Formula racing

Lower categories such as Formula Three and Formula Two are described as junior formulae, lower formulae, or feeder formulae, referring to their position below top-level series like Formula One on their respective career ladders of single-seater motor racing. There are two primary forms of racing formula: open formula, which allows a choice of chassis or engines; and control or "spec" formula, which specifies a single supplier for chassis and engines. Formula Three is an example of an open formula, while Formula BMW is a control formula. Exceptions include Formula Ford, which has an open chassis formula but a single-brand engine formula.

While Formula One is the most expensive form of motorsport in the world, not all formula series are high-cost professional events. Some formulas are intended for juniors and amateurs; Formula 1000 and Formula Vee are among the least expensive forms of circuit racing. Most contemporary formula categories allow the use of racing slicks, and extensive use of wings and ground effects to increase cornering speeds. However, popular amateur categories such as Formula Ford and Formula Vee do not, and consequently have much slower cornering speeds in which "drafting" plays a much more important role. Occasionally the term "wings and slicks racing" is used to distinguish the faster categories.

While reviving Grand Prix racing after World War II, the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile's Commission Sportive Internationale defined the standardised regulations of Formula One in 1946. The first race to be run to the early Formula One regulations was a non-championship Grand Prix in Turin in September 1946. The first officially recognised Formula One season was held in 1947 and the World Championship for Drivers was inaugurated in 1950.

Formula E is the highest class of competition for single-seat, electrically powered racing cars, which held its inaugural season in 2014–15. Conceived in 2012, the championship was intended by the FIA to serve as an R&D platform for the electric vehicle and promote interest in EVs and sustainability. The series races predominately on temporary circuits in cities such as New York, Hong Kong, Zürich, Berlin, Rome, and Paris in events known as "ePrix". The series uses a spec chassis and battery required of all entrants, with competing teams permitted to design and build their own motors, inverter and rear suspension.

The FIA Formula 2 Championship was introduced in 2017 by Bernie Ecclestone and Flavio Briatore following the rebranding of the long-term F1 feeder series — the GP2 Series. Designed to make racing affordable and serve as a training ground for life in F1, F2 made it mandatory for all teams to use the same chassis, engine, and tyre supplier.

In 2019, the GP3 Series was replaced by international Formula 3, in the same way that GP2 was rebranded as Formula 2 in 2017. The series' first drivers' champion was Robert Shwartzman driving for Prema Racing, who also won the teams' championship that year. Before 2024, the FIA Formula 3 World Cup took place at the end of the season at the Macau Grand Prix. Due to various reasons it has been discontinued, with Formula Regional category cars racing at Macau since then.

Formula Regional was created to take over from the various F3 championships around the world after the FIA deemed that the title "Formula 3" would be exclusively used by the series running on F1 weekends, previously known as GP3. Each championship corresponds to one specific region: Asia, Americas, Europe, India, Japan, Middle East and Oceania (New Zealand).

FIA Formula 4, also called FIA F4, is an open-wheel racing car category intended for junior drivers. There is no global championship; individual nations or regions host their own championships in compliance with a universal set of rules and specifications. The category was created by the FIA as an entry-level category for young drivers, bridging the gap between karting and Formula 3, and is part of the FIA Global Pathway.

The IndyCar Series is the premier level of formula racing in North America, with roots tracing as far back as 1905. The current series, founded by then-Indianapolis Motor Speedway CEO Tony George, began in 1996 as the "Indy Racing League" (IRL). In 2008, the series merged with the rival Champ Car World Series, formerly known as CART, to form the IndyCar Series. A typical IndyCar season contains races on a mixture of road courses, temporary street circuits, small ovals, and larger high-speed ovals, including the historic Indianapolis 500.

Indy NXT, previously known as Indy Lights, is the top feeder series for the IndyCar Series, similar to F1's relationship with Formula 2. The original Indy Lights (known as the "American Racing Series") acted as a developmental circuit for CART from 1986 to 2001. The current series was founded in 2002 by IndyCar.

The USF Pro 2000 Championship, formally known as the Indy Pro 2000 Championship, has been an officially sanctioned development series since 2011, when it became governed by IndyCar. The original series started in 1991 as the Star Mazda Championship. Drivers currently use Tatuus IP-22 cars.

The USF2000 Championship, formally known as the U.S. F2000 National Championship, is an American variation of the Formula Ford. The series was initially founded by Dan Andersen and Mike Foschi in 1990 and regularly fielded over 60 entries per race. In 2001 the series was sold to Jon Baytos, whose controversial rule changes brought the series out of alignment with similar SCCA classes, leading to reduced participation and the end of the series in 2006. It returned in 2010 under Andersen's leadership.

