Debriefing Formula 2's Miami Debut: Key Storylines from Round 2

Formula 2’s inaugural visit to Miami delivered an unforgettable weekend of motorsport, featuring three days of relentless on-track action. From a tightly contested Qualifying session to two exceptionally entertaining races, the Sunshine State provided a spectacular backdrop for the second round of the 2026 campaign.

2026: The Closest Season in F2 History?

Sunday’s Feature Race was equally dramatic, as Gabriele Minì beat Dino Beganovic by just 0.980 seconds to claim victory. To put this into perspective, the largest margin of victory so far in 2026 occurred in the opening race of the season, when Joshua Duerksen defeated Noel León by 2.1 seconds.

This unprecedented closeness can be attributed to the teams entering their third year with the current generation of F2 machinery. With a deeper understanding of the cars, the performance delta across the grid has shrunk significantly, resulting in closer racing. Coupled with an exceptionally talented 2026 grid, we are witnessing what could be the tightest championship battle in Formula 2 history.

Currently, the top three drivers in the Drivers' Standings are separated by a single point. While the season is still in its infancy, the foundation has been laid for a truly special campaign. Round 3 in Montreal cannot arrive soon enough.

Trident’s Resurgence

Following a grueling 2025 season where they managed to score just two points, Trident departed Miami as arguably the happiest team in the paddock. The Italian team has started the 2026 campaign in a much better place.

Van Hoepen’s second-place finish in the Sprint Race marked his—and the team’s—second podium in as many rounds. He has single-handedly scored all 26 of Trident’s points this year, elevating them to fifth in the Teams’ Standings.

Team Manager Giacomo Ricci emphasized the extensive winter work that prepared the squad for this current campaign, and the results clearly validate that they have taken a step forward. While Ricci was full of praise for van Hoepen’s stellar performances, he also made sure to highlight John Bennett. According to the team boss, Bennett is closer to his teammates than the current results suggest. If Bennett can begin scoring points soon, Trident could be on the verge of their best season in recent memory.

Hitech’s Sunday Masterclasses

Hitech may not have secured the podiums or victories they would have been hoping for so far, but their form—particularly on Sundays—has been eye-catching.

Neither Ritomo Miyata nor Colton Herta has managed to qualify inside the top 10 yet. However, both drivers have finished in the points in each Feature Race this season. The Japanese driver’s performance in Miami was particularly striking; he gained a total of 16 places across both races, finishing 12th in the Sprint and an impressive sixth in the Feature Race after qualifying in P17. Herta mirrored this upward mobility, ending up in P8 on Sunday after lining up in 14th.

The teams will be eager to improve their form on Fridays, as they have shown they have the pace to fight towards the front. If they do, both drivers could be in the hunt for podiums and possibly victories.

Rodin’s Mixed Fortunes

For Rodin Motorsport, it has been a season of mixed results. While only Campos and Invicta Racing (3) have more podiums than them (2), and no individual driver has more trips to the rostrum than Alexander Dunne (2), it has not been an easy first two rounds.

So far, neither Dunne nor Martinius Stenshorne has finished a Feature Race. Despite both drivers qualifying in the top five, two DNFs each mean they are yet to score any points on Sundays.

Dunne does have two podiums in the Sprint, while Stenshorne has shown tremendous pace and potential, and yet still both are outside of the top 10 in the Drivers’ Standings.

It is still early in the season and neither Championship has been won or lost, but Rodin will be eager to have a clean weekend in Montreal to get their title challenges up and running.