F2 season, Pourchaire has a big fight on his hands to win the title this year. The Sauber Academy driver finished second to Drugovich in 2022, scoring three wins and seven podiums. This will be a make-or-break year for the Frenchman.
- Driver 2: Victor Martins (France) – The reigning F3 champion will graduate to F2 with the team which took him to his 2022 title. The Alpine Academy member will be keen to make an immediate impression in the series, and made a good start after topping the post-season test in Abu Dhabi in November. With nine other F3 graduates to compete with, can Martins replicate his success in 2023?
Prema
Having done the double in 2020 and 2021 with Mick Schumacher and Oscar Piastri respectively, Prema will be hoping to be back on top in 2023. A somewhat disappointing season saw it finish fourth in the standings, but with two strong drivers signed for this season, expect it to be back in the title fight.
Confirmed 2023 drivers:
- Driver 1: Frederik Vesti (Denmark) – rejoining Prema after two years away, Vesti will be hoping to replicate his earlier success at the team, having won the 2019 Formula Regional European Championship with it. The Mercedes junior drove for ART for his rookie F2 season in 2022, finishing ninth with one win and five podiums.
- Driver 2: Ollie Bearman (Great Britain) – sticking with Prema for his rookie F2 season, Bearman will be hoping for another superb season, having finished a close third in his maiden F3 campaign last year. The young Brit, who is a member of Ferrari’s Driver Academy, won both the ADAC and Italian F4 titles in 2021.
Hitech
With both Marcus Armstrong and Juri Vips looking set for moves to the US in 2023, Hitech will be looking for two new drivers for the upcoming F2 season. Though it is yet to confirm who those names will be, the team could look to draw from its very promising 2022 F3 line-up, which included fourth-place finisher and Red Bull protégé Isack Hadjar.
Confirmed 2023 drivers:
- Driver 1: Jak Crawford (USA) - After spending two years in F3, first with Hitech before a move to Prema for 2022, Crawford is among the more experienced graduates. The Red Bull junior scored one win and five podiums last year, finishing second of the three Prema drivers.
- Driver 2: Isack Hadjar (France) – Hadjar had a stunning rookie F3 campaign, but it fell apart at the season finale in Monza with a huge crash in qualifying. Despite the unfortunate end to his year, the Red Bull junior impressed throughout the campaign, making an immediate impact to score three wins and five podiums.
DAMS
Having suffered a slump in form since winning the teams’ championship in 2019, DAMS had a promising year in 2022, largely courtesy of Red Bull/Honda junior Ayumu Iwasa. Retaining him for this season is likely to prove a smart move as he builds on his rookie success, having finished fifth with two wins and six podiums. This will be the team’s second season under former F1 driver Charles Pic’s ownership, and it will be hoping to continue the good work done last season.
Confirmed 2023 drivers:
- Driver 1: Ayumu Iwasa (Japan) – Iwasa proved himself as one of the strongest new talents on the F2 grid in 2022, turning around a somewhat difficult start to the season and putting in some seriously good performances. He’ll be leading the team from his rookie team-mate in 2023 and hoping to impress Red Bull enough to land a coveted F1 seat in 2024.
- Driver 2: Arthur Leclerc (Monaco) – The younger Leclerc brother will make his F2 debut in 2023, and will be hoping to improve on a disappointing second year in F3 which saw him finish sixth. If he can improve on his qualifying performance, he should be able to secure more wins like the one he took at Silverstone in July.
Virtuosi Racing
Virtuosi had a somewhat disappointing season by their standards in 2022, falling from second place in its previous guise as UNI Virtuosi in 2021 to finish seventh last season. It almost totally relied on one driver to bring home points in 2022, so it’s good news for the team that it has retained superstar-in-the-making Jack Doohan.
Confirmed 2023 drivers:
- Driver 1: Jack Doohan (Australia) – Doohan was one of the standout performers of 2022, taking three wins and six podiums in his first full F2 season. His sixth-place finish was largely due to three consecutive feature race retirements to round off the season, two of which came from other drivers’ mistakes. The Alpine Academy member will almost certainly be more involved in the title fight this year.
