2026 Formula 2 season preview

The 2026 Formula 2 season will begin at the start of March with the Australian GP and end in December in Abu Dhabi. 11 teams and 22 drivers will compete, including Roman Biliński. The 2026 Formula 2 season preview includes information about regulations, broadcasts, team lineups, and the calendar.

Read more Ferrari should have an advantage at the start in 2026

Formula 2 is a series that has been the direct feeder for Formula 1 since 2017, when it replaced GP2 in this role. Formula 2 should feature the most talented young drivers who then advance to F1. This is not always successful because the costs of competing in F2 are high, so some drivers must direct their careers to other racing series. F2 series events take place on the same weekends as F1; in 2026, this will happen during fourteen Grands Prix. F1 teams that run their junior programs usually place their proteges in F2, as it is the best place to finally test them.

In Formula 2, all teams have the same cars, which means the competition is very level. F2 races are interesting, there are many overtaking maneuvers, and at the same time, there aren’t as many mistakes and unnecessary collisions as in lower junior series. Formula 2 is the pinnacle of junior series, so the costs of competing for drivers are high and exceed two million euros per year. Therefore, you need to have your own sponsors and money. Most of the grid consists of talented drivers, but there are also those who simply presented the best financial offers and were hired, despite not having good results in other junior series previously. In 2026, for the first time in this incarnation of Formula 2, a representative of Poland, Roman Biliński, will compete.

Cars used in Formula 2 in 2026

In junior series, everyone uses the same cars, and their generations have been changed every few years. In Formula 2, the last change in car design was in 2024; since then, “Dallara F2 2024” cars designed by Dallara have been used. Power units are produced by Mecachrome, the fuel supplier is Aramco, and tires are provided by Pirelli. F2 cars are quite large, with a length of 5.28 meters and a width of 1.9 meters. They are powered by a 3.4-liter V6 turbo engine with 620 HP produced by Mecachrome, fueled by 100% sustainable fuel based on biocomponents. The total weight of the car including the driver is 795 kg. Pirelli tires with 18-inch rims are used. The DRS system is used in the F2 series on the same principles as previously in F1. The aerodynamic design is intended to allow closer wheel-to-wheel racing between drivers. Full F2 series car specification here.

Formula 2 team lineups for the 2026 season

In Formula 2 in the 2026 season, eleven teams will participate again, the same teams as in the previous year. All teams participating in F2 do so based on three-year contracts valid from 2024, so there may be changes among the teams for the 2027 season.

Invicta Racing: Rafael Câmara and Joshua Dürksen

Hitech Grand Prix: Ritomo Miyata and Colton Herta

Campos Racing: Noel León and Nikola Tsolov

DAMS Lucas Oil: Dino Beganovic and Roman Biliński

MP Motorsport: Gabriele Minì and Oliver Goethe

Prema Racing: Sebastián Montoya and Mari Boya

Rodin Motorsport: Martinius Stenshorne and Alex Dunne

ART Grand Prix: Kush Maini and Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak

Van Amersfoort Racing: Emerson Fittipaldi Jr. and Cian Shields

AIX Racing: Nicolás Varrone and Rafael Villagómez

Trident: Laurens van Hoepen and John Bennett

Knowing the specifics of Formula 2, several changes in the lineups will occur at the end of the season.

As many as half of the grid in 2026 are rookies, but some of them drove in individual F2 races at the end of the 2025 season. They are considered rookies by Formula 2 because they did not have full-time contracts for the entire previous year. Rookies are marked on the F2 graphic below with the word “Rookie” under their name.

Roman Biliński in Formula 2 in 2026

From the perspective of Polish fans, Roman Biliński’s participation in F2 in 2026 will definitely be the most important. Since the creation of the GP2 series in 2005, which changed its name to Formula 2 in 2017, we have not had a representative of Poland. In 2011, Kevin Mirocha drove in GP2, but he used a German license then. Robert Kubica, Kuba Giermaziak, and Artur Janosz participated in official GP2 tests. Roman Biliński, after a successful season in Formula 3, will hope for at least similar results in Formula 2. He signed a contract with a good team, DAMS Lucas Oil. He will have a very strong partner, as it will be the second season in F2 for Dino Beganovic, so he has a significant experience advantage. The Swede has belonged to the Ferrari Driver Academy for many years.

In the F2 team lineups for the 2026 season, there are ten drivers directly linked to F1 junior programs, as well as several others who were recently in these programs or have other connections to F1. In recent years, many drivers from F2 have made it to Formula 1, but there is no such guarantee. A good example is last year’s champion Leonardo Fornaroli, who could only count on a reserve role at McLaren. Among the drivers starting the 2026 season in F2 are several serious players. Colton Herta stands out, who regardless of results should end up at Cadillac in F1 within a year or two. Rafael Camara, who belongs to the Ferrari academy, is a great talent. If he shows good results, he has a chance to reach F1 soon. Personally, I will be following Alex Dunne and Nikola Tsolov even more closely, as they are aggressive drivers with potential.

2026 Formula 2 season calendar

In 2026, F2 events will accompany fourteen Grand Prix events, and two races will take place during each weekend. The calendar thus totals 28 races. Drivers will compete for the first time on the new Madring track in Madrid. The race weekend in Monaco will last from Thursday to Sunday, and in Azerbaijan from Thursday to Saturday.

By clicking on the track name in the table, you can learn about its characteristics.

Read more Ferrari should have an advantage at the start in 2026

F2 race weekend format in 2026

In 2026, Formula 2 will use the well-known and proven weekend format during which two races take place. Every Friday, a 45-minute practice and 30-minute qualifying will be held. On Saturday, a sprint race will take place over a distance of 120 km or lasting a maximum of 45 minutes. On Sunday morning, the feature race will take place over a distance of 170 km or lasting a maximum of 60 minutes. During it, each driver must perform a mandatory pit stop during which all wheels are changed. During the feature race, two different Pirelli tire compounds must be used.

The results of Friday’s qualifying directly determine the starting order for the main Sunday race. The starting order for Saturday’s sprint race is also determined based on Friday’s qualifying results, but with the top ten positions reversed. The remaining starting positions are according to the qualifying results.

Scoring in Formula 2 in 2026

The scoring rules in Formula 2 have not been modified before the 2026 season and are as follows:

Two points are awarded to the driver who starts the feature race from Pole Position.

In the sprint race, points are scored by the top eight drivers according to the system: 10, 8, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1.

In the main Sunday race, more points are available for the top ten drivers: 25, 18, 15, 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2, and 1.