For this first time in Formula 2 history, the F2 grid heads to Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, Canada, where Hitech’s Ritomo Miyata is looking forward to the challenges at the new track, as well as the progress he and Hitech have made this season.
He shared his thoughts in Thursday’s virtual media session, with Pit Debrief and other media outlets in attendance, reflecting on the challenges of the track, his confidence in wet conditions and the preparation he has had for Montreal.
First time in Montreal for F2
Earlier this year, both the Sakhir and Jeddah F2 rounds were cancelled due to the conflicts in the Middle East. In their place, Miami and Montreal were added to the F2 calendar, also making the first time the series has been to either locations.
When asked by Pit Debrief on his thoughts about visiting a new track, Miyata admitted he was eager to experience the Canadian circuit, believing it would quickly become one of the more demanding tracks on the calendar.
“Yeah, quite interesting. You know, Miami was our first time on track and then here as well. So it was very, the time gap is very short and very high level I would say. So, I think this track will be very high level I think and also the quali will be really high session I think. Yeah, I’m guessing and I’m really looking forward to the track.”
Miyata also highlighted the technical nature of the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, pointing to the low-speed layout of the 4.361km circuit and the importance of tyre preparation, particularly over one lap.
“Yeah, here it’s a very difficult track I think. And also not so high speed, I would say. There are low speed corners a lot. So it’s very challenging for the tyre warm-up, especially in quali. And also the race, it will be very important to tyre management I think. And also yeah, the weather is crazy, because every year it’s different, but it’s really interesting.”
Rain expected for Sunday
Every time the Formula 1 grid has taken to the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, weather has always been unpredictable, with this weekend not being an exception.
With rain forecasted as a possibility for Sunday in Montreal, Miyata welcomed the prospect of another wet-weather F2 race after showing strong pace in difficult conditions last round in Miami. The Japanese driver finished P6 in the Feature Race, and currently sits in P5 on the 2026 F2 Drivers’ Standings.
“I prefer rain, of course, because Miami was really good,” Miyata said. “I feel confident in the race performance in both dry and wet conditions, but wet conditions give more opportunity to overtake on track. For sure it will be chaos, but I prefer wet.”
Having Herta as a team mate
The Japanese driver also spoke about working alongside new teammate Colton Herta, explaining that the American’s background across multiple categories reminded him of his own transition into European racing.
“Yeah, he’s quite a good guy, I would say. And also, he came from IndyCar, and also was doing single-seater and endurance race. I felt very similar to my situation two years ago, because I came from Super GT to Super Formula, and then come to Europe.”
“So we have many experiences, I would say. And also, we try to work hard together, improve the car performance and also driving, of course. I felt quite happy this season. And also, I already experienced in F2, but still, I could learn a lot from him and also from the team. Yeah, very good so far. And always enjoy this time.”
Miyata’s 2026 F2 season
Reflecting on his 2026 campaign so far, Miyata said he has enjoyed the demanding schedule and believes the team has taken a clear step forward compared to previous seasons.
“Yeah, I quite enjoyed. You know, before the plan was we went to the Middle East and we drove to Miami, and we were driving. So it’s very good. And I really enjoyed this situation and also very challenging. Yeah, let’s see this weekend.”
When discussing the most difficult circuit on the current Formula 2 calendar, Miyata pointed to Autodromo Nazionale Monza, citing the unique demands of qualifying and the constant DRS trains during the races.
“Yeah, I think the challenging will be Monza,” he said. “Because that track is always difficult to set the best lap in quali because it’s very important to slipstream and also race always there is always DRS train. But I would say challenging overtake on the track. So, yeah, that’s why I pick Monza.”
Preparations heading into the F2 Montreal Round
Preparation for the F2 Montreal Round largely centred around simulator work and analysing onboard footage from Formula 1 races at the venue, with Miyata hoping the work done away from the track would translate into strong performance once the weekend began.
“Yeah, I did a lot of simulator because we could try and practise the Montreal racing,” he explained. “And also, we checked many onboards from F1. I wish that experience [will be] working well on the real track this weekend.”
When asked by Pit Debrief about his consistency so far in 2026, after having three years in F2, Miyata believes experience has played a major role in helping him consistently score points early in the year, although he admitted there is still work to do in qualifying trim.
“Well, it’s a good question. For sure, I had three years of experience and also the car is good, always good, especially the race performance, I would say. That’s why I earned the points since Melbourne. And also, we showed good performance in the race. Just we need to improve the short run performance. But that’s why it’s much better than the last two seasons. Yeah, that’s it.”
