FIA announce replacement races after Bahrain and Saudi Arabian GP cancellations

FIA announce replacement races after Bahrain and Saudi Arabian GP cancellations

An F1 support series will host additional rounds after the race cancellations in April

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Thursday 9 April 2026 14:52 Updated: 15:16

The FIA have announced two replacement races for F1 support series Formula 2 after the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix.

While the bad news for F1 fans is that the pinnacle of motorsport will still only have 22 races this year, the F2 championship, which helps prepare racing stars for F1, will be given two extra rounds to compensate.

Thus far only one round of the 2026 F2 season has taken place in Melbourne, with the series expected to return in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. However, due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East these two events were cancelled and so too were any support series racing in the region.

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Now it has been announced that F2 will return for the Miami and Canadian Grands Prix, having originally been left off the schedule.

This is the first time F2 has raced in North America and the youngsters will get a taste of the Miami International Autodrome from May 1-3 and the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve from May 22-24, now acting as the second and third rounds respectively.

This means a bumper support series schedule awaits fans in Montreal, with the F1 Academy also on the bill that weekend.

The all-female racing series was originally scheduled to race in Jeddah in April, but to compensate, the FIA have introduced a three-race weekend format to the Montreal and Austin rounds.

FIA president reacts

Speaking on the race cancellations and the subsequent changes to the F2 schedule, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem said: "Following the necessary changes to the calendar at the start of the season, the addition of these new rounds ensures the FIA Formula 2 Championship remains strong and balanced, and able to deliver for our teams, drivers and fans.

"Bringing the championship to North America via Miami and Montreal for the first time marks an important step in its continued global growth, strengthening the pathway alongside Formula 1 and connecting with new audiences. I thank all those who worked tirelessly to make these rounds possible.

"Our thoughts remain with all those affected by the ongoing events in the Middle East and we continue to hope for a swift return to stability. We look forward to racing in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia very soon."

After the first round in Melbourne, Nikola Tsolov leads the 2026 F2 drivers' standings with 25 points and seven clear of nearest rival Rafael Camara in second.

Colton Herta's headache

While the extra F2 races are great news for the sport, it does present a headache choice for driver Colton Herta. The American driver gave up his IndyCar career to step across to the feeder series to try and acquire the magic 40 FIA Super Licence points required to race in F1.

The Cadillac test driver looked likely to return with Andretti as a fourth entry to contest the 2026 Indy 500, which takes place Sunday, May 24. That Sunday, however is the same date as the Canadian GP.

If Herta is serious about an F1 switch than contesting the F2 race in Canada may have to take precedence of the Indy 500.

FIA Miami Grand Prix Canadian Grand Prix F2