Editing Formula Two (section)

=== Official beginnings (post war–1953) ===
[[File:Ferrari 166 F2 - Museo Ferrari (17946190090).jpg|thumb|[[Ferrari 166 F2]]]]
In 1946, the 3.0 L supercharged rules were abandoned and Formulas A and B (later 1 and 2) introduced, effective from 1 January 1947. Formula A permitted the old 4.5 L naturally aspirated cars, but as the 3.0 L supercharged cars were more than a match for these (and the pre-War German and Italian cars were no longer available), the old 1.5 L ''voiturette'' formula replaced 3.0 L supercharged cars in an attempt to equalise performance.

This left no category below Formula A/Formula One, so Formula Two (originally known as Formula B) was first formally codified by the [[FIA]] as a smaller and cheaper complement to the Grand Prix cars of the era to be effective from 1 January 1948 . Among the races held in this first year of Formula Two was the [[1948 Stockholm Grand Prix]].

In 1948 [[Scuderia Ferrari]] built the [[Ferrari 166 F2]], which made its racing debut at the Florence Grand Prix on September 26, 1948.

The rules limited engines to two-litre naturally aspirated or 500 cc supercharged (an option very rarely used). As a result, the cars were smaller, lighter, and cheaper than those used in Formula One. This encouraged new marques such as [[Cooper Car Company|Cooper]] to move up to Formula Two, before competing against large manufacturers like [[Alfa Romeo (Formula One)|Alfa Romeo]] and [[Maserati]].

In fact, Formula One in its early years attracted so few entrants that in 1952 and 1953 all World Championship [[Grand Prix motor racing|Grand Prix]] races, except the unique [[Indianapolis 500]], were run in Formula Two (there were, however, non-championship Formula One events).