F1, F2, F3 and F4 Cars for sale

Formula racing cars - the ladder explained

Formula racing is built on a clear progression. Each category represents a defined step - in performance, cost, and competitiveness - making it easier to find the right car for where you are in your career or collection. On 37MOTORSPORT you'll find formula cars spanning the full ladder, from entry-level Formula 4 to historic Formula 1 cars with genuine grand prix history - all belonging to the broader family of single-seater race cars.

Formula 4 - first step above karting

F4 is a relatively young category, introduced by the FIA in 2014 as a standardised, cost-controlled entry point to single-seater racing. Before F4 existed, the transition from karting was fragmented - drivers had to navigate a confusing mix of national Formula Renault, Formula BMW, or regional series with wildly varying costs and competitiveness. F4 changed that by creating a clear, affordable first rung.

Today, F4 cars typically produce around 160hp from a 4-cylinder engine, run on slick tyres, and generate real aerodynamic downforce - enough to give drivers their first proper taste of open-wheel competition without the financial burden of higher formulas. Popular chassis include Tatuus and Mygale, with national championships running across Italy, Germany, Spain, the UK, and beyond. If you're transitioning from karting or looking for an affordable entry into circuit racing, an F4 car is the most logical starting point.

Formula 3 - where serious careers are built

F3 has a long and storied history. For decades it served as the primary proving ground for future world champions - Ayrton Senna's dominant 1983 British F3 season is still talked about as one of the most impressive junior performances in motorsport history. Back then, cars were lighter, simpler, and driven in tight national championships where local rivalries were intense.

Modern F3 is far more international and technically sophisticated. Since the FIA restructured the junior ladder in 2019, F3 now runs as a support series to Formula 1, using Dallara chassis with naturally aspirated engines producing around 380-400hp. DRS was introduced in 2017, adding a strategic layer that didn't exist in the classic era. The step up in mechanical grip, braking performance, and aerodynamic complexity separates modern F3 from everything below it - and cars from recent seasons appear regularly in the market, often freshly rebuilt and ready to race.

Formula 2 - the final step before F1

The category now known as Formula 2 has reinvented itself several times. It grew out of the old GP2 Series, which itself replaced Formula 3000 in 2005. GP2 was rebranded as FIA Formula 2 in 2017 - a deliberate move to make the link to Formula 1 explicit and give the series more prestige. Before that, F3000 in the 1990s was notoriously dangerous and expensive, with a wide variety of chassis and far less control over costs and safety standards.

Today F2 runs a spec Dallara chassis with a turbocharged V6 producing around 620hp, DRS included. It's the series where future Formula 1 drivers prove themselves - almost every F1 grid has drivers who came through F2 in recent years. Buying an ex-F2 car means acquiring one of the most technically advanced spec racing machines outside of F1 itself.

Formula 1 - the pinnacle of motorsport

Formula 1 has changed beyond recognition since the first World Championship race at Silverstone in 1950. Early grand prix cars were front-engined, narrow, and relatively fragile - drivers sat upright and relied as much on mechanical sympathy as outright speed. The mid-engined revolution of the late 1950s, led by Cooper, changed everything. Then came wings and aerodynamics in the late 1960s, ground effect in the 1970s, turbocharged engines in the 1980s, and the electronic revolution of the 1990s.

Modern F1 cars use 1.6-litre V6 hybrid turbo power units exceeding 1000hp, weigh a minimum of 798kg, and generate so much downforce they could theoretically drive upside down. Yet it's the classic and pre-hybrid era cars - 1980s turbo monsters, naturally aspirated V10 and V12 machines from the 1990s and early 2000s, or iconic 1970s ground effect cars - that most commonly change hands privately. Ex-works chassis from teams with genuine championship history are among the most exclusive and sought-after items in all of motorsport collecting.

Robert Kubica is the GOAT.