FIA Formula 2 is the acknowledged Formula 1 feeder series in this day and age, prior to that, a decade ago GP2 Series was doing the business of producing world champions.
While drivers such as Max Verstappen (sheer talent) and Lance Stroll (big money) skipped F2, the majority have used it as a rung to F1. Of the seven F2 Champions, two - Charles Leclerc (2017 Champion) and George Russell (2018) have gone on to be F1 winners.
Apart from them, only Oscar Piastri (2021) has a drive currently in F1. Nyck de Vries (2019) and Mick Schumacher (2020) have come and gone, while Felipe Drugovich (2022) and reigning F1 Champion Théo Pourchaire have yet to secure a full-time drive in the top flight.
Before that, the first GP2 Series Champion in 2005 was Nico Rosberg. A year later Lewis Hamilton was F1 boss. Both went on to be F1 World Champions, the Briton on a record 103 wins and seeking an unprecedented eighth title.
Other GP2 Series Champions who went on to race in F1 for at least a season include Timo Glock who won the title in 2007, Nico Hulkenberg (2009), Pastor Maldonado (2010), Romain Grosjean (2011), Jolyon Palmer (2014), Stoffel Vandoorne (2015) and the last GP2 Series Champion Pierre Gasly.
The Frenchman is the only former GP2 Series Champion still on the F1 grid, along with Hamilton.
How GP2 Series became the F1 feeder series
When the chequered flag was waved to end the 2004 Formula 3000 race at Monza, on 11 September 11 2004. A race won by Christian Horner’s Arden International with Vitantonio Liuzzi driving at the time. It was the end of the series, which had replaced the European F2 Championship in 1985.
Thus, began the dawn of the new GP2 era in 2005 conceived by Bruno Michel and Flavio Briatore, and backed by their Good Lord, Bernie Ecclestone.
A spec series - same engine, tyres and chassis - for the aspiring young drivers hoping to be the next Schumi or Jimmy.
The GP2 Series Maiden Champion
For the inaugural 2005 GP2 season there were 12 rounds, each including a Feature and a Sprint race with Monaco round being the exception with only a Feature race.
The field included Red Bull junior from California, Scott Speed. There were no less than three sons of ex-F1 champions. Nelson Piquet Jr. Mathias Lauda and Nico Rosberg. There were drivers from all corners of the world, from Argentina to Malaysia, including Turkey, Japan, and Venezuela.
Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, on April 23, 2005, was the stage for the first ever GP2 race. French driver Nicolas Lapierre took pole position, Ernesto Viso from Venezuela set the fastest lap. Heikki Kovalainen, Formula Renault 3.5 Champion and managed by Briatore, was the winner.
Kovalainen kept his calm and carried on, winning three of the first five Feature races.
Rosberg’s first win did not come till the Sprint race of Round 5 at Magny-Cours. In the second half Keke’s kid came on strong. He won the next two feature races at Silverstone and Hockenheimring.
Kovalainen kept his championship hopes alive by winning the Sprint race at the Istanbul circuit, followed by victory in the Feature race at Monza.
Rosberg became the first driver to win both the Sprint and Feature races at the same event, the season finale in Bahrain, and with it secured the title of the first-ever GP2 Champion, scoring 120 points with Kovalainen second on 105 points.
Ron’s Rocket arrives on the GP2 scene
Championship glory landed Nico Rosberg at Williams in Formula 1, the same team his father won the 1982 World Championship with. Replacing Nico at ART Grand Prix - run by a certain Frederic Vasseur - was new kid on the block for the 2006 GP2 season, Lewis Carl Hamilton.
Supported by McLaren and Mercedes the Stevenage Speedster has been sprinting to success after success since his karting days.
There were 11 rounds in the 2006 GP2 season, and once again Monaco was Feature race only. The season started under Spanish sunshine in Valencia. Piquet Jr., now in his second year of GP2 and pre-season favourite, won the opening race.
Michael Ammermüller, in only his second GP2 start, won the sprint race. Round 3 at the Nürburgring was “Hammer time.” Lewis winning both the Feature and Sprint races.
He won the prestigious round in Monaco from pole position, was then supreme at Silverstone again winning both races of the weekend. Shining moment of the Silverstone round was the pass in between Piquet Jr. and Clivio Piccione.
