Formula 2 commentator Chris McCarthy believes the addition of Miami and Canada to the 2026 calendar will bring opportunities for this years rookie drivers.
The series revealed a revised schedule with F2’s first trip across the Atlantic, after Rounds 2 and 3 in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia were cancelled due to the conflict in the Middle East.
“I’m so excited,” Chris told The F2 Show by InsideF2. “Those two rounds were a huge loss to the championship and when I heard we were going to Miami and Canada, I was just so excited.”
He said a huge bonus for fans attending the F1 events in Miami and Montreal to see the F1 stars of the future on track.
“45 minutes of practice is going to be tough and it opens up the grid massively. It gives the rookies a real chance of taking some wins,” Chris said.
Watch out for different strategies and mistakes being punished
Formula 2 has visited the cancelled Sakhir and Jeddah venues for many years, meaning the teams have plenty of historical data to use when putting together their strategies.
But for the trips across the Atlantic, they won’t have that luxury.
“There’s going to be no clear strategy,” Chris said. “We’re going into a black canvas, so I’m really interested to see how they tackle it.”
Both circuits should provide plenty of overtaking opportunities, with the help of DRS (Drag Reduction System), which will be a factor in how teams execute their races.
But with the walls close at both tracks, errors will be punished.
The Montreal circuit is home to the famous Wall of Champions, christened so after F1 Champions Michael Schumacher, Jacques Villeneuve and Damon Hill all ended their 1999 Canadian Grand Prix in the wall on the exit of the final chicane.
Over the years, other champions have since found their way into the exit barrier and Chris reckons we could see an F2 driver add their name to the list of racers who’ve hit the famous wall.
“I think it will be visited,” he said. “The leaders won’t want to push too hard through the chicane and second place will be giving it everything.”
REVISED 2026 F2 CALENDAR ??
Three new stops join the schedule this season this season: Miami, Montreal, and Madrid ??#F2 #RoadToF1 pic.twitter.com/tfCiEwxb6T
— Formula 2 (@Formula2) April 9, 2026
Melbourne winner looking forward to new races
It’s not only Chris and F2 fans getting excited about the visit to Miami and Canada, it’s the drivers too.
Invicta Racing’s Joshua Durksen told us he’s “super excited” to get on track in North America.
“It’s going to be two new tracks for everybody,” he said, adding that he is excited to visit Canada, saying it’s a country he’s long wanted to go to and dreamed of racing in Montreal since he was a child.
The Melbourne Sprint Race winner added that both tracks look “amazing”.
He said: “There’s a very nice combination in Miami with high-speed corners and super-tight low speed corners.
“Canada has a lot of chicanes, a street track and very challenging, buts it’s going to be super fun.”
Image Credit – Formula Motorsport Limited via Getty Images