- Driver 2: Amaury Cordeel (Belgium) - Despite serving a one-race ban for exceeding the penalty point limit this year, Cordeel put in some promising performances towards the end of the season, with a best finish of fifth.
PHM by Charouz
Finishing just four points behind Virtuosi in 2022, Charouz Racing System had its best season since 2020 courtesy of Enzo Fittipaldi. Though having three drivers in the second seat across the season may have proved a hindrance, its tie-up with PHM for 2023 (and beyond) could help it build on last year’s success.
Confirmed 2023 drivers:
- Driver 1: Roy Nissany (Israel) – Returning for his fifth full F2 season, Nissany’s experience could prove valuable for the incoming PHM side of the outfit. His best finish of 2022 was fourth at Imola after crashing out of the lead, with seven other top 10 finishes to his name across the season.
- Driver 2: Brad Benavides (USA) – Making the move up after a year with Carlin in F3, Benavides will benefit from having a more experienced team-mate as he gets to grips with another new championship. His only points of 2022 came in the Spa sprint race, finishing eighth.
Trident
Trident continued its steady improvement in the teams’ championship last season, finishing ninth for the second consecutive year but with over 70 more points than in 2021. It brings an all-new line-up for 2023, with former drivers Richard Verschoor and Calan Williams moving on to Van Amersfoort Racing and GT World Challenge Europe respectively. Clement Novalak will bring the experience, entering his second campaign, while graduating rookie Roman Stanek will be looking to make his mark on F2.
Confirmed 2023 drivers:
- Driver 1: Roman Stanek (Czechia) – Another of the F3 graduates, Stanek had a strong 2022 season, finishing fifth with Trident having scored one win and four podiums. Having spent three years in F3 with Charouz, Hitech and Trident respectively, Stanek will be looking to quickly make an impact alongside his fellow rookies.
- Driver 2: Clement Novalak (France) – Having finished third in F3 in 2021, Novalak had a difficult 2022, finishing 14th with one podium, though his 40-point haul was crucial to MP Motorsport’s title success. He’ll be looking to build on his rookie season with a return to Trident, who he drove with in 2021.
Van Amersfoort Racing
The 2022 season was VAR’s first competing in F2 and F3, having taken over HWA Racelab’s grid entries. The Dutch outfit faced a rotation of drivers across the two seats, with five drivers over the season, but Jake Hughes, Amaury Cordeel and super-sub David Beckmann helped it to a respectable 73 points and 10th place in the standings.
Confirmed 2023 drivers:
- Driver 1: Richard Verschoor (Netherlands) – Moving across from Trident, Verschoor will be looking to build on his 2022 season with Trident. He took his first win in the season opening Bahrain sprint race, but had several other close calls, including a first-place finish he was disqualified from in Austria. Verschoor is a strong signing for the newcomers and will be a good steer for the team heading into their second F2 season.
- Driver 2: Juan Manuel Correa (USA) – Correa will make his long-awaited return to F2 in 2023, having spent the last two years in F3 with ART. The Sauber Academy driver spent three years recovering from the horrific Spa crash which claimed the life of Anthoine Hubert but is back on the grid with VAR this season.
Campos Racing
Last year proved difficult for Campos, falling from seventh to 11th in the standings despite scoring a similar number of points. Ralph Boschung struggled with injury throughout the season and was replaced by former F1 driver Roberto Merhi, while Olli Caldwell faced a one-race ban at Spa. Boschung returns for 2023 for his third season with the team, with Kush Maini promoted from F3.
Confirmed 2023 drivers:
- Driver 1: Kush Maini (India) – Maini moves up after just one season in F3, having driven with MP Motorsport last year. With one podium and four top 10 finishes under his belt, the rookie will be hoping to adapt quickly in his latest promotion.
- Driver 2: Ralph Boschung (Switzerland) – Long-term F2 driver Boschung brings a wealth of experience, having first joined Campos in 2017, though this will only be his second full season. He has scored four podiums in his time with the team, and will be hoping for his elusive first win in 2023.
Where is Formula 3 racing in 2023?
