There was a time at the start of the 2010s when the Formula Renault 3.5 series - or World Series by Renault - was considered the superior feeder series to Formula 1, compared to GP2.

Red Bull, for example, usually preferred to place its junior drivers in FR3.5. Current F1 racers Sebastian Vettel, Daniel Ricciardo and Carlos Sainz Jr were the most high-profile drivers to eschew the feeder category sitting on the F1 bill, while Jean-Eric Vergne and Jaime Alguersuari did the same on their paths to grand prix racing.

Unlike GP2, the FR3.5 car ran low-degradation Michelin tyres, which drivers loved. While the racing was less frenetic than its counterpart, there was less variance in results. The cream rose to the top, without a second race artificially pushing said cream down the bottle.