The FIA has launched the tender process for the proposed FIA Formula 2 Championship.

Interested parties are invited to tender to become the exclusive supplier of the single seat, open wheel racing cars to be used by the competitors in the 2009, 2010 and 2011 FIA Formula 2 Championship. The Championship will comprise ten events in Europe between the months of April and September.

The FIA hopes that the cost to a competitor of competing in the Championship for a calendar year – to include full participation in all official testing and events – could be in the region of 200,000 Euros per car, though no minimum or maximum price is indicated in this tender.

Further details regarding the series are set out in the actual 74-page tender document, and these include:

The Championship will comprise ten events in Europe between the months of April and September.

Each event will comprise one hour of free practice, one hour of qualifying and one race of approximately 175km.

Each event will take place over a Saturday and Sunday.

There will be six official testing events of one day each – three before the first race of the season and three during the season.

Official testing events may take place on any day of the week.

Competitors will be permitted to enter up to two drivers in the Championship but must enter for the entire season – event-by-event entry will not be permitted.

The supplier will be permitted to reserve for itself and its partners or subcontractors a certain percentage (not more than 20%) and section of each car’s externally visible surface area for sponsorship. Competitors will be permitted to design the livery for the remaining percentage and sections of the car’s externally visible surface area, which the supplier will paint in a neutral manner and which will be supplied to the competitors free from any colouring, stickering, advertising or other indications of brands or brand names.

The cars are to be designed, produced and delivered in a timely manner by the winning tenderer to the location of each official testing and event.

To ensure sporting equality among competitors:

The cars to be supplied must be identical, insofar as practicable;

Competitors will draw lots to determine which individual car they use at each given event and official testing;