03–05 March Sakhir, Bahrain
31 March–02 April Melbourne, Australia
19–21 May Imola, Italy
25–28 May Monte Carlo, Monaco
02–04 June Barcelona, Spain
30 June–02 July Spielberg, Austria
07–09 July Silverstone, Great Britain
21–23 July Budapest, Hungary
28–30 July Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium
01–03 September Monza, Italy
Who is racing in Formula 3 this season and what did they do in 2022?
Prema Racing
- Driver 1: Paul Aron (Estonia) – third in FRECA with Prema, Mercedes junior
- Driver 2: Dino Beganovic (Sweden) – FRECA champion with Prema, Ferrari Driver Academy member
- Driver 3: Zak O’Sullivan (Great Britain) – 11th in F3 with Carlin, Williams junior, 2021 Aston Martin Autosport BRDC Award winner
Trident
- Driver 1: Leonardo Fornaroli (Italy) – eighth in FRECA with Trident
- Driver 2: Gabriel Bortoleto (Brazil) – sixth in FRECA with R-ace GP
- Driver 3: Oliver Goethe (Germany) – Euroformula Open champion with Team Motopark
ART Grand Prix
- Driver 1: Kaylen Frederick (USA) – 17th in F3 with Hitech
- Driver 2: Gregoire Saucy (Switzerland) – 15th in F3 with ART, 2021 FRECA champion
- Driver 3: Nikola Tsolov (Bulgaria) – Spanish F4 champion with Campos Racing, Alpine Affiliate driver
MP Motorsport
- Driver 1: Franco Colapinto (Argentina) – ninth in F3 with Van Amersfoort Racing, Wililams Driver Academy member
- Driver 2: Mari Boya (Spain) – 10th in FRECA with ART
- Driver 3: Jonny Edgar (Great Britain) – 12th in F3 with Trident, Red Bull Junior Team member
Hitech Grand Prix
- Driver 1: Sebastian Montoya (Colombia) – 13th in FRECA with Prema, seventh in FRAC with Mumbai Falcons India Racing
- Driver 2: Gabriele Mini (Italy) – FRECA runner-up with ART
- Driver 3: Luke Browning (Great Britain) - Current GB3 champion and 2022 Aston Martin Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year Award winner
Van Amersfoort Racing
- Driver 1: Caio Collet (Brazil) – eighth in F3 with MP Motorsport, Alpine Academy member
- Driver 2: Rafael Villagomez (Mexico) – 25th in F3 with VAR
- Driver 3: Tommy Smith (Australia) – 20th in GB3 with Douglas Motorsport
Carlin
- Driver 1: Hunter Yeany (USA) – 33rd in F3 with Campos Racing
- Driver 2: Ollie Gray (Great Britain) – British F4 runner-up with Carlin, Williams Driver Academy member
- Driver 3: Ido Cohen (Israel) - 24th in F3 with Jenzer Motorsport
Campos Racing
- Driver 1: Pepe Marti (Spain) – Runner-up in Formula Regional Asia last year, 26th in FIA F3 in 2022
- Driver 2: Christian Mansell (Great Britain) – third in Euroformula Open with CryptoTower Racing Team
- Driver 3: Hugh Barter (Australia) – runner-up in French F4, runner-up Spanish F4 with Campos Racing
Jenzer Motorsport
- Driver 1: Nikita Bedrin (Russian) - fourth in ADAC F4 and F4 UAE with PHM
- Driver 2: Taylor Barnard (Great Britain) - Runner-up in ADAC F4 last year, eighth in Italian F4 in 2022, ninth in F4 UAE championship in 2022
- Driver 3: Alex Garcia (Mexico) - seventh in Euroformula Open with Team Motopark
PHM Racing by Charouz
- Driver 1: Sophia Florsch (Germany) - Last competed in FIA F3 in 2020, has since been racing in the DTM, ELMS and WEC.
- Driver 2: Roberto Faria (Brazil) - fifth in GB3 with Carlin
- Driver 3: Piotr Wisnicki (Poland) - 35th in FRECA with KIC Motorsport
