Bruno Michel feels it is important teams should not spend money unnecessarily after revealing that some parts of the new-for-2018 FIA Formula 2 Championship car will be carried over from its predecessor.
For the first time since 2011, Formula 1’s support category will have a new car next season, and Formula 2 boss Michel has revealed that the majority of the gearbox will be carried over from the old car, as well as the brake system and parts of the suspension system.
“We want to make sure that the teams not spending too much money, [so] we are trying to make as many common parts as possible from the old car to the new car to make sure that they can keep the spare parts,” said Michel to Autosport.
“Mainly the gearbox – it’s not going to change, maybe one part – but the rest is going to be exactly the same. The brakes are not going to change [and] the uprights are not going to change, and all the rear suspension will be the same.
“That’s more or less what it is. All mechanical parts and the aerodynamics are going to be new.”
One thing that is currently not planned for the new car, but could be added on should the FIA mandate it, is any kind of head protection system. With Formula 1 set to race with the Halo system starting from 2018, it is possible the system could be introduced into supporting categories as well, and Michel says that it would be possible to do with some modifications to the monocoque.
“It’s not on the new car and we discussed that with the FIA,” said Michel. “At the moment they don’t know exactly what they’re going to do for F1.
“So we will see once it’s decided for F1 what we do. If we want to add it on we will need to make some modifications on the monocoque, but we will be able to fit it in.”
The new car is set to have its shakedown sometime this month, with proper testing set to commence in September, but Michel insists the driver responsible for testing will not either be a current F2 driver, nor a GP3 Series driver who could make the jump up next season.
“You’ll be able to see it in Monza,” revealed Michel. “Testing, we do the first shakedown quite soon – I think it’s mid-July – and the first proper testing will be starting in September.
“We always take one guy, number one who is not at present an F2 driver, and number two, not somebody that might do F2 next year. [No GP3 drivers] because if we do that then we give an advantage to someone and the other teams will be [unhappy].”
