FIA FORMULA 2 – SEASON OPENER AT MELBOURNE, THE FULL GRID

The 2026 Formula 2 season kicks off this weekend in Melbourne and could well be one of the most open campaigns in recent years. With rookies coming from a very strong F3 generation and experienced drivers ready to fight for the title, the level looks incredibly high.

A Title Fight Between Invicta and Rodin?

After promising winter testing, two drivers appear to stand out from the pack: Rafael Câmara and Alex Dunne seem to be the main favorites. Reigning teams’ champion Invicta Racing once again fields the reigning F3 champion, as has often been the case in recent years, this time with Rafael Câmara.

Invicta Racing emerged as the standout across the three days. Rafael Câmara set the fastest time of the entire test, and did so with authority, while teammate Joshua Duerksen also topped a session.

Close behind, Campos Racing look ready to challenge. Noel León was consistently competitive and topped Day 1, while Nikola Tsolov also featured near the front. Campos did not dominate, but they showed enough pace on both short and longer runs to suggest they will be in the fight from the outset.

Still, testing times must be treated with caution. Fuel loads, tyre strategies and engine modes vary widely, meaning raw lap time does not always reflect true race pace. What testing does show, however, is direction, and right now, Invicta appear to have found theirs.

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The 2026 Grid

Invicta Racing

The most successful team of recent seasons lines up a very strong duo, led by the reigning Formula 3 champion.

Rafael Câmara, a Ferrari junior driver, arrives with huge expectations after his F3 campaign. Quick in all conditions, the Brazilian will need to adapt to F2 machinery. He is clearly seen as the favorite, but the title fight could be extremely close this season.

Joshua Dürksen begins a new season aiming to fight regularly for wins and challenge for the title. With more experience, the new Mercedes junior will need to take on the leadership role and convert his consistency into victories within a front-running team.

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Hitech

Always ambitious, Hitech relies on an experienced and promising pairing after a strong 2025 season that ended with P2 in the teams’ championship.

Ritomo Miyata starts a new F2 campaign after finishing 17th in the 2025 standings. The Japanese driver will have to lead the team against a new teammate discovering the category.

Colton Herta is one of the major attractions of the 2026 season. The American arrives with high expectations and a clear short-term goal of reaching Formula 1. His race management and adaptation to F2 will be key factors.

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Campos Racing

Campos fields two highly anticipated and promising rookies, with the objective of securing another top-three finish in the teams’ standings.

Noel León continues his progression after finishing 17th in F3 in 2025. He will have to measure himself against Nikola Tsolov, last season’s F3 vice-champion.

Nikola Tsolov is among the most awaited profiles on the grid. The aggressive and talented Red Bull junior could challenge the very best and aim for the title this season.

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DAMS

DAMS could be one of the pleasant surprises of the season with a very solid driver pairing.

Dino Beganovic, a Ferrari academy driver, now has the experience required to fight at the front. After a strong 2025 season, he must beat his teammate and establish himself as the team leader.

Roman Bilinski, 11th in F3 last year, will be one of the drivers to watch. Regular points finishes will be the main objective, and perhaps a few podiums. He will be well supported internally by his Swedish teammate.

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MP Motorsport

MP Motorsport fields an experienced duo after a solid 2025 season.

Gabriele Minì, the young Italian talent, endured a difficult 2025 campaign with PREMA. He joins MP for a fresh challenge and could produce some standout performances throughout the year.

Oliver Goethe remains with MP this season and will need to improve his consistency to turn potential into strong results.

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PREMA Racing

Always highly anticipated, PREMA presents an interesting duo after a rare winless 2025 season.

Sebastián Montoya now has enough experience to aim high. He will need to embrace the internal leadership role against a promising teammate.

Mari Boya arrives with the reputation of a high-potential driver. The Aston Martin junior finished third in the 2025 Formula 3 season. His early adaptation will define his ambitions for the year.

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Rodin Motorsport

Rodin bets on youth and could be one of the surprises of 2026.

Martinius Stenshorne is one of the talents to follow this season after completing three F2 weekends at the end of last year. Fifth in F3, he will need to match a teammate targeting the title.

Alex Dunne, recently announced by Alpine, will be the driver attempting to rival Rafael Câmara for the championship. The young Irishman is considered a short-term F1 seat candidate. If he manages to control his aggression on track, he will almost certainly fight for the title.

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ART Grand Prix

After a difficult 2025 season and an eighth-place finish in the standings, the French team ART Grand Prix will be eager to bounce back.

Kush Maini begins another F2 campaign, bringing experience and valuable championship knowledge to his young teammate.

Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak steps up to Formula 2 after a successful F3 season (7th in the championship) and will need to adapt quickly to support his teammate.

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AIX Racing

The 2026 season could prove even more difficult for AIX, with a driver pairing lacking experience in the championship.

Emerson Fittipaldi Jr, son of the two-time Brazilian world champion, makes the jump to F2 after a quiet Eurocup-3 season where he finished 12th overall.

Cian Shields starts his second full season in the category after finishing P24 in 2025.

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Van Amersfoort Racing

After finishing 10th in the 2025 standings, the Dutch team counts on a promising duo to improve this year.

Nicolás Varrone discovers single-seaters at this level and will contest his first full F2 season. His adaptation will be closely watched.

Rafael Villagómez, who secured two podiums in 2025, will need to act as team leader and should frequently be seen fighting for points.

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Trident

Trident endured an extremely difficult 2025 season and must recover this year.

Laurens Van Hoepen, 12th in F3 in 2025, will complete his first full Formula 2 season.

John Bennett, who scored only one point in 2025, is expected to lead the team at the start of the season. The internal battle will be interesting to follow.

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The 2026 F2 grid combines a variety of exciting profiles, but the series remains unpredictable. The championship fight could ultimately be decided by consistency rather than speed. One thing is certain: the 2026 season promises to be intense.