Hitech set for iconic Montréal challenge at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
Round 3 - Montréal - Preview
The FIA Formula 2 Championship continues its unexpected but exciting North American double-header this weekend as Round 3 takes the team to Montréal and the iconic Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
Hitech arrives in Canada following another positive weekend in Miami, where the team secured a double points finish after a strong recovery drive in difficult conditions brought both cars home inside the top ten.
The result continued an encouraging start to the 2026 season, with both Ritomo Miyata and Colton Herta scoring consistently across the opening rounds as the team continues building momentum early in the championship fight. They currently sit fifth and 13th in the Drivers’ standings, while Hitech is knocking on the door of the top three in the teams’ battle.
Now attention quickly turns north to Montréal and another very different challenge for the Formula 2 field.
Set on Île Notre-Dame in the St Lawrence River, Circuit Gilles Villeneuve remains one of the championship’s most recognisable and unforgiving venues. The semi-permanent circuit combines long straights, heavy braking zones and aggressive kerb usage with little margin for error, demanding confidence and precision throughout the lap.
The final chicane and infamous Wall of Champions remain among the most iconic sections in world motorsport – a corner that rewards commitment but punishes mistakes hard.
Like Miami, Montréal also presents an evolving challenge with no previous Formula 2 reference data available, placing added emphasis on preparation, adaptability and execution from the opening session onwards, and of course the work done in the sim in the two weeks since Miami.
Colton Herta arrives in Montréal after a strong weekend on home soil, where he topped Free Practice before recovering through the field to score points in the Feature Race despite the tricky conditions.
Colton Herta:
“Miami was a really positive weekend overall. We showed strong pace from the beginning and even though qualifying made things more difficult, we recovered well and came away with good points.”
“Montreal is a track I’ve always wanted to race at. It’s one of those classic circuits where confidence is everything and the walls are …close. It’s going to be another big challenge for everyone, but after Miami I think we have a good platform to keep building from.”
Ritomo Miyata also heads to Canada encouraged by another solid points finish in Miami, where the Japanese driver continued his consistent start to life with Hitech.
After adapting quickly to the team environment across the opening rounds, Montréal presents another opportunity to continue building momentum in the early stages of the campaign.
Ritomo Miyata:
“We learned a lot in Miami, especially with the changing conditions and the interruptions in the Feature Race. The team handled the weekend well and we were able to score important points again.”
He added:
“Montréal is a completely different type of circuit compared to Miami. It’s a track where precision is very important and mistakes can be costly. We’ve been preparing hard on the simulator and the focus is to continue improving across every session.”
Jan Sumann, Hitech’s F2 Head of Race Engineering:
“Miami gave us another strong platform to build from. Both drivers continued to make progress throughout the weekend and the team reacted well in difficult and changing conditions.”
Jan continued:
“We know Montréal is a demanding circuit because the lap evolves quickly and confidence is critical, especially through the braking zones and chicanes. Preparation and execution will once again be very important, but the momentum from Miami gives us a positive direction heading into the weekend.”
Track action begins on Friday with Free Practice at 10:05 local time, followed by Qualifying at 14:00. The Sprint Race takes place on Saturday at 14:10, with the Feature Race on Sunday at 12:05.