The Formula 2 championship has announced a "supersized" meeting for its next round in Baku, hosting an additional feature race in Azerbaijan just 10 days before the race weekend. This unusual and late decision raises eyebrows as the end of the Formula 1 season remains uncertain. The Qatar and Abu Dhabi Grands Prix could potentially be unable to go ahead as planned due to the tense geopolitical situation in the Middle East.

F2 CEO Bruno Michel confirmed: "As Formula 2 is the only support event at the Azerbaijan Formula 1 Grand Prix, together with the promoters, we have opted for a supersized F2 race weekend, with one free practice, two qualifying sessions, one sprint race and two feature races." He added that this is the only weekend where the timetable allows additional sessions, increasing entertainment for fans.

The organisers have not specified why they chose to expand the Baku meeting, but it is difficult not to see it as a way of preparing for the cancellation or reshaping of some end-of-season events and compensating for lost points. The F2 season finale is still scheduled for Abu Dhabi.

"The final two rounds of the season in Qatar and Abu Dhabi will resume with the usual weekend format," F2 said in a statement. That is the situation today, but it could quickly change depending on F1's decisions. The FIA and F1 are expected to decide on the remainder of the 2026 calendar before the end of the month, with a relocated Bahrain Grand Prix at Sepang, Malaysia, already added for early October. Among the options discussed is cancelling trips to Qatar and Abu Dhabi and heading to Imola in late November for the season final instead.