Rowland praises F2’s ‘stern’ stance on tyres
Oliver Rowland has praised Formula 2’s “stern” stance in maintaining high levels of tyre degradation, as it continues to contribute to entertaining races.
Rowland finished third in the F2 drivers’ championship in 2017 – his second full season at GP2/F2 level – claiming two races victories in Monaco and Hungary.
While Formula 1 adopted more durable tyres last season in conjunction with a new set of technical regulations designed to make the cars faster, F2 retained it’s characteristic of racing with tyre compounds that degrade heavily.
Despite a departure from F1 relevance, Rowland has acknowledged the benefits of F2’s approach.
“We don’t see much degradation in F1, especially this year,” Rowland stated when speaking on stage at Autosport International.
“The tyres are probably a bit too good and it’s made the racing less exciting at times, but F2 is quite stern with their approach.
“They want a lot of tyre degradation, as it makes the races more exciting – not only do you have to be fast, but you have to think and learn about other things, so you have to manage your tyres.
“At the same time, we have to race all of our competitors in the same cars. There’s a lot to manage within one category.”
When speaking to Read Motorsport, Rowland added; “The F2 Pirelli degradation is abnormal [compared to other categories], but I actually quite like that.
“It’s a different element, and the driver has to think about it a bit more and do his own thing.”
Rowland has yet to announce his plans for 2018, but a third full season in F2 is the Englishman’s preferred option.
A split programme featuring a second series is also possible, with Rowland having been linked with Super Formula after attending a post-season test at Suzuka in December.
GP3 graduate Nirei Fukuzumi is already confirmed to dovetail F2 and Super Formula duties in 2018, giving preference to the former in rounds which coincide.
“I have quite a lot options on the table in different categories but for sure I want to keep pushing for F1 and I think that F2 is probably the place you need to be in order to get there,” said Rowland.
“So, in my mind, I would like to stay around there and maybe mix it with some other interesting things as well during the year.”