Formula One’s two feeder series will be back racing in the kingdom next year in support of Bahrain’s grand prix spectacle.
The FIA Formula Two Championship and FIA Formula Three Championship have announced their season calendars for 2025, with both categories set to be a part of the weekend’s on-track activities at the Formula One Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix 2025, scheduled for April 11 to 13 at Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) in Sakhir.
F2 is the last rung on the ladder to F1, with many of the championship’s graduates currently starring in the top flight today. F3 is one tier lower, and it is a defined entry point for young and ambitious drivers to join the F1 circuit.
All their events are held in support of F1 grands prix, and both series will be staging the second rounds of their respective 2025 campaigns in the kingdom.
The F2 calendar features 14 meetings in all, comprising a total of 28 races across 13 countries.
Prior to racing in the kingdom, F2 will open its championship in Melbourne, Australia in March. It will then head to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia the week after the Sakhir event, before hosting a European triple-header in Imola, Emilia Romagna; Monte Carlo, Monaca; and Barcelona, Spain in May and June. Another race weekend at the end of June will take place in Spielberg, Austria, before the championship visits Silverstone in the UK and Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium in July.
A round in Budapest, Hungary will be held in August, and Monza in Italy and Baku in Azerbaijan in September. The final two meetings will then take place in Lusail, Qatar in November, and Abu Dhabi, the UAE in December.
“It’s a good mixture between old-school tracks and more modern layouts, which have seen thrilling F2 races in recent years,” F2 CEO Bruno Michel was quoted as saying. “I’m sure, this will be the case once more in 2025.”
A few of the notable F1 stars who had all made the step up from F2 are Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri of McLaren, Charles Leclerc of Ferrari, George Russell of Mercedes, Alexander Albon of Williams, Yuki Tsunoda of RB, and Zhou Guanyu of Kick Sauber.
Meanwhile, F3 in 2025 will have 10 rounds of action boasting 20 races. Each meeting will take place as part of race weekends that also feature F2.
The season-opener in Australia will be followed by Bahrain, with the next rounds taking place in Imola, Monte Carlo, and Barcelona. The next four meetings will then be held in Spielberg, Silverstone, Spa-Francorchamps, and Budapest, with the championship-finale in Monza.
“We’re bringing F3 on three different continents, which is fantastic for these young drivers, who are able to learn new tracks and race in front of the F1 and F2 paddocks,” said Michel, who is also the F3 CEO.
The past four F2 seasons, including its current campaign, had all flagged off in the kingdom, while F3 held its championship’s first round at BIC the past three years.
Both series also staged pre-season testing in Sakhir prior to the start of their current calendars. It has yet to be announced where the two championships will be conducting their tests next year.
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