CÂMARA WINS CHAOTIC SPA FEATURE RACE AS TSOLOV EXTENDS F2 CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD
Rafael Câmara won a dramatic Formula 2 Feature Race at Spa-Francorchamps, taking advantage of his pole position to claim his second victory of the 2026 season. The Invicta Racing driver controlled a race full of strategy changes, Safety Cars, penalties and a red flag interruption.
The result gives Câmara an important boost in the championship fight, as the Brazilian continues to close the gap to the leaders. Behind him, Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak achieved his first Formula 2 podium, while Nikola Tsolov finished third and extended his advantage at the top of the standings.
The race started with immediate action. Inthraphuvasak made a strong getaway from the front row and passed Câmara for the lead, while Tsolov also joined the battle for the top positions. Gabriele Minì had a difficult opening lap after making contact with Roman Bilinski at the first corner. Both drivers continued, but Minì later received a five-second penalty for the incident.
The first Safety Car came out after Oliver Goethe stopped on track shortly after the start, bringing the field back together. After the restart, Câmara quickly recovered the lead, while Joshua Durksen tried a different strategy by starting on Medium tyres and taking advantage of the pit stops from the drivers on Supersoft tyres.
Strategy became the main factor throughout the race, with different tyre choices creating several changes at the front. The unpredictable conditions at Spa made decisions even more important, especially with the possibility of rain affecting the final stages.
A major moment came when Laurens van Hoepen crashed heavily at the exit of Turn 9, causing significant damage to the barriers. The incident forced race control to stop the race with a red flag while repairs were completed.
When the race restarted, Câmara once again found himself fighting for the victory. The Brazilian moved back into the leading position after overtaking Noel León, while Alexander Dunne, Inthraphuvasak and Tsolov battled closely for the remaining podium places.
A second Safety Car period, caused by Enzo Fittipaldi going off track, created another opportunity for drivers who still needed to complete their pit stops. The final laps were also affected by penalties, with Dunne and León receiving five-second penalties for repeated track limit violations.
Despite the difficult conditions and the pressure behind him, Câmara stayed calm during the final laps. With light rain arriving at Spa-Francorchamps, the Invicta driver managed his advantage and crossed the finish line first.
Inthraphuvasak finished second to secure the first Formula 2 podium of his career, while championship leader Nikola Tsolov completed the podium and increased his advantage in the standings.
Alexander Dunne was classified fourth after his penalty was applied, followed by Gabriele Minì in fifth. The Italian driver recovered well after his difficult start and limited the damage in the championship fight.
Rafael Villagómez finished sixth, ahead of Noel León, Colton Herta, Ritomo Miyata and Mari Boya, who completed the top ten.
After Spa, Tsolov remains the championship leader with 161 points, extending his advantage over Minì, who sits second with 134 points. Câmara moved closer to the title fight, reaching 125 points ahead of the next round at the Hungaroring.
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