Formula 1 has called Montreal home for decades, but this weekend, it’s not the only racing series making noise. On Friday, the racers from Formula 2, the training ground for Formula 1, made their debut in Quebec. “We are really, really happy to be here,” said CEO Bruno Michel. “For me, you know, watching you this morning, the after cars, around the track here, that is a fantastic track, it was a real pleasure.” The cars and the future F1 stars driving them almost didn’t come to the city at all. The rounds were originally scheduled in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, but they were cancelled due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Instead, Montreal and Miami hosted the rounds, a first for F2 in North America. Given the last-minute changes, the paddocks at Parc Jean-Drapeau are temporary and built specifically for the weekend. Bruno isn’t ruling out making Montreal a permanent stop on the tour. “Let’s have this weekend going through because it was really something decided at the last minute, and then we’ll be talking with the promoters to try to see if we can find a longer-term possibility,” he said. “At the moment, we’re just enjoying our presence here this year.”
