The debut of Formula 2 in North America could represent the beginning of a permanent presence of the category on the continent. After a weekend considered successful in Miami, Formula 2 officials are already discussing the possibility of making races in the United States and Canada permanent rounds on the calendar.
This movement gained momentum after the category had to reorganize its 2026 season due to the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabia rounds because of geopolitical tensions. To avoid a nearly three-month gap without races between Australia and Monaco, Formula 2 was added to the weekends of the Miami and Canadian Formula 1 GPs.
The race in Miami marked a historic moment for the junior category. For the first time, Formula 2 crossed the Atlantic to compete in North America, something that not even the former GP2 had done before. The Sprint race was won by Nikola Tsolov, from Campos Racing, while the main race ended with a victory for Gabriele Mini, from MP Motorsport.
Formula 2 CEO Bruno Michel admitted that there are already talks about a possible return to North America in the future. According to him, Montreal emerges as a simpler possibility, while Miami presents greater challenges due to the event structure and existing support categories.
“We are discussing this. With Montreal, we are really talking. Miami is a bit more complicated for a simple reason: Miami already has support races, and they are good. There are the Porsche and McLaren trophies, so it wasn’t easy,” Michel said.
The official also explained that Formula 2 today depends entirely on the operational structure of Formula 1, which prevents holding independent events. According to Michel, systems such as race direction, DRS, and the entire technical operation make it unfeasible to organize races outside the main category’s weekends: “We can no longer hold independent events. We are very integrated with Formula 1 systems, with FIA, race direction, and DRS. It would be almost impossible to compete in the same way without Formula 1,” he said.
Michel also highlighted the strategic importance of the North American market for the category’s future. The CEO believes that racing in the United States helps increase Formula 2’s visibility and can bring more American drivers closer to the path toward Formula 1: “It is very important for Formula 2 to be there. It is important to be seen. It is also important so that American drivers want to come to F2 and try to reach Formula 1 afterward. I am sure there will be other opportunities because F1 also races in Austin and Las Vegas,” he added.
According to Michel, the arrival in North America required a large logistical operation and accelerated negotiations with Miami and Montreal. Still, the official said the effort was worth it and made it clear that the category wants to strengthen its presence in the American market in the coming years.
