F2 eyes permanent North American future after historic Miami and Montréal debut

Formula 2's landmark arrival in North America this month may prove to be far more than a one-off fix for a disrupted calendar. Bruno Michel, the CEO of both F2 and F3, has confirmed that his organisation is actively in discussions about securing a permanent foothold on the continent — a development that could reshape the feeder series landscape for years to come.

An Opportunity Born From Crisis

In fact, talks with Canadian promoters about a race at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve had already been underway, albeit with a view to 2027. The loss of the Middle Eastern rounds — a situation Formula 1 itself has been navigating carefully — accelerated those conversations dramatically, pulling the potential Montréal appearance forward by a full year.

Miami was a different story. The discussions there only gathered pace once the geopolitical situation made the Middle Eastern cancellations look increasingly likely.

"The interesting thing is that I had been talking to Montréal a bit earlier, but about the future, not about '26," Michel explained. "Montréal had asked me whether we would come for '26, but I had to say, 'No guys, my calendar is already finished. We're not going to change it'.

"So I thought, maybe there's a possibility, and since we were trying to optimise all the costs of coming to North America, it made complete sense to discuss with Miami as well, to have all the freight going to America, and then from Miami to Montréal by truck. It was quite a simple thing to think about."

'We Had No Paddock'

Executing the idea, however, was anything but simple — particularly in Miami, where the existing support race programme left precious little room for F2 to integrate.

"It was not completely obvious for them," Michel acknowledged. "It was a question of organisation. Miami immediately said they were interested, but we had no paddock, so we had to create one from zero, quite far away. It was really difficult to put together."

Despite those logistical hurdles, the Miami weekend proved to be an overwhelming success. The racing itself delivered on every level — as a closer look at how Nikola Tsolov and Gabriele Minì won the Sprint and Feature Race confirmed — and Montréal is expected to follow suit.

The Road to a Permanent Deal

With the debut now behind them, the focus turns to what comes next. Michel was candid when asked whether Miami and Canada could become permanent fixtures on the F2 calendar.

"We're discussing. Let's say that, Montréal, we really are discussing. Miami is a bit more complicated, for one simple reason, in that Miami already has support races, and they're good. They have the Porsche and McLaren trophies, and that's why it's not so easy. Honestly, the logistics are quite complicated.

"But yes, there is a possibility. We haven't started discussions for the future yet, because it was really about making the situation happen, and that's what's happened.

"But we'd love to come back. We'd love to have F2 in America anyway, and I'm sure there will be other opportunities. Because, as we know, Formula 1 is also racing in Austin and Las Vegas, so there are a lot of possibilities."

The Bigger Picture for F2

Beyond the commercial and logistical considerations, Michel is clear on the strategic importance of establishing F2 in North America — both for the series itself and for the broader Formula 1 ecosystem.

"For sure, it's important for F2, which had never been in North America, to be there. It's very important for F2 to be seen, and it's very important for American drivers to be willing to come to F2, like Colton [Herta] or Sebastian [Montoya] have done, and to try to reach F1 after that.

"So yes, for the whole F1 group, and not only for F2, it's important to have F2 racing in North America, definitely."

The message is unambiguous. What began as a contingency solution has evolved into a genuine strategic opportunity — and Michel is determined not to let it slip away. The discussions that take place over the coming months will determine whether F2 finds a permanent home in North America, or whether this month's races remain a celebrated footnote rather than the beginning of something lasting.