Cian Shields’ decision to return to F2 with AIX Racing in 2026 was a “no-brainer,” marking his second consecutive season with the team following his rookie campaign in 2025.
Shields re-signed with AIX Racing at the start of October, reaffirming his commitment to the team that supported his step up to F2. While Shields admits that his debut season has been challenging, he remains optimistic about the progress made throughout the year and is eager to build on that momentum heading into next season.
“I’m looking forward to it. It has been a difficult year for us, and we’ve made some changes behind the scenes, but I think we’ve learned with every weekend and we’re finally getting somewhere,” Shields explained.
The Scottish driver added that there was no reason to look elsewhere, emphasising that the stability and familiarity within AIX Racing have been key factors in his decision. Shields noted that the team’s environment provides a sense of comfort and confidence that allows him to focus fully on performance and development heading into 2026.
“The team works well together, all the management, mechanics and everyone else – it was a no-brainer to stay with them. There was no reason to go anywhere.“
“I feel comfortable within the team, and stability definitely helps with performing on a weekend. To work with the same people, they know what you like and you know what they like, it definitely helps.”
Gaining experience from his rookie year
Shields believes the team’s biggest challenge this season has been extracting one-lap pace during Qualifying. He added that the limited track time each weekend proved to be a steep learning curve, but noted that he has grown increasingly comfortable as the season has progressed.
“The more laps you do in the car, the more you learn. I think the struggle this year has been one lap pace in Qualifying. That’s been the biggest thing we’ve had to work on. But I feel like we’re getting there with it now.“
“Track time can be quite limited every weekend, and that has been the biggest learning curve throughout the year. But we’re definitely getting there now.“
“At the start of the year, every time I jumped in the car, it wasn’t starting afresh but you started out with a lot to learn. As the season’s gone on, I’ve felt more comfortable, and it all comes a bit more naturally now.“
Having Dürksen alongside added a good reference point
Shields added that having the expertise of his teammate, Joshua Dürksen, was another positive this season, as he was able to compare data with the Paraguayan driver in the pursuit of improved performance.
“Having Joshua alongside me has been a good reference point. It’s useful looking at the data. We had a bit of a tough point in the middle of the season, so that wasn’t ideal but more recently, Josh has got back on top form, and up towards the front pace-wise.
“The further up the front he is, the better data you have to compare to, and that makes things better overall.”
Looking forward to the last 2 rounds of the 2025 Formula 2 season
There are still two rounds remaining in the 2025 Formula 2 season, with races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi. Shields already has experience at both venues, having made his F2 debut at those very circuits 12 months ago.
The Scottish driver believes this prior experience will be beneficial, allowing him to spend less time learning the track and more time focusing on extracting performance from the car.
He’s eager to finish off his rookie season on a high, returning to two familiar circuits to close out the year.
“Even though there’s been a big break, you’re always preparing for the next event. It’s going to be a bit more difficult getting back into the swing of things without any testing, but there shouldn’t be any issues.“
“I drove the car in Qatar and Abu Dhabi last year, and learning some of the tracks this year has been half the battle, like Jeddah for example.“
“Having already raced in Qatar and Abu Dhabi, I already have the references from last year and it’s more just a case of jumping back in and getting a feeling of the car.“
“As long as you have a good Qualifying, anything can happen. It puts you in a good place and Qatar is quite a good track to race on. I enjoyed it last year but it’s definitely one of the more physical tracks on the calendar, but I’m looking forward to it.”
