The Sun Sets on Barcelona as Formula 2 and Formula 3 Go Racing
As the Monaco and Barcelona double-header ends, Formula 2 and Formula 3 once again delivered a strong weekend of racing. If Formula 2 drivers offered early glimpses of potential through their FP1 appearances, Formula 3 delivered the first full measure of how quickly fortunes can change across a race weekend.
Formula 3: A Weekend of Highs & Lows
Formula 3 took to the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, a familiar track from testing and junior categories. The weekend brought several surprises at the front, and despite a few rookie mistakes, it proved to be clean, with the main drama focused on podium places.
Sprint Race
The reverse grid of the race saw Gerrard Xie, Freddie Slater and James Wharton forming the top three. At a strong pace, Xie quickly lost ground to Wharton and Slater, with Wharton taking a commanding lead.
Wharton, whose second Formula 3 season started with a crash in Australia, stood on the top step of the podium, scoring his first points of the season and PREMA's first win in this new era of Formula 3 cars. Wharton was happy after the race as PREMA had the pace all year, and he was happy to capitalise on it. Xie was shocked with another podium to his collection, two podiums in three races. He said in the press conference that if someone had told him about his success, he would have thought they were joking.
Slater was able to gain ground on one of his championship rