Many of the drivers who progressed through the standard single-seater stages of racing in Europe in the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s recall Formula 2 as the most enjoyable part of their racing careers. The cars were fast, they brought out the best in the drivers, and the driver’s skill really counted when it came to results. True, it was a dangerous category, but the racing was invariably close, the fans loved it, and the atmosphere was friendly with less commercial pressure than was present in F1 racing.
Photo: Casey Annis
Formula 2 goes back as far as 1948, but a “proper” series for it didn’t really exist until the European F2 Championship was created in 1967. It then ran for 18 years (over 210 races) with a vast number of important drivers taking part. From 1966 until 1971, the rules called for 1600 cc racing engines; from 1972 to 1975 it was for 2000 cc production-based engines; and finally, from 1976 until 1984, the rules specified 2000 cc racing engines with a maximum of six cylinders. March chassis dominate the list of successes, but Brabham, Ralt, Matra and Martini all had their day, powered by BMW, Cosworth FVA, Ford BDA, Hart 420R and Honda engines. F2 was a class for creative imagination – a class for making small engines, push lightweight chassis to high speeds.
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