WHAT WE LEARNED: Some of the key storylines from Round 2 in Miami

5 May 2026

Formula 2’s first ever trip to Miami was one to remember as we got three days of incredible on-track action, from a close Qualifying session to two incredibly entertaining races.

So as we continue to debrief our visit to the Sunshine State, it is a good time to take a look at some of the key storylines from Round 2.

2026 MIGHT BE CLOSER THAN EVER

Both Miami races were fought right to the chequered flag with Nikola Tsolov beating Laurens van Hoepen and Alexander Dunne in a run to the line to the win the Sprint Race.

The Campos Racing driver won by 0.170s, while on Sunday, Gabriele Minì beat Dino Beganovic by 0.980s. So far in 2026, the largest margin of victory came in the first race when Joshua Duerksen beat Noel León by 2.1s.

With the teams in the third year of this generation of F2 cars, they know their machinery much better and as a result we are seeing closer racing.

The battle at the front in both races was extremely close in Miami

On top of that, with the talent level of the 2026 field, it looks like we could be set for one of the closest seasons in the championship’s history.

Currently, the top three in the Drivers’ Standings are separated by one point, and while it is early, this could be the start of a truly special campaign. Round 3 in Montreal cannot come soon enough.

TRIDENT ARE BACK IN THE MIX

After a trying 2025 season where they scored just two points, TRIDENT might be the happiest team in the paddock leaving Miami, having started 2026 in a much better place.

Van Hoepen’s P2 in the Sprint Race was his and the Italian team’s second podium in as many rounds, and he has scored all 26 of their points this year which leaves them fifth in the Teams’ Standings.

Team Manager Giacomo Ricci highlighted the work they did over the winter to be better prepared for this current campaign, and it is fair to say that so far, they have taken a step forward.

Van Hoepen has achieved two podiums through two rounds for a resurgent TRIDENT

While Ricci is full of praise for van Hoepen’s performances, he also made sure to highlight John Bennett, who he believes is closer to his teammates than the results may suggest.

The team boss is confident that Bennett can start scoring points soon, and if he does, TRIDENT could be on for one of their best seasons in recent memory.

HITECH’S IMPRESSIVE SUNDAYS

Hitech may not have had the podiums and the wins that they would have been hoping for so far, but their form, especially on Sundays, has been eye-catching.

Both Ritomo Miyata and Colton Herta have not yet qualified in the top 10, but they have finished in the points in each Feature Race this season.

The Japanese driver in particular gained 16 places across both races in Miami, finishing 12th in the Sprint and sixth in the Feature after qualifying in P17. Herta on the other hand ended up in P8 on Sunday after lining up in 14th.

Miyata and Herta have shown great pace to make their way forward in the Feature Race

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

RODIN’S MIXED FORTUNES

It has been a season of mixed results for Rodin Motorsport, as while only Campos and Invicta Racing (3) have more podiums than them (2), and no 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 have finished a Feature Race, and while both have qualified in the top five, two DNFs each means 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.