The World Motor Sport Council has confirmed that the GP2 Series will be known as Formula 2 with immediate effect.
FIA president Jean Todt has pushed throughout his presidency to reform the junior single-seater ladder, with the creation of national Formula 4 championships and the strengthening of the European Formula 3 series being key achievements.
Reviving F2 was a key aim for Todt, the category last being run by Motorsport Vision from 2009 to 2012 before collapsing, and the creation of a new series was approved by the WMSC back in 2015.
Following the sale of the Formula One Group to Liberty Media, talks to rebrand GP2 as F2 has sped up, with the change for 2017 being confirmed on Thursday.
“The World Motor Sport Council approved the creation of the FIA Formula 2 Championship for 2017 onwards,” a statement reads.
“The FIA reached an agreement with the Formula One Group regarding the transition of the GP2 Series to FIA Formula 2, and the series will support the FIA Formula One World Championship in all but one of the dates.”
The calendar for F2 in 2017 remains unchanged from that of GP2, supporting Formula 1 at 10 rounds and enjoying a standalone event at Jerez in October.
“Completing this process with Formula One Group and bringing FIA Formula 2 to life is a very important step,” Todt said.
“The championship will provide the final level for junior drivers who are looking to reach the ultimate goal of Formula One, and we have achieved a key target for the FIA in completing our single-seater pyramid.
“In recent years we have developed a hugely successful program of FIA Formula 4 championships in 12 countries around the world, the FIA F3 European Championship has become very strong and competitive, and now we have this final piece of the puzzle.
“I am also very pleased to see that we are already working in the same direction as Formula One Group, and I am sure that this positive relationship will continue to benefit our sport.”
2017 FIA Formula 2 Calendar
1. Sakhir, Bahrain – 14-16 April
2. Barcelona, Spain – 12-14 May
3. Monte Carlo, Monaco – 25-27 May
4. Baku, Azerbaijan – 23-25 June
5. Spielberg, Austria – 7-9 July
6. Silverstone, Great Britain – 14-16 July
7. Budapest, Hungary – 28-30 July
8. Spa, Belgium – 25-27 August
9. Monza, Italy – 1-3 September
10. Jerez, Spain – 6-8 October
11. Abu Dhabi – 24-26 November