Australian Sprint Race

The 2026 FIA Formula 2 Championship officially begins at the Albert Park Circuit in Melbourne, with the Sprint Race offering the first wheel-to-wheel action of the year. This 23-lap dash is a high-speed game of strategy on the semi-permanent street track, which is notoriously "green" and slippery early in the weekend. With four DRS zones scattered throughout the 5.278-km layout, the race is expected to be a tight battle where track position and tire management are equally vital. The big story from Qualifying was Dino Beganovic, who snatched the first pole of the season for DAMS Lucas Oil with a blistering 1:28.695. However, due to the Sprint Race's reversed-grid format, the top ten qualifiers are flipped. This puts Taylor Barnard (AIX Racing) on the pole for today’s race, with Joshua Dürksen (Invicta Racing) alongside him. The championship favorites, including Beganovic and Martinius Stenshorne, will start from the back of the top ten, forced to fight their way through a hungry midfield. All eyes will also be on Colton Herta, who makes his highly anticipated F2 debut with Hitech Pulse-Eight and looks to use his extensive IndyCar experience to master the chaotic Melbourne restarts.