Interview: Bruno Michel on the 2025 F2 and F3 championships, Aramco-supplied lower-carbon fuel, and 2026

F2 and F3 made their own leap into the future with the inclusion of Aramco-supplied FIA-compliant 100% Sustainable Fuel in 2025 while F3 itself implemented a brand-new car.

In F2, a new champion was crowned as Leonardo Fornaroli won the title with teams' champion Invicta Racing, while in F3, Rafael Camara took the drivers’ title and Campos Racing earned the teams' title.

Raceteq sat down with F2 and F3 CEO Michel to find out more about this milestone with Aramco, the new F3 prize fund, and the arrival of Cadillac F1 test driver Colton Herta in F2.

The new €1 million F3 prize fund

In 2025, F3 introduced a €1 million prize fund for F3 drivers who step up to F2. That prize fund will be split unequally between the five-highest-placed drivers in the F3 standings and go towards an F2 campaign in the following season.

“It's been a great season for both Formula 3 and Formula 2," reflects Michel. "In Formula 3, we had a very worthy champion in Rafael Camara - he had a great season - and I think he’s going to be a very, very interesting driver in F2 next year.

“And F2 also was a very, very strong championship. Leo [Fornaroli] has done a great job. Winning the F2 championship back-to-back with F3 is always a great achievement.”

​Michel adds that it’s exciting to see numerous drivers promoted from F3 to F2 in 2026. He points out the likes of Campos Racing’s recruit Nikola Tsolov, Rodin’s Martinius Stenshorne and Mari Boya, who will race with Prema.

Michel says that the new F3 prize fund has catalysed promotions from F3 to F2.

“When our business is working correctly - and that’s the case now - we want to make sure that everybody has a share of it.

“We were thinking, ‘what would be the best way to help?’ There’s already quite a [sizeable] prize fund in Formula 2 for the top three teams and the other teams as well during the season - it’s quite a lot of money that is being distributed to the teams.

“And we thought that the best way to help F3 was to split one million euros among the top five drivers so that they can come to Formula 2. It's not going to [cover] the full budget for them, but it's going to be something that is already substantial, and it's going to stay not only for this year; it's going to stay after that for the future.”

The use of Aramco-supplied FIA-compliant 100% Sustainable Fuel

In 2025, F2 and F3 also took a major step with the help of Aramco as all 52 cars in the two championships were powered by Aramco-supplied FIA-compliant 100% Sustainable Fuel.

Michel says that the ongoing relationship with Aramco has been “extremely positive” over the last three years.

“We have goals that we set up and we started with 50% sustainable fuel and then we started utilizing the Aramco-supplied FIA-compliant 100% Sustainable Fuel.”

He adds that work with Aramco and its Paris Fuel Research Centre, headed up by Centre Director Pierre-Olivier Calendini, is ongoing to help make the fuel more efficient in the future.

“It's always a growing process and we have other things to introduce for the future… but we have other steps that we're working on with Pierre-Olivier Calendini’s team [in Paris], and we're working extremely well with them.

“It's because they are highly professional and they're really good at what they're doing. And I think the best way to show how the fuel is integrated and working well is that we introduced a new fuel with absolutely zero difference in performance of the car - zero reliability issues.
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​“And on top of that Aramco is a great partner because it’s supplying the fuel to the teams. And that makes a difference as well and for the drivers. So it's all these things with Aramco that are really working well.”

Herta, Varrone, and anticipation for 2026

There are also more high-profile additions to F2 in 2026 as nine-time IndyCar race winner and Cadillac F1 test driver Colton Herta joins the championship with Hitech, and World Endurance Championship race winner Nico Varrone joins with Van Amersfoort Racing.

“I recently discussed this [debut] with Colton - he's really looking forward to running in a very different environment and he's eager to get to the first weekend in Melbourne.

“What it shows clearly is that these drivers understand that the way to get to F1, if they want to get it one day, is to go through Formula 2. Formula 2 is not a professional championship where people can come and race forever. Formula 2 and Formula 3 are part of a pyramid, and they’re the way to get into F1.”

“It's a difficult choice, but I'm sure he [Herta] will do well in the end,” says Michel.

“It's not only learning the car, the tyres, and also, of course, working with Pirelli is something completely different.”

The F2 and F3 CEO adds that while the IndyCar chassis is made by F2 and F3 chassis maker Dallara, the difference in weight, handling, tyres and circuits will prove an extra challenge for those joining F2 and F3 from other series.

Furthermore, Michel notes interest from two-time World Rally champion Kalle Rovanpera, who took part in a private F2 test with Hitech in 2025.

“Varrone is coming from a different environment and I’ll be happy to see Rovanpera come to F2 as well.

“It's very interesting to see and it's going to be interesting for them to learn the system because at the end of the day, what prepares a driver for Formula 1 is not only the car but it's the fact that they are racing on the same circuits with Pirelli tyres - it’s all these things that they will have to pick up.”

There’s more to look forward to in 2026 as a new circuit in the form of Spain’s Madring joins the calendar, hosting the F3 conclusion in September.

Before that, the anticipation ramps up for the F2 and F3 season-openers on the weekend of March 7, 2026, in Melbourne, Australia.