FIA confirm major calendar change

The FIA has confirmed two new rounds for the Formula 2 calendar after the cancellation of the Middle Eastern events.

Following the war outbreak in the region, the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix were called off.

F2 was due to support the F1 schedule at these rounds after its schedule kicked off in Australia.

However, the cancellations created a mammoth three-month gap in the schedule with F2 not due to return until Monaco in the opening week of June.

However, the FIA has now announced that Miami (May 1 - 3) and Montreal (May 22 - 24) will fill in for the Middle Eastern races.

In a statement, the FIA said: “FIA Formula 2 announce that Miami and Montreal will host Rounds 2 and 3 of the 2026 calendar, alongside Formula 1 – the first time the Championship will race in North America. 

“The opportunity for Miami and Montreal to join the F2 calendar has come about following the news that the Sakhir and Jeddah Rounds will not take place in April.

“The FIA Formula 2 championship will go to Miami, USA, on May 1-3 for what will be the second Round of the 2026 season, followed by Montreal, Canada on May 22-24, as Round 3, before returning to Europe, starting with Monte-Carlo, Monaco, on June 04-07. 

Formula 3, however, will not follow suit and is scheduled to return on the Monaco Grand Prix weekend at the start of June.

Reacting to the news, F2 CEO Bruno Michel said: “We always love to race in Sakhir and Jeddah, and we wish them well and look forward to returning to both as soon as circumstances allow. 

“We are now going to Miami and Montreal for the second and third rounds of the 2026 season, respectively. 

“I would like to thank Stefano Domenicali 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. 

“It will be a great new challenge for our teams and our drivers, who have all welcomed the news with enthusiasm. I am certain that the quality of racing will bring a lot of excitement to the fans and to everyone attending both Grands Prix.”