The USF Juniors is a new addition to the Road to Indy pathway, sanctioned by USAC in 2022, and is the equivalent to Formula 4.

Super Formula, previously known as Formula Nippon, is the premier level of Japanese formula racing. It began as the Japanese Formula 2000 series in 1973 and continued to use Formula Two regulations after European Formula Two had ended in 1984. In 1987 the series switched to the Formula 3000 standard. However, in 1996, when the International Formula 3000 series became a one-make format, the Japanese Formula broke away and was renamed Formula Nippon. Formula Nippon featured chassis supplied by Lola, Reynard and G-Force until 2001–2002, when G-Force and Reynard withdrew, with Mugen-Honda supplying most engines. In 2006, regulations were changed drastically — the chassis was replaced and engines were provided by Toyota and Honda, with the same specifications as those used in the 2005 IndyCar Series.

Formula series from the 21st century that are now defunct are described below.

The Formula Two regulations were first defined in 1947 as a B-class below Formula One. It was not unusual for some Formula One events to include F2 entries in the same field, and the World Championship seasons of 1952–53 comprised exclusively F2 cars for reasons of cost. F2 had a patchy history until the inauguration of the European Formula Two Championship in 1967. F2 was an open formula that allowed the use of any chassis meeting the prescribed regulations, and was well supported during the 1970s, with chassis from Tecno, March Engineering, Toleman, Ralt, Matra and others. The European championship ran continuously until the creation of its successor, Formula 3000, in 1985. In 2008 the FIA announced that Formula Two would return in 2009; this series was discontinued after the 2012 season.

Formula 3000 was created by the FIA in 1985 to become the final step for drivers before entering Formula One. Formula Two had become too expensive and was dominated by works-run cars with factory engines. Formula 3000 offered quicker, cheaper, more open racing. The series began as an open formula, but in 1986 tyres were standardized, followed by engines and chassis in 1996. The series ran until 2004 and was replaced in 2005 by the GP2 Series.

Formula 5000 (or F5000) was an open-wheel, single-seater formula that ran in different series across various regions from 1968 to 1982. Originally intended as a low-cost series for open-wheel cars that no longer fit any particular formula, the "5000" denomination comes from the maximum 5.0-litre engine capacity allowed, although many cars ran smaller engines.

International Formula Master, also known as Formula Super 2000, was conceived as a competitor for Formula Three. It started in 2005 as the 3000 Pro Series, organised by Peroni Promotion. MTC Organisation took over in 2006 and turned it into a support series for the WTCC. Drivers used second-hand Formula 2000 cars made by Tatuus powered by a 250 hp Honda K20A engine.

A1 Grand Prix (A1GP) was unique in that competitors solely represented their nation rather than themselves or a team. It was often promoted as the "World Cup of Motorsport" and attracted equal numbers of Formula One and IndyCar Series drivers. The concept was founded by Sheikh Al Maktoum of Dubai in 2004 and sold to the FIA in 2005. Races were held in the traditional Formula One off-season, the northern hemisphere winter. Between 2005 and 2009, 29 countries from five continents participated.

Using 750 hp V12 engines, Superleague Formula introduced team sponsorship by association football clubs. Qualifying employed a group-stage to knock-out format borrowed from football tournaments, and the series featured a "Super Final" — a five-lap shootout between the six best drivers of a weekend. In 2010, the series offered the biggest prize fund in European motorsport, with the champion set to earn €1 million and potential total earnings of up to €2.2 million per season. By 2011, the link with football was fading, more than half the teams were no longer associated with football clubs, later races of the season did not take place, and no further seasons were organised.

Formula Asia V6 (Renault) was launched in 2006 to give Southeast Asian-based drivers a path from karting through junior single-seaters to international motorsport. Karun Chandhok won the 2006 championship and was rewarded with a test in a World Series by Renault car at Paul Ricard. Drivers used Tatuus chassis, a Renault 3.5L V6 engine and Michelin tyres.

The Auto GP World Series' roots trace back to 1999 and the Italian Formula 3000 series. At first nearly all races were held in Italy, but the series expanded throughout Europe. In 2001 it became European Formula 3000, and in 2004 Superfund became the title sponsor before the funding was pulled and the series was cancelled. Coloni Motorsport re-established the Italian Formula 3000 and expanded it in 2006 to the Euroseries 3000. In 2010, first-generation A1 Grand Prix cars replaced the Lola F3000 chassis and the Auto GP name was adopted.

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