The FIA F2 championship begins this weekend at Melbourne’s Albert Park for the Australian Grand Prix with a starting grid filled with young talents determined to reach Formula 1.
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The first major point of focus will be the F2 debut of 2025 F3 champion Rafael Camara, a protégé of the Ferrari Driver Academy.
Like his predecessors Gabriel Bortoleto and Leonardo Fornaroli, the Brazilian joins Invicta Racing after his FIA F3 title with Trident.
Camara like Bortoleto?
After a very convincing F3 season and already champion in Formula Regional the previous year, Camara knows, however, that an adaptation period is normal when moving to F2. His initial goal will be consistency, but a quick victory — in Sprint or the feature race — could immediately launch his title campaign.
Another major attraction of the season: the arrival of Colton Herta. At 25, the American leaves the IndyCar Series to try the European adventure with Hitech Grand Prix. Already a test driver for Cadillac’s F1 project, the winner of nine IndyCar races hopes that this move to F2 will open the doors to Grand Prix racing. He can count on the experience of his teammate Ritomo Miyata to adapt to the single-seater. His performance from this first weekend will be closely scrutinized in the paddock.
Dunne aims for the title
Among the title contenders, Alex Dunne appears as one of the favorites. The Rodin Motorsport driver impressed in 2025 with two feature race victories in Bahrain and Imola, before a start incident in Monaco compromised his ambitions against Fornaroli’s comeback. Determined to correct these mistakes, the Irish driver stated that the title is his sole objective this year. He will share the garage with Norwegian Martinius Stenshorne, a fast rookie who could also play the spoiler.
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While we regret the absence of French-speaking drivers in the 2026 field, two French teams are involved with legitimate ambitions for the experienced Dino Beganovic at DAMS and veteran Kush Maini with ART Grand Prix.
Invicta Racing, for its part, will seek to extend its dominance. The team led by James Robinson is aiming for a third consecutive driver-constructor double, a rare performance in the discipline. With Camara and Paraguayan Joshua Dürksen, already an F2 winner, the British outfit has a promising combination. Even though the team has never won in Melbourne, both its drivers already won in Australia in 2025.
Ambitious rookies
Finally, the 2026 season should also highlight a new generation of rookies. Nikola Tsolov at Campos Racing and Stenshorne with Rodin have already shown their speed during their first appearances in 2025. They will be joined by several debutants, including Noel Leon (Campos), Roman Bilinski (DAMS), Mari Boya (Prema), Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak (ART), Emerson Fittipaldi (AIX), and Laurens van Hoepen (Trident).
On a temporary street circuit like Albert Park, mistakes are frequent and opportunities are numerous for drivers capable of staying clean throughout the weekend. Between new faces, title contenders, and paths to Formula 1, this opening round could already provide the first clues about the season’s hierarchy.
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