What is F2 looking like for 2026?

With Formula 2 heading to Azerbaijan for its twelfth round of the season, this weekend marks the third to last time we will be seeing the silver division in 2025. And whilst the championship is far from over, many have been setting their sights on the following year.

MP Motorsport’s Richard Verschoor, who sits at 3^rd and is 30 points off leader Leonardo Fornaroli (Invicta), has confirmed his departure from F2 regardless of him clinching the title or not. The Dutchman, now in his 5^th (4^th complete) season, is the veteran of the category and has stated to Formula Scout’s Jacob Awcock that 2025 will be his “last season for sure”.

Another confirmed departure is the champion’s. The Formula 2 title holder has always been required to leave the category the following year, and this year will be no exception. Whilst Verschoor is already out for 2026, one of the title challengers will have to follow suit. It seems like this honour might be fought for by only two drivers however, as Fornaroli and Hitech’s Luke Browning (1^st and 2^nd with 174 and 153 points respectively) outscore outsiders like the Dutchman (3^rd, 144 points), DAMS’ Jak Crawford (4^th, 137 points) and Rodin’s Alex Dunne (5^th, 124 points) by quite a big margin at this late stage. The only way that all of the youngsters mentioned in this paragraph feature in next year’s grid is for Verschoor to finally win the whole thing.

Bulgarian Nikola Tsolov, recently crowned Formula 3 vice-champion, has made the step up to Formula 2 for next year and is the second officially confirmed driver after AIX’s Emerson Fittipaldi Jr. It is yet to be seen who will partner Alonso’s protégé at Campos, however, as rumours surround three of the four Red Bull-controlled seats in Formula 1.

Auto Hebdo reports that there are “little doubts” that Isack Hadjar will join Red Bull in 2026, leaving a vacant seat at Racing Bulls. Whilst one of them would be occupied by one of Liam Lawson or Yuki Tsunoda however, the other could very well be taken by current Campos F2 driver Arvid Lindblad. The French outlet reports that the Brit making the big jump to Formula 1 is a “very high possibility”.

This would come at the cost of fellow Red Bull junior and Campos team-mate Pepe Martí. The Spaniard, currently an outsider for the title at 6^th with 112 points, is the other confirmed departure for 2026. Martí confirmed to Cadena COPE that this is his last season in the category, stating that he doesn’t “consider a third year in F2”. With his signing as Cupra ambassador confirmed, the Cupra Kiro Formula E rumours seem logical. As for who will replace him at the Spanish F2 team (if not Tsolov himself if Lindblad stays), Campos’ link to Red Bull does also spark rumours of a Tim Tramnitz jump to F2 with the Valencians.

Aston Martin junior Mari Boya, who just finished his 2025 Formula 3 campaign with Campos, has announced he has left the team. Whilst it would make sense that the third-placed driver of last year’s F3 season makes the jump to Formula 2, it is not confirmed yet if he will do so. Whether he makes that logical step or not, the Campos-Boya link will not continue in 2026.

The predictable signing of 2025 Formula 3 champion Rafael Câmara to the silver division was confirmed by himself immediately after his mathematical clinching of the title at the Hungaroring. And, although a team for the Ferrari junior is yet to be announced, recent F2 juggernaut Invicta (as reported by outlets such as Fórmula BR) seems like the logical choice for somebody who will surely be in title contention for 2026.

The shock move is, however, quite obviously, Colton Herta’s. The Californian, who was IndyCar’s vice-champion in 2024 and is one of the stars of the American category, has been confirmed by Cadillac F1 as their first ever reserve driver and part of the 2026 Formula 2 grid. A future first team seat has been speculated by everyone including Formula 1 themselves, but not before at least going through the silver division.

Whether or not he will replace either Sergio Pérez or Valtteri Bottas in 2027 however, will surely somewhat depend on the F2 team Cadillac chooses to partner with. A deal with the historic Prema, who has recently been on a bit of a downwards spiral, seems to be “confirmed” according to English journalist Bobby Parsons. However, this choice of machinery might not be the most effective for someone who surely hopes to conquer Formula 2 after following this unusual path from IndyCar.

And whilst the Toyota link does seem to put Ritomo Miyata (currently at ART) closer to a Hitech seat, there have been no more credible or consistent rumours surrounding transfers for the following season of Formula 2. Whatever happens at the Baku City Circuit, however, will surely impact it.