DURKSEN WINS F2 SPRINT AS TSLOV EXTENDS CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD
Joshua Durksen claimed his second victory of the 2026 Formula 2 season by winning the Sprint Race at Spa-Francorchamps after an impressive comeback drive. The Invicta Racing driver started from fourth place but managed to fight his way to the front and hold off his rivals in a race affected by Safety Car interruptions.
After Rafael Câmara secured pole position in qualifying, Invicta Racing continued its strong Belgian weekend with another victory. Durksen ended a winless streak that had lasted since March, taking his second Formula 2 victory of the season ahead of Martinius Stenshorne and Dino Beganovic.
The Paraguayan made a strong start, immediately moving into third place after benefiting from a poor getaway by Roman Bilinski. He continued his charge by overtaking PREMA driver Sebastian Montoya before the first Safety Car period, then completed his recovery with a decisive move on Stenshorne on lap 11 at Les Combes.
Once in the lead, Durksen managed the pace carefully and controlled the gap to his rivals. The race was interrupted again late on after John Bennett spun at Blanchimont while running inside the points positions, bringing out another Safety Car.
At the final restart, Durksen made a perfect getaway and defended his position until the chequered flag. The Invicta driver also avoided a possible penalty after being investigated for making multiple moves while defending on the Kemmel Straight.
Stenshorne finished second after losing the lead battle to Durksen, while Dino Beganovic completed the podium for DAMS. Championship leader Nikola Tsolov secured an important fourth-place finish after making a last-lap move on Montoya at La Source, gaining valuable points in the title fight.
Alex Dunne completed the top five after taking advantage of Tsolov’s move and Montoya’s mistake at the first corner. Pole-sitter Rafael Câmara finished sixth, ahead of Roman Bilinski and Oliver Goethe.
It was a disappointing final lap for Montoya, who dropped five positions after struggling at the restart and finished ninth, losing out on points despite starting from the front row.
The biggest disappointment of the day was Gabriele Minì. The MP Motorsport driver retired on lap 11 due to a technical issue, suffering his first retirement of the season. The result leaves him as the only driver among the top four championship contenders without points from Saturday’s action.
John Bennett also retired after causing the second Safety Car period with a heavy spin at Blanchimont, although the Trident driver escaped without injury. Nico Varrone, Noel León and Luke Shields were also unable to finish, with Shields bringing out an earlier Safety Car after hitting the barriers at Turn 7.
In the championship standings, Tsolov strengthened his lead with his fourth-place finish, moving to 146 points. Minì remains second with 124 points, while Câmara sits third on 97 points, just one point ahead of Dunne.
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