Emerson Fittipaldi Jr., son of two-time Formula 1 World Champion Emerson Fittipaldi, has been confirmed as the first driver on the 2026 FIA Formula 2 grid. AIX Racing has announced that the 18-year-old Brazilian will take one of the team’s two F2 seats next season, marking a major step up in his career. Fittipaldi Jr. will replace either Joshua Dürksen or Cian Shields, both of whom are currently competing with the team in the 2025 season.
This move follows a series of promising performances from Fittipaldi Jr. in junior single-seater championships, where he has steadily progressed through the ranks since making his debut in 2021. Speaking on his promotion to F2 with AIX Racing for the 2026 season, Fittipaldi Jr. said:
“I am very much looking forward to this opportunity. Racing in F2 is going to be a big learning curve for me,” said the 18-year-old Brazilian. I will be competing against the best drivers in the world, so it will be an honour to be racing against all of them on the race track. My expectations are that I will be learning a lot, every single day and every single week.”
A lengthy CV
Fittipaldi Jr.’s motorsport journey began in 2021, when he competed in the F4 Danish Championship with FSP Racing. From the outset, he made a strong impression, securing a podium at the season opener, followed by his first pole position and race win at Jyllandsringen. By the end of the season, he had accumulated eight podiums and finished in third place, signalling his potential in the world of motorsport.
In 2022, he made the transition to the Italian F4 Championship with Van Amersfoort Racing. Despite not finishing at the top of the standings, he gained invaluable experience in the highly competitive field. During the same year, Fittipaldi Jr. also tested with Charouz Racing System in the FIA Formula 3 post-season test, a significant step towards his ultimate goal of reaching Formula 1.
Racing in Europe’s Junior Categories
The following year, Fittipaldi Jr. made his debut in the Formula Regional European Championship (FRECA), racing for Saintéloc Racing. However, his 2023 season was overshadowed by a tragic incident at Spa-Francorchamps, where a multi-car crash resulted in the death of Dilano van ’t Hoff. Despite the emotional toll, Fittipaldi Jr. continued to compete in Eurocup-3, finishing the season with a top-10 result at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
In 2024, Fittipaldi Jr. participated in both the Formula Regional Middle East Championship and Eurocup-3, competing for MP Motorsport. His efforts in Eurocup-3 paid off, with a strong fifth-place finish in the standings, amassing 149 points and securing his first win in the series during the season finale at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
2025: A step closer to F2
As of the 2025 season, Fittipaldi Jr. is racing in the Eurocup-3 Championship with MP Motorsport. With 21 points to his name and a podium finish in the Sprint Race at Circuit Paul Ricard, he currently sits in 13th place in the standings. He also participated in the Eurocup-3 Spanish Winter Championship, finishing sixth with 54 points and two podiums.
