Formula 2

[Deleted]

F2 was a glorious series, full of great racing and drivers.

This is Rouen 1977:



Eddie Cheever (Ralt RT1), Didier Pironi (Martini Mk 22), Riccardo Patrese (Chevron B40), Ingo Hoffmann (Ralt RT1), René Arnoux (Martini Mk 22), Patrick Tambay (Chevron B40), Bruno Giacomelli (March 772P), Gianfranco Brancatelli (Ralt RT1), Maurizio Flammini (Chevron B40).

[Deleted]

Crystal Palace 1970



From left, first row: Clay Regazzoni (Tecno 69), Jochen Rindt (Lotus 69), Jackie Stewart (Brabham BT30)

Second row: Andrea De Adamich (Brabham BT30), Francois Cevert (Tecno 69)

Third row: Carlos Reutemann (Brabham BT30), Emerson Fittipaldi (Lotus 69)

[Jamie]

The talent on these grids is quite incredible. I’d love to have been an active spectator when F2 was in its pomp, they were great cars, very neat and they sound great. I do enjoy them at historic meets; the March 782 is one of my absolute favourite single seaters.

[chrisb]

I was at Crystal Palace in 1965 for the F2 race, which a certain Jimmy won [after winning at Indy...]

[Jamie]

[charleselan]

Here we have the formation of the grid for the 1967 Pau Formula Two race. Traditionally the blue ribbon event in the F2 calendar and back then one of the first major events of the season. Needless to say Jimmy on pole in the Lotus 48, with JYS in the Tyrrell Matra MS7 alongside with Jack Brabham in the MRD Brabham BT23. Second row Graham Hill Lotus 48 and Jochen Rindt in the Winkleman Brabham BT23, with third row Denny Hulme in the second MRD BT23; Alan Rees Winkleman BT23; JPB works Matra MS7.

Although Jim gained some race wins with the Lotus 48 it wasn't a good car according to the then Team Lotus mechanics, just the mans genius coming through yet again.

[Deleted]

XXXV Grand Prix de Reims F2, 1969



First row: Ickx, Courage, Nanni Galli.
Behind: Graham Hill, Cevert, Stewart, Siffert, Beltoise.
Pedro Rodriguez and Jochen Rindt (perhaps the white helmet behind Courage) somewhere there too.

Cevert came on top.

[Carl]

Formula Two never came to America and it was like an exotic beauty glimpsed but always unavailable. We had a less intensive substitute in SCCA amateur racing, Formula B, popular among drivers and usually faster than the more expensive Formula A, which only a handful of amateur drivers could afford.

Of course, we were eventually compensated by Formula Atlantic, also an equivalent series, where I first saw Gilles Villeneuve. As Jim Clark used to do, he routinely drove away from his pursuers, including Keke Rosberg and Bobby Rahal.

But the exotically beautiful Formula Two was only in Europe.

[Deleted]

Carl,

Formula Atlantic was never at F2 level. The cars looked the same, in some instances they had the same chassis (economies of scale), but I don't think FA was as powerful and the drivers' field was never nowhere near, in depth and quality, besides the obvious exception. Interesting series though, which looked exotic to me on this side of the pond...

[charleselan]

Edit to my post of the Pau F2 race in 1967.

Firstly the Matra cars of JYS; JPB & JSG were in fact MS5's not MS7's as originally posted.

1967 was the first year of the 1600cc formula which replaced the 1000cc cars which ran from 1964 to 1966, the last year seeing total dominance of the Brabham-Honda cars. The sheer sophistication of the little Honda engines finally proving too much for the  Ford 105E based Cosworth SCA motors.

With the new 1600cc formula Cosworth brought out the outstanding FVA engine which as the regulations stipulated had to be based on a mass production engine block, however the cylinder head design was free. Cosworth's FVA was legendary and a wonderful engine, probably one of the greatest race engines and accessible to all.

There can be no greater example of just how amazing this engine was when one sees the outstanding drive of Jacky Ickx at the 1967 German GP where the youthful Belgian phenomena in Ken Tyrrell's Matra MS5 made the majority of the F1 field look quite stupid.

[mikael]

In connection with this thread it's interesting to re-read Niki Lauda's comparison of F2 with F3 in his "My Years with Ferrari" (1978). According to him, F3 was, around 1970, typically "a field of madmen" whereas F2 was "people in the world class".

[charleselan]

Mar 6, 2018 13:32:24 GMT mikael said:

In connection with this thread it's interesting to re-read Niki Lauda's comparison of F2 with F3 in his "My Years with Ferrari" (1978). According to him, F3 was, around 1970, typically "a field of madmen" whereas F2 was "people in the world class".

Mikael,

Niki was not wrong there. Formula 3 was still the amazing little 1 litre screamer cars in 1970, like the F2 categories the authorities stipulated that the engines had to be based on mass production engines and retain the original configuration of cylinder head, so no twin cam units, just pushrod motors with the Ford MAE motor being the engine of choice. Some amazing power outputs and revs were extracted from these units by many different tuners, hence the term 1 litre screamers.

The racing was outstanding, if on occasion extremely hairy, and on any circuit with some speed slipstreaming was the order of the day. It was the ultimate feeder series and not open to what was referred to as "Graded Drivers" (these were GP stars and the like). 

Formula Two in contrast was open to all and that is why it was such a great formula, where one could see the top GP drivers racing against up and coming drivers etc. A great formula that was a great barometer of talent.

Going back to the 1 litre F3 one only has to look back over the 1960's to see the huge wealth of talent that it brought forward, the list would be amazing; equally so the amount of hugely talented drivers who never got the chance in F1.

JC

[charleselan]

Jacques Bernard Ickx in the Tyrrell Matra MS5 Cosworth FVA during the 1967 German GP. On this occasion due to the longer race distance of a GP over a F2 race the "wind deflector screen" is used to take an extra fuel tank. A phenomenal drive in an amazing car.

[Carl]

Mar 6, 2018 10:10:59 GMT @lucio said:

Carl,

Formula Atlantic was never at F2 level. The cars looked the same, in some instances they had the same chassis (economies of scale), but I don't think FA was as powerful and the drivers' field was never nowhere near, in depth and quality, besides the obvious exception. Interesting series though, which looked exotic to me on this side of the pond...

I agree, Lucio, and meant to convey that in my last sentence.  Compared to F2, Formula Atlantic was the girl next door and I should not have used "equivalent" to describe it.  Formula Atlantic was close, but missing the final 15-20% of technical sophistication that adds disproportionate costs. 

The drivers, standard practice in America, had to make their own way up the ladder and many with abundant talent never had adequate resources.  Driver development remains far more organized throughout Europe.

[Jamie]

Mar 6, 2018 16:51:50 GMT Carl said:

Mar 6, 2018 10:10:59 GMT @lucio said:

Carl,

Formula Driver development remains far more organized throughout Europe.

How do you rate the Mazda Road to Indy Carl?