Emerson Fittipaldi left the Australian GP without points, but he gained confidence from a promising F2 debut weekend. The AIX Racing rookie showed strong pace in qualifying and looked set to challenge for a place inside the top 10 before a late red flag halted his progress, dropping him to P19. He responded well in both races, moving forward through the field to finish 14th in the Sprint and 15th in the Feature. While the results fell short of his expectations, Fittipaldi took clear positives from his first round and built momentum for the races ahead.
Fittipaldi builds confidence after milestone F2 debut at 2026 Australian GP
Fittipaldi described the Australian GP weekend as a special milestone in his career, experiencing his first F2 round on a Formula 1 weekend. Racing on the same stage he had long aimed for brought a strong sense of motivation as he continued to chase his ultimate goal of reaching F1.
Across the event, he focused on maximising every opportunity to learn, completing all sessions and building experience with each lap despite the limited track time. By the end of the weekend, he felt he had made steady progress and laid a solid foundation to improve in the rounds ahead.
“It was the first round in F2 for me, first round on an F1 weekend, so that was very exciting. I was very happy to know that I’m on the track where I always dreamed to be on, which is the same weekend as Formula 1 and hopefully one day in Formula 1.
“But it was a great weekend. Lots of learning, lots of laps. Managed to finish every session and do as many laps as physically possible with the limited running we have. So, just every lap, just learning more and more and improving for the next rounds.”
Qualifying struggles prove costly, but race progress offers encouragement
Fittipaldi pointed to qualifying as the key setback of his first F2 weekend, describing the Melbourne GP as disrupted by heavy traffic and repeated red flags. The final stoppage proved especially costly, denying him the chance to complete a decisive lap despite feeling capable of placing the car in the midfield.
With only a limited number of push laps available, he underlined how unforgiving the format is, where even minor issues can compromise an entire weekend. Still, he took encouragement from his ability to move forward in both races, highlighting the positives despite the difficult start.
“It obviously started with qualifying and that was a bit of a mess. It was difficult to get a lap with all the traffic But obviously in qualifying, unfortunately we had quite a few red flags. The last one is the one that really screwed me up, because I was actually quite confident that I could get the car more or less in the midfield.
“We only get four push laps overall in quali, and the last push, that’s all that matters. On the second set of tyres, I got traffic, and then that just shows you the reality of this harsh qualifying programme we have. Just a little mistake or traffic and your whole weekend is ruined. So, you’re really on the edge to perform and give your best in Qualifying. We have to take a lot of positives from the fact that we went forward in each race.
Fittipaldi builds experience with solid race performances
Despite this, Fittipaldi took encouragement from his race performances. He moved forward in both races, completed every lap, and avoided major mistakes while continuing to build experience. Drawing on what he had learned since testing in Barcelona, he focused on steady improvement and made the most of the limited running to develop further.
“I went forward in each race and managed to do every lap of the race and without big mistakes and just learning slowly every lap and developing from the test we had in Barcelona. In the end, we don’t get much running, so, it’s a fantastic opportunity to learn.”
Steep learning curve for Fittipaldi at demanding F2 Australian GP
Fittipaldi reflected on the demanding nature of an F2 weekend, noting how quickly each session followed the next and how little time there was to adjust during the Australian GP. He stressed the importance of working closely with the team between outings to improve both the car and his own performance, especially with such limited running.
Compared to other categories he has raced in, he found the format far more intense, but also more rewarding. Going wheel-to-wheel with such a competitive field allowed him to learn constantly, gaining valuable experience with every lap.
“This weekend definitely was how fast the weekend goes by. I mean on Friday morning, you’re doing FP and then a few hours later you’re already in qualifying. The next day you wake up and you already have a Sprint Race. So, it’s like, it’s really fast. It goes by really fast.
“So what I learned the most is to work with the team as much as possible after every session to develop the car and develop yourself, because, at the end of the day, you really don’t get many laps. So, that was the biggest difference I had from any other racing category I’ve ever raced in my life, and also, learning the most about racing these fantastic drivers on the grid. It’s an opportunity to be wheel-to-wheel with them, learning with them every lap. It’s just great.”
Fittipaldi gains confidence battling experienced drivers at Australian GP
Fittipaldi also drew confidence from racing closely with more experienced drivers throughout the weekend. Competing against second-, third-, and even fourth-year drivers, he recognised the value of matching their pace despite his rookie status. Holding his position against seasoned names further underlined his belief that he could compete at this level.
He used the races to study those around him, learning how different drivers approached wheel-to-wheel battles and how aggressive they were in certain situations. By observing and adapting, Fittipaldi aimed to better understand the field, using that knowledge to improve his race craft and make further progress in the rounds ahead.
“At the end of the day, I was racing and dicing with some guys that are second year, third year and fourth year drivers. They have a lot of experience. So just knowing that I’m able to already keep up with them, that’s already a big confidence boost. Knowing that it can’t be that bad.
“It’s an amazing opportunity to be able to compete with these guys. I mean, I was looking in my mirror and I had Kush Maini behind me. know how much experience he has in F2. So, I was like, ‘Wow, I’m keeping him behind me’. Just getting used to the field and getting used to how the drivers react and how aggressive they are and how some may not be that aggressive.
“So just learning the field a lot. That’s what I tried to do the first race, to know more or less what each driver likes to do. So, I can progress through the field in the following races.”
