Formula 2: Rafael Câmara victorious in Barcelona Feature Race to secure maiden win

Credit: Formula 2 via X

Rafael Câmara claimed victory in Barcelona on Sunday morning closing out Round 5 of the 2026 Formula 2 season marking his first win in F2. Nikola Tsolov came in second finding consistent pace over Alex Dunne who finished in third, rounding out the podium in Spain.

How it happened

Before the race begun it was unfortunate circumstances for Oliver Goethe who was unable to participate in the formation lap. Whilst he was able to take part in race start, he started from the pitlane.

With Invicta Racing driver Câmara starting in pole position alongside Dunne in second, it was all to race for in the final race of the weekend. As the lights went out at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, the grid went charging down into Turn 1.

Whilst Câmara struggled off the start, fellow front runner Dunne had a strong launch, moving into the lead. Rafael Villagomez was also strong off the line moved up one position into P3 overtaking MP Motorsports Gabriele Mini.

Early in the first lap, the first yellow flag of the race was called as Goethe, who started from the pit lane, suffered engine issues.

Into Lap 9, it was wheel-to-wheel racing from Villagomez and Mini in a fight for third position. Come Lap 10, Mini found some additional pace leaping into P3.

In the midfield, with an advantage on soft tyres, Trident driver Laurens Van Hoepen’s risky move on Invicta’s Joshua Dürksen proved successful to move up the field.

In an intense start to Lap 13, into Turn 1 Dunne found himself defending a charging Câmara. The battle continued until the end of the lap with Dunne retreating to the pits for his first pit stop of the race.

Into Lap 16, Campos Racing announced satisfaction with their strategy to start on hard tyres, with both drivers Nikola Tsolov and Noel Leon finding pace in second and third place respectively.

With Câmara awaiting his first pit stop after a 20 laps stint on softs, he remained strong in first position with a 15-second lead to P2. Meanwhile, former race leader Dunne continued to make his way up the field after pitting.

Come Lap 24, both Alpine-backed drivers Mini and Dunne engaged in a battle for the lead with Dunne holding steady to maintain P1.

Meanwhile, a favourable strategy from Dino Beganovic at the beginning of the race proved successful, fighting for a podium position. He was in P4 after starting in the midfield in P12.

With 10 laps to go, Ferrari junior Câmara found himself within DRS of Mini making the move in Turn 1 to claim second position. With Dunne struggling into lap 29, Câmara held onto an aggressive pace which propelled him back into the race lead in lap 30.

Meanwhile, maintaining impressive pace with six laps to go, Tsolov was looking at third to secure a podium finish after gaining five positions since pitting. However, Mini held defensive guarding third place. Tsolov found gaps in Lap 34 and 35 to overtake both Mini and Dunne moving him into second.

Upon race conclusion, with a strong lead over the field, Câmara secured his first win with a 10-second gap to second. Tsolov took second step, with Dunne crossing the line in third, followed by fellow Alpine junior driver Mini in fourth and Van Hoepen in fifth.

What’s next

The Formula 2 championship season will continue in Speilberg, Austria from June 26-28, with Nikola Tsolov leading the championship on 86 points.