MONZA, Italy — Formula 2 has unveiled a new, updated car for the 2027 season, featuring a series of aerodynamic changes designed to bring the junior category closer to Formula 1 in both appearance and performance.

The series — which serves as the final step for young drivers before reaching F1 and is owned by the F1 organization and sanctioned by the FIA — last introduced a new car in 2024 with an initial three-year life cycle. The updated 2027 chassis represents a further evolution rather than a complete overhaul, retaining the same base structure to avoid passing significant additional costs onto teams and drivers.

"We wanted to have a car that is more in line with the aerodynamics of the F1 car," Bruno Michel, the F2 CEO, told The Athletic. "But we didn't want to change the full car because there's a cost element to it. That is really important in everything we're doing."

Aerodynamic improvements and overtaking focus

Unlike F1, where teams design their own cars, all F2 teams use the same chassis — designed by Italian manufacturer Dallara — to ensure that driver talent, rather than engineering budgets, determines results. The most visible changes to the 2027 car center on the front and rear wing designs, both of which now appear much closer to the 2026-spec F1 models.

Pierre-Alain Michot, F2's technical director, described the car as being "completely different without being completely different," following F1's design philosophy while also improving the car's aero performance over its predecessor. The main focus has been on improving aerodynamic efficiency — how easily the car moves through the air while minimizing drag — particularly when following another car on track.

"It's in our DNA from the beginning (of F2/GP2) to make sure that the cars can follow each other," said Michot, emphasizing the importance of allowing young drivers to race freely without being hampered by complex aerodynamic forces that can make close racing difficult in F1.

The rear wing of the 2024 F2 car had been particularly striking with its large, curved design. Michot said the revised 2027 rear wing — which returns to the traditional straight edges seen on F1 rear wings — "won't be simple" but will be "not as extreme" as the previous version.

Development timeline and delivery

F2 began discussing a car update around 12 months ago, before starting design work with computer models in early 2026. Wind tunnel simulations followed, and a straight-line test on an airfield in July validated the findings in real-world conditions. The 11 F2 teams will receive the updated car kits across December and January before beginning 2027 winter testing.

The series has also been careful to strike a balance: not making the car too difficult to understand or adjust for the young drivers, many of whom are in the early stages of their careers, while still ensuring the best talents can shine.

"We need to allow the teams to be able to fine-tune (the car's set-up) and make sure that they can do little tweaks to get the best performance on the car," said Michot. "But we want to make sure that whoever is driving in whichever team can show performance."

Tsolov leads the 2026 field

So far in 2026, the championship leader is Nikola Tsolov, a 19-year-old member of the Red Bull young driver program who is in his rookie F2 season after finishing as the runner-up in Formula 3 last year. Tsolov leads the points standings ahead of Saturday's first race at Monza.

"The championship is so competitive, and it's a difficult car to drive," Tsolov told The Athletic. He explained that the higher power of F2 cars — the most powerful engine of his racing career so far — and the approach to aero settings still require significant adaptation.

"When you're close to (feeling) decent (with the car's handling), you're already happy," said Tsolov. "(But) it's really hard to get to that point."

This learning curve is a crucial part of the journey to F1, where drivers who can articulate how a car can be refined to go faster are highly valued. Michel said F2's car philosophy was central to ensuring the series remained the "best school that (drivers) can have before they get to F1."

Recent F2 graduates now racing in F1 include current championship leader Kimi Antonelli, Ollie Bearman, Gabriel Bortoleto and Arvid Lindblad. "When we see drivers like all the ones that came into F1 after F2 in recent years being immediately on the spot (for pace), well, I think it's working," said Michel.

Norris launches junior team LN4 Fusion

Beyond the new car, F2 is poised to gain another closer tie to F1 through world champion Lando Norris, who announced on Wednesday the formation of a new junior team, LN4 Fusion, that will compete across the lower rungs of motorsport's single-seater ladder.

LN4 Fusion has already secured an F3 entry for 2027 after acquiring assets from the existing AIX Racing team, and it is in the process of applying to join the F2 grid from next year. Norris is also forming his own driver development program to help fund and support young talent moving up the F1 ladder.

"The reactions have been great," Norris told reporters at Monza on Thursday. "There's a lot of attraction from a range of drivers, but also mechanics, engineers, all the people that make a team. I'm proud as an individual, but also proud that we've been able to put something very special together."