Oliver Goethe and Roman Stanek battle during Formula 3’s 2022 sprint race in Budapest.Photo: Francois Nel (Getty Images)
If you have an eye for racing talent, there’s a good chance you’re following Formula 2 or Formula 3, two rungs on the ladder up to Formula 1’s international, open-wheel extravaganza. Now, both feeder series have announced their 2023 schedules.
For those who aren’t familiar, F2 and F3 pretty much exclusively race during F1 weekends as part of the build-up to the main event. Each weekend also consists of two races: a sprint race and a feature race. As the name implies, the sprint race is a short dash from start to finish, while the longer feature race requires a mandatory pit stop where all four tires will be changed. This gives young drivers a chance to display their talent in different ways.
Next year, F2 will retain a 14-round calendar consisting of 28 events, while the F3 calendar will expand from nine to 10 race weekends. Here’s what those calendars look like:
2023 FIA Formula 2 Championship
March 3-5: Sakhir, Bahrain
March 17-19: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
March 31-April 2: Melbourne, Australia
April 28-30: Baku, Azerbaijan
May 19-21: Imola, Italy
May 25-28: Monte Carlo, Monaco
June 2-4: Barcelona, Spain
June 30-July 2: Spielberg, Austria
July 7-9: Silverstone, England
July 21-23: Budapest, Hungary
July 28-30: Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium
August 25-27: Zandvoort, Netherlands
September 1-3: Monza, Italy
November 24-26: Yas Island, United Arab Emirates
2023 FIA Formula 3 Championship
March 3-5: Sakhir, Bahrain
March 31-April 2: Melbourne, Australia
May 19-21: Imola, Italy
May 25-28: Monte Carlo, Monaco
June 2-4: Barcelona, Spain
June 30-July 2: Spielberg, Austria
July 7-9: Silverstone, England
July 21-23: Budapest, Hungary
July 28-30: Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium
September 1-3: Monza, Italy
There are a few notable changes to the 2023 schedules, including a few records. Both series will race in Melbourne for the very first time, and Formula 3’s calendar features two other firsts: A race during the Monaco weekend and a schedule that features three continents.
Interestingly, F2’s calendar also features a whopping four street circuits: Jeddah, Baku, Monaco, and Abu Dhabi. These races are often crash fests, so it’ll be fascinating to see how the young drivers handle the new challenge — and how the teams are able to cope with any pressure on their pocketbooks.
