FORMULA 2 ADDS EXTRA FEATURE RACE IN BAKU AS DOUBTS GROW OVER FINALE
Formula 2 has announced a “supersized” weekend for its next round in Baku. Round 12 of the 2026 season, at the Baku City Circuit from 24 to 26 September, will include a second qualifying session and a second Feature Race, for a total of five competitive sessions across three days.
The format is the same one Formula 3 used last weekend at the Madring. On Thursday morning, drivers will have one 45-minute practice session, followed in the afternoon by two back-to-back 20-minute qualifying sessions.
On Friday morning, the Sprint Race will use a reversed grid based on the first qualifying session. On Friday afternoon, Feature Race 1 will start in the order of the first qualifying session, while on Saturday morning, Feature Race 2 will use the results of the second one.
Pole position in each qualifying session will be worth two points, and both Feature Races will offer the normal points, plus one point for the fastest lap if the driver finishes in the top 10.
The whole programme starts a day earlier than usual, because the Azerbaijan Grand Prix will be held on Saturday to avoid a clash with the country’s Remembrance Day on 27 September.
F2 CEO Bruno Michel explained that, since F2 is the only support series in Baku, there is space in the timetable for extra sessions, and that this is the only weekend where that is possible. He also said the series will go back to its usual format for the final two rounds in Doha and Yas Marina.
The extra points could have a big impact on the title fight. After Madrid, Nikola Tsolov leads with 177 points, only seven ahead of Rafael Câmara, with Gabriele Minì on 153 and Alex Dunne on 139. Two Feature Race wins alone are worth 50 points.
The announcement arrived just ten days before the event, and several outlets have asked whether it is a sign of what could happen at the end of the season. The Qatar Grand Prix on 29 November and the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on 6 December are still on the calendar, but both are uncertain because of the conflict in the Middle East.
The Bahrain Grand Prix has already been moved to Sepang, in Malaysia, for early October, while F2 replaced its lost Bahrain and Saudi Arabia rounds with Miami and Montreal earlier this year.
Italian reports say Imola is ready to host the final Formula 1 race of the season on 6 December, and it is often named as the most likely alternative. However, F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has said the calendar remains unchanged for now, and F2 still lists Qatar and Abu Dhabi as its final rounds. A final decision on the last races of the season is expected in the coming weeks.
Share this content:
