Formula Two have announced that the Sakhir and Saudi Arabian rounds will be replaced by races in Miami and Montréal.
In March several race events were cancelled following the outbreak of war in the Middle East. Formula One and the FIA cancelled both the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix. The decision also impacted the F2, F3 and F1 Academy championships.
Formula Two’s move to Miami (May 1-3) and Montréal (May 22- 24) marks the first time that the series will race in North America. After the replacement rounds, the championship will return to Europe and the original calendar, with the Monaco race weekend happening on June 4th until June 7th.
Following the news, F1 President and CEO, Stefano Domenicali said:
“While it has not been possible to go ahead with the two races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia this month, and we look forward to being back with our passionate fans there as soon as possible, it is great news for our fans, the drivers and the teams that Formula 2 will be racing in Miami and Montreal. Bruno and the whole F2 family have done a great job, working closely with us, the FIA, and the Miami and Montreal promoters, to ensure we limit the gap in racing for the championship this season and I want to thank them for making this possible. It is going to be fantastic to restart the racing in a few weeks’ time and to have F2 alongside Formula 1 as we return to the US for the first time this season.”
Mohammed Ben Sulayem, FIA President, also said:
“Following the necessary changes to the calendar at the start of the season, the addition of these new rounds ensures the FIA Formula 2 Championship remains strong and balanced, and able to deliver for our teams, drivers and fans. Bringing the championship to North America via Miami and Montreal for the first time marks an important step in its continued global growth, strengthening the pathway alongside Formula One and connecting with new audiences. I thank all those who worked tirelessly to make these rounds possible.
“Our thoughts remain with all those affected by the ongoing events in the Middle East and we continue to hope for a swift return to stability. We look forward to racing in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia very soon.”
Bruno Michel, FIA Formula 2 CEO, said:
“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.”
The revised Formula Two calendar
| Date | Venue |
| 06-08 March | Melbourne, Australia |
| 01-03 May | Miami, USA |
| 22-24 May | Montreal, Canada |
| 04-07 June | Monte-Carlo, Monaco |
| 12-14 June | Barcelona, Spain |
| 26-28 June | Spielberg, Austria |
| 03-05 July | Silverstone, Great Britain |
| 17-19 July | Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium |
| 24-26 July | Budapest, Hungary |
| 04-06 September | Monza, Italy |
| 11-13 September | Madrid, Spain |
| 24-26 September | Baku, Azerbaijan |
| 27-29 November | Lusail, Qatar |
| 04-06 December | Yas Island, UAE |
Colton Herta has been rumoured to be Andretti’s fourth entry for the Indianapolis 500 as a one-off entry following his surprise switch to Formula Two, however the rumours look to be untrue as the Canadian Grand Prix will overlap with the Indy 500.