18 year-old Emerson Fittipaldi Jr. will make the step up to Formula 2 next year with AIX Racing. Looking ahead to the 2026 season, he shared his excitement, saying:
“I’m happy to be stepping up to Formula 2. It’s a great opportunity. Having been confirmed so early helps because you know your seat is secure and now you can continue working through the year and know you’re set for next season.
“That also means that you start your work a lot earlier, and I’m putting in the work already, way, way earlier than it can sometimes be, so it’s great.”
As the first driver confirmed for the 2026 grid, the team confirmed Fittipaldi Jr. four months ago. In October, AIX Racing followed that up by announcing that Cian Shields would re-sign with the team for his second Formula 2 campaign.
Preparation for F2 move
The 18-year-old racer is the son of two-time F1 World Champion, Emerson Fittipaldi. He has extensive experience as racing runs in the family. The Brazilian spent 2025 racing in the Eurocup-3 Championship with MP Motorsport. With consistent improvement and growth as a driver, Fittipaldi Jr., finally makes the step up to Formula 2. Ahead of his F2 debut, he wants to prepare as much as possible, putting in the extra work. Speaking about the preparation, Fittipaldi Jr., said:
“It’s been intense so far. I’ve been doing a lot of simulator work with the team already this year for most of the races, preparing with Joshua Duerksen and he’s been helping me a lot this year. He’s a second-year driver, so he has a lot of experience, and he’s been helping me with some tips and tricks.
“It’s great having someone to compare to that is racing in F2 this year on the team I’ll be competing with next year. He has great experience and is achieving great results.
“I think everybody is really excited for this season, which also motivates everyone for what we can achieve next year, so we’re very excited.”
As Fittipaldi Jr., explained, working with Joshua Duerksen has helped him adjust to the move. Currently, Duerksen has driven for AIX in 2024 and 2025, but will move to Invicta Racing in 2026 for his third campaign.
Adapting for the step up
The rookie has been attending races during the 2025 season to gain a better understanding of the team’s operation. Seeing the team in action has been immensely helpful for the driver, he explained, stating:
“I’ve been to a couple of the races this year to be with the team and to learn how the weekend works and to go through all the meetings with them. It’s great because I’ve been able to work with the team and personnel before even racing with them.
“I want to learn and do as much as possible so I can get adapted with the car and with the format as quickly as possible, because it’s very different for what I’m used to. It’s going to be a learning season for me
“It’ll be great to get to the test and work those first few days with the car. I just want to get used to the car and learn every single thing I can in the limited time we have with the car, with the focus to improve every day.”
As the driver gets familiar with his new team and the workings of F2, it will be exciting to see his progress. The F2 Post-Season test will take place in Abu Dhabi after the season concludes.