Though Lewis would not win again in GP2, his performance of the year was a Turkish delight. In the sprint race at Istanbul circuit he spun and fell behind. A remarkable recovery saw him climb as high as second at the end of the race.
Despite Piquet Jr. winning half of the last six races, he was pipped to the title by Hamilton who scored 114 points compared to 102 for the Brazilian.
Glock on target with F1 on his agenda
The 2007 GP2 season again saw a very international field with drivers from Russia, India, Turkey and China apart from the usual European and South American contingent.
There were 11 rounds, and in keeping with the tradition, the Monaco round did not feature a Sprint race.
Towards the end of the season, both Flavio Briatore and Ron Dennis remarked that the field did not include quality drivers. This was proven by the fact that amongst the over 30 drivers who raced that season in GP2, only one driver would go on to win a Grand Prix - Pastor Maldonado.
German Timo Glock won the GP2 Series that year championship with five wins over Brazilian Lucas Di Grassi. His only victory of the season was scored in the Feature race in Turkey.
Pantano Power that never made it to F1
Dallara has been the sole supplier of chassis to both the current Formula 2 and its previous iteration GP2. For the 2008 season, they introduced a new car for 10 rounds. And for the first time, Monaco hosted both Sprint and Feature races.
Apart from Maldonado, there were 10 drivers from that year’s crop who raced in Formula 1 without much success. Karting prodigy Pantano won the championship with four wins over Bruno Senna.
Winners & Veterans
As the final frontier before access is granted to the Garden of Formula 1, a trend has developed in both GP2 and F2 - win the championship in your first year and you will find yourself in a good team in the top tier of motor racing.
Nico Rosberg, Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc, George Russell, and Oscar Piastri took the title in their first attempt. It is no surprise drivers who took two or more years to win the championship at this level have not been able to match the success of the above-mentioned champions at the first attempt.
Pierre Gasly won the championship in his second full season. Nyck de Vries took three years to do the same. Mick Schumacher took two.
Both Maldonado and Felipe Drugovich won the championship in their fourth year. It took Davide Valsecchi five seasons to win the GP2 championship.
They say every rule has an exception
In this case, it is Hulkenberg. The driver, once managed by Willi Weber won the GP2 championship in 2009 in his first attempt. He was also a champion in the F3 Euro series and Formula BMW.
“The Hulk” has persisted in the piranha pool for over a decade without a podium, and, must be said in days of F1 operating on BBC frequency (Billionaire Boys Club), without bringing a dime.
On the other hand, drivers like Valsecchi and Fabio Leimer, GP2 champions in 2012 & 2013 respectively, never got to race in a single Grand Prix.
Stoffel Vandoorne - the 2015 GP2 Champion - had a Hamilton-like junior career, won anything and everything by the time he got to Formula 1, only to encounter two major career-ending headaches.
He had Fernando Alonso as a teammate, and the likeable Belgian had the misery of driving in Formula 1 with “GP2” engine.
Back to the Future
GP2 morphed into Formula 2 starting with the 2017 racing season.
The first two seasons of the re-branded series saw back-to-back rookie champions, Charles Leclerc and George Russell, both race winners in Formula 1, and waiting to be world champions once the reign of Red Bull and their star driver is Max-ed out.
Oscar Piastri is the third graduate of the rookie champion class. He may not be able to peel off a championship in the papaya car, but given a competitive car the Aussie mate will definitely deliver.
It is interesting to note that the first two champions of GP2, Nico Rosberg, and Lewis Hamilton, are the only two world champions the series has produced so far.
The likes of Verstappen bypassed F2 altogether
It is equally interesting to note two other drivers, both from the Red Bull Junior program, went on a Formula 1 world championship-winning stampede without ever racing in GP2.
Sebastian Vettel won four Formula 1 championships in a row from 2010 - 2013. He had a brief spell in Formula Renault 3.5 before graduating to Grand Prix racing as per the Doctor’s order.
History is repeating itself. This season Max Verstappen is on his way to his fourth straight title at an alarming pace. The same good Doctor catapulted the Flying Dutchman into Formula 1 after just one year in single-seater racing.
In the final analysis, regardless of the flavour, GP2 or F2, Formula 3 or Formula Renault 3.5, the cream always rises to the top.
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