Car

Formula 2 2024 season: How teams embraced an in-season test for the Imola sprint and feature races

May 21, 2024

by Samarth Kanal

7min read

RaceTeq delves into the technical details that influence every Formula 2 race of the season. The 50-day break between the Australian F2 round and this one at Imola proved crucial for teams as they embarked on an in-season test at Barcelona.

F2 Imola feature race winner Isack Hadjar (centre) with second-place finisher Gabriel Bortoleto (L) and third-place finisher Joshua Duerksen (R)

That in-season test helped teams get on top of outstanding issues that they were ironing out over the first three races of the season – in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Australia – as it proved to be a productive three days at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

We look at how the test changed the picture in Imola and delve into two specific items concerning F2 car set-up: toe and camber angle.

How the 2024 Barcelona F2 in-season test helped teams and drivers

Numerous changes set apart this generation of F2 car from its predecessor. Some, such as the front and rear wing, as covered in our Bahrain F2 technology report, are more visible; some are not visible – such as the underside of the car.

Plenty of parts have been carried over from the last Dallara-built F2 chassis – as have the engine and the tyres. Yet, teams have not been able to get the most out of their cars so far this season. Perhaps this is the start of a new competitive order forming – but some drivers think it's a short-term and changing picture, and that teams are going to find much more from the new car.

F2 is just crazy… no one’s optimising anything when it comes to the weekend.

Zane Maloney

, Rodin Motorsport

Championship leader Zane Maloney leading Prema’s Oliver Bearman at Imola during the sprint race

Rodin Motorsport driver Zane Maloney, who entered and exited Imola as championship leader, said: “F2 is just crazy… no one’s optimising anything when it comes to the weekend. You go out in practice, have a few laps, and then straight into qualifying, and then into the races. There’s not much optimisation going on, it’s whoever can put in the best lap at that moment. I’m sure everyone on the grid has half a second in the car and the driver in a qualifying session.

”Teams had just three days of pre-season testing in Bahrain before the season started, and – unlike Formula 1 drivers, who have three hour-long practice sessions before qualifying on a non-sprint weekend – F2 drivers only get 45 minutes of practice time per weekend.

The Barcelona test on April 23-25 was therefore invaluable for the drivers and teams. Every team expressed that they had made strides thanks to the three days of running at Circuit de Catalunya. However, it was Campos Racing who topped the timesheets on days two and three.

“We think we’ve understood the philosophy of this new car and what it needs quite well,” said day two leader Pepe Marti to the FIA F2 website. “We have a car that’s fast across the three tracks so far and on four different [tyre] compounds, so that’s a positive for sure.”

A photograph of the 2023 F2 Spain round. This year’s Spanish F2 round is on June 21-23

The reality is that many teams have found that their approach to setting up the car last year does not work this year. As the floor of the new F2 car generates a higher proportion of downforce, the cars need to be run at different ride heights than in previous years – but it’s not as simple as just changing that ride height.

Teams then need to change the stiffness of their suspension set-ups and ensure that the front and rear wing angles are set to complement the circuit and driver, all while ensuring that the floor stays as stable as possible through cornering so it produces sufficient downforce and grip.

Because the three-day test took place at Barcelona, we might not see a consistent competitive picture emerge next time out in Monaco. Rather, we might have to wait until June 21-23, for the Spanish F2 sprint race and feature race back at Barcelona, to see teams bear the fruits of their in-season test.

What are camber angle and toe angle?

Along with ride height – which was important at Imola as teams needed to run their cars slightly higher to account for bumps and kerbs – teams have various other ways of adjusting the set-up of their cars. Camber and toe angle are two of them.

Camber angle is the angle between the vertical centre-line of a tyre and the ground – assuming the ground is completely flat. If the camber angle is zero, the tyre is essentially perpendicular to the ground when the car is static. If the camber angle is negative, the bottom of the tyre is further out than the top of the tyre when the car is static, and vice versa if the camber angle is negative.

Toe angle is the direction of the tyres relative to the centre-line of the car. A positive toe angle means the tyres are facing ‘inwards’ towards the centre-line when the car is static; a negative toe angle means the tyres are facing ‘outwards’ towards the centre-line of the car when the car is static.

A 3D render of an F2 car showing neutral front camber and toe

Negative front camber angle

Positive front camber angle

Front wheels of an F2 car with toe in

The front wheels of an F2 car with toe out

These angles are chosen – within parameters set by chassis manufacturer Dallara and tyre supplier Pirelli – to ensure that the contact patch between the tyre and the surface is at its maximum when the car is moving. They can however make a great deal of difference as to how the car handles, and how the tyres heat up – so every car might be running a different camber and toe angle depending on a driver’s preferences.

Toe and camber don’t work in a vacuum; teams have to consider the other set-up parameters of the car – including ride-height, downforce and roll-bar stiffness – to optimise the car depending on the driver and the circuit. Furthermore, different set-up parameters optimise different characteristics of the car: a negative camber could result in the tyres heating and reaching their optimal performance window quicker but cause higher tyre wear on the tread of the tyre closest to the suspension.

F2 teams will use simulator sessions, testing and prior experience to establish a baseline set-up for a race weekend. In the sole 45-minute practice session, they hone that baseline to find the best set-up they can for qualifying, the sprint, and feature race.

Given every set-up decision has a trade-off, setting up a car is an art of compromise.

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