FIA confirms Miami and Canada races after Middle East round cancellations

April 10, 2026 Oliver Obel

Formula 2 will race in North America for the first time in 2026 after two new rounds were added to the calendar following disruption to the opening phase of the season.

The move follows changes to the Formula 1 schedule, with the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix no longer set to take place in April due to the ongoing situation in the Middle East. That decision reduced the F1 calendar from 24 to 22 races.

Protecting a shorter championship

While Formula 1 opted not to replace those events, Formula 2 faced a different challenge. With only 14 rounds in its season, losing two weekends would have had a significant impact on the championship battle and driver development opportunities.

SportBible reported that the FIA chose to maintain the full F2 schedule by relocating the affected rounds rather than removing them entirely.

Miami and Montreal confirmed

Formula 2 subsequently confirmed that Miami and Montreal will host rounds two and three of the 2026 campaign, both running alongside their respective Formula 1 weekends.

Beyond filling gaps in the calendar, the addition is notable for another reason: it marks the series’ first races in North America, a region where Formula 1 has seen rapid growth in recent years.

F2 CEO Bruno Michel said: “I would like to thank Stefano Domenicali [F1 CEO] and Formula 1 for their support in making this possible, and also the FIA, the promoters of the Miami and Canadian Grands Prix, and of course my team, who have worked hard to put in place two new Rounds in such a short amount of time.

“It was not an easy thing to do, but bringing F2 to North America for the first time is really fantastic. It's something we have been wanting to do for a long time, and it enables us to ensure we're back racing as quickly as possible.”

The expanded reach could also give teams and drivers greater exposure in a key commercial market for the sport.

Spotlight on Herta’s F1 push

The reshaped calendar comes at a pivotal time for Colton Herta, who has switched from IndyCar to Formula 2 with Hitech while also holding a reserve role with Cadillac’s planned Formula 1 entry.

Herta, a nine-time IndyCar race winner, is aiming to secure the Super Licence points required to race in F1. Because the system uses a rolling points total across multiple seasons, his exact target depends on how earlier results are counted, but a strong finish near the top of the standings would likely be enough to qualify.

Several IndyCar drivers have already met the Super Licence criteria, including Alex Palou, Pato O’Ward and Scott McLaughlin. Palou, the reigning IndyCar champion, is a four-time title winner in the series.

Despite the early disruption, the revised schedule ensures the full F2 season will go ahead, preserving opportunities for drivers to progress toward Formula 1.

Sources: SportBible, FIA Formula 2, Formula 1