Hitech heads to Baku for F2 triple-header
Round 12 – Baku – Preview
Fresh from a landmark weekend in Madrid, Hitech heads to Baku this week for Round 12 of the 2026 FIA Formula 2 Championship, with Ritomo Miyata and Colton Herta returning to action for an unusual three-race weekend.
Ritomo arrives in Azerbaijan after taking his maiden F2 victory at the Madring, following it up with a second podium in the Feature Race. Colton will be looking to make his return to competition count as the championship enters its closing stages.
Baku will present a very different challenge to the new Madrid circuit, with the Azerbaijan street track combining long, high-speed sections with one of the tightest sections of the F2 calendar.
There is also an unusual format in store, with two Qualifying sessions, one Sprint Race and two Feature Races across three days of action.
The weekend gets underway on Thursday morning with a 45-minute Free Practice session, followed by two consecutive 20-minute Qualifying sessions. The first Qualifying session will set the grid for Friday morning’s Sprint Race and first Feature Race, while the second will determine the starting order for Saturday’s second Feature Race.
At 6.003 kilometres, Baku City Circuit is one of the longest circuits on the F2 calendar. The run from Turn 16 to Turn 1 is the longest ‘straight’ of the season, with drivers reaching around 330km/h before the heavy braking zone at Turn 1.
At the other end of the lap, the Castle section provides a very different test. The tightest section of the year demands precision and commitment, with the low-downforce setup required for the rest of the lap adding another challenge through the narrow sequence of corners.
The track surface is relatively smooth, meaning tyre degradation is not expected to be as significant as at some other venues. Traction will instead be an important factor, particularly as the Supersoft compound comes under increasing stress during the Feature Races.
Strategy will also need to account for the potential for Safety Car interventions, which can quickly change the complexion of a race on a street circuit such as Baku.
For Ritomo, the weekend provides an opportunity to build on the confidence gained from his breakthrough Madrid victory, while Colton will look to return to the points fight with three races on offer.
Jan Sumann, Hitech F2 Head of Race Engineering:
“Baku is another street circuit, but it offers a fairly unique challenge in that the speeds are so high around the lap. The run from Turn 16 to Turn 1 is the longest straight on the calendar, where drivers will reach around 330km/h.”
“The additional Qualifying and Feature Race this weekend means there are plenty of points on offer. Ensuring the setup is optimised heading into back-to-back Qualifying sessions will be pivotal on Thursday.”
“The last event in Madrid showed we have some untapped potential in the car even at this stage of the season and we'll be looking to help Ritomo and Colton extract more of that in the remaining races.”
With three races, two Qualifying sessions and plenty of points available, Hitech now turns its attention to a demanding three days in Baku.
