Formula 2 has been very successful over its history since being launched in 2017 after the GP2 Series was renamed.
The championship has developed multiple Formula 1 race winners such as George Russell and Charles Leclerc who consistently battle at the front.
Oscar Piastri was also peerless in the series, winning the championship for PREMA in 2021 after a brilliant season for the Italian team.
After spending the following season as Alpine’s test driver, Piastri made his F1 debut in 2023 with McLaren and told Auto Motor Sport that Formula 2 requires a different attitude from Formula 1.
Oscar Piastri feels the ‘mental attitude’ in Formula 1 is incomparable to the junior categories
Formula 1 is much more demanding than its junior series with 24 races compared to 14 in Formula 2 and less breaks between rounds.
There is also much more scrutiny, particularly at the front of the field where every detail on the circuit and off the track is analysed.
The junior categories, such as F2 and FIA F3 are competitive but the racing is often chaotic and more demanding than the measured wheel-to-wheel action in Formula 1.
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Piastri explained that F1 has a lot more to think about with car development rather than everyone in the field driving the same car in the lower formulae.
He said: “I learned useful things [as Alpine’s test driver] about how to mentally prepare for the races. I was at all the meetings at Alpine. I saw that, in terms of mental attitude, you can’t compare it to the junior classes.
“It’s a different playing field when you add the development of the car. In Formula 3 or 2, you have to work with the car that is given to you.
“Absorbing that without the pressure of having to race at the same time was certainly valuable. But if I had the choice again today, I would have preferred to continue straight after Formula 2.”
Oscar Piastri has proven Formula 2 is a good proving ground for young drivers with his F1 performances
Piastri has been superb at McLaren over his two years with the team and has got closer to his teammate Lando Norris’ pace.
The Australian driver took his first Grand Prix victory in Hungary earlier this year before winning his second race in Azerbaijan, defending from Charles Leclerc.
He has proven that winning the Formula 2 championship is a sign of a good driver. McLaren junior Gabriel Bortoleto is highly thought of and is in contention to win the title.
The Brazilian driver is battling Red Bull junior Isack Hadjar, and there are just 4.5 points between them with two rounds to go.