Feeder Series Preview: Montreal

Formula 2 and F1 Academy return at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve this weekend | Credit: F1 Academy

Formula 2

After first hosting Formula One in 1978, Formula 2 will make its inaugural trip to Canada nearly 50 years later for the second race of the newly-established North American leg of the 2026 calendar, and the season’s third round. 

Like the preceding round in Miami, all 22 drivers and their teams will be tackling the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in F2 machinery for the first time. 

Whilst Nikola Tsolov and his team Campos Racing proved that it is possible to rebound from a poor start to the weekend, the 45-minute Free Practice session on Friday will serve as valuable track time ahead of Qualifying. A 28-lap Sprint Race and 39-lap Feature Race are also set to take place over the course of the weekend, offering valuable points for those who can adapt to the brand new circuit. 

At 2.71 miles (4.36km) long, the circuit mixes long straights with slow-speed corners, totalling 14 turns. It is lined with narrow concrete walls which leave little room for error, including the infamous Wall of Champions, situated at the exit of turn 14. 

Despite being home to many famous incidents, the chicane at turns 13 and 14 have been labelled some of the best overtaking spots, alongside the hairpin at turn 10 which is situated at the end of a DRS zone. 

Last Time Out

Nikola Tsolov leads the F2 championship by one point, having bounced back from a difficult start to his weekend in Miami | Credit: Formula 2

Kush Maini topped the timesheets in Qualifying to seal pole position for the Feature Race, ahead of Rafael Câmara and Martinius Stenshorne. 

Following a severely compromised Practice Session for Campos Racing, championship leader and Red Bull junior Tsolov defied the odds to qualify tenth, going on to win the Sprint Race from reverse-grid pole. Joining Tsolov on the podium was Laurens van Hoepen and Alex Dunne, who would carry a five-place grid drop for the Feature Race following his collision with Stenshorne at the opening round in Melbourne. 

It would be another woeful Sunday for Rodin Motorsport, with neither driver crossing the finish line for the second round in a row. A rain-soaked and safety car-ridden Feature Race turned into a maiden F2 victory for Gabriele Minì, who took the race lead from Dino Beganovic heading into the final lap, fending off the Swedish driver who finished in second. Câmara took home a second trophy for the weekend, crossing the line to take home third.

Ferrari juniors Dino Beganovic and Rafael Câmara joined race winner Gabriele Minì on the Feature Race podium | Credit: Formula 2

The Championship

Heading into Round 3, Tsolov continues to lead the championship standings with 35 points. Câmara and Minì are both hot on the Bulgarian driver’s heels, tied on 34 points. Whilst currently sitting in third behind Câmara, Minì is the only top three driver to have scored points in every race thus far. 

Fourth place currently belongs to van Hoepen with his total of 26 points, whilst Ritomo Miyata rounds out the top five with 22 points. 

Despite their initial struggles in Miami, Campos Racing lead the Teams’ Championship on 55 points. Invicta Racing occupy second with a total of 50 points, whilst MP Motorsport lie four points further back in fourth. 

F1 Academy

After a long wait, F1 Academy finally returns this weekend for the second round of the season - hosted at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, Canada. 

Following the scheduled round in Jeddah being called off due to geopolitical tension in the region, there are now several changes in place in the series, one of them including the addition of a third race at this round.

The 2026 F1 Academy grid | Credit: F1 Academy

With plenty of action awaiting the F1 Academy paddock, here’s everything you need to know ahead of the second round of the season: including a new weekend format, championship stories and session timings.

Key Stories

The introduction of a third race during the weekend, called the ‘Opening Race’, set to be implemented in Montreal and Austin this year to compensate for the dropped races in Jeddah.

The Opening Race is set to feature beyond 2026 too, giving F1 Academy drivers even more track time and expanding learning opportunities. With this introduction, the formerly called ‘Race 1’ has now been rebranded to ‘Reverse Grid Race’. The Sunday feature race will remain unchanged.

As for the starting grid for the Opening Race, each driver’s second fastest lap time will decide their position for this first race of the weekend. The Opening Race will also follow the same points-system as the Feature Race, while the points allocation for the Reverse Grid Race remains unchanged.

Montreal and Austin will have three races each this season, with the other rounds remaining unchanged |  Credit: F1 Academy

This new format that can be applied at select rounds also gives drivers an extra go at grabbing more points, sure to influence both championships. Currently, Audi’s Emma Felbermayr leads the Drivers’ standings with 31 points after winning the Feature Race in China; closely followed by championship favourite Alisha Palmowski on 25 points and Nina Gademan a further three behind.

In other news, all has not been quiet on the grid during this near three-month hiatus, as the drivers recently completed a round of in-season testing in Silverstone, where the series will be heading later this season for its maiden British round.

Alisha Palmowski set the quickest time of the final day of testing at Silverstone | Credit: F1 Academy

Held on 27th and 28th April, Ella Lloyd went quickest on Day 1 while Palmowski took the top result on the final day. All drivers spent the two days getting acquainted with the iconic racing venue, spending the productive sessions in classic English weather to practice under different conditions.

In other news, this round’s WIld Card Driver has also been confirmed as Autumn Fisher, making her competitive F1 Academy debut supported by Standard Chartered. Fisher previously took part in the series’ first-ever Rookie Test, and also has experience in the British and French F4 championships.

Montreal’s Wild Card Driver, 18-year-old Autumn Fisher | Credit: F1 Academy

Track Preview

The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is a classic on the Formula One calendar, and made its F1 Academy debut last year, also hosting three rounds at the time after a cancelled race in Miami.

Of the current grid, Felbermayr has already tasted victory here, taking the Race 2 win in 2025. The circuit is a well-received racing venue for drivers, and carries much history with it featuring the renowned ‘Wall of Champions’ at Turn 14 as well as the famous Turn 10 hairpin bend.

Circuit Gilles Villeneuve hosts F1 Academy for the second time | Credit: F1 Academy

All three races will feature 17 laps around the 4.361km circuit, the drivers challenged with heavy-braking chicanes, a rapid layout and a stop-start flow that demands precision at every turn.

Session Timings (in GMT)

Free Practice 1: Friday, 14:00

Qualifying: Friday, 23:00

Opening Race: Saturday, 14:45

Reverse Grid Race: Saturday, 23:05

Feature Race: Sunday, 15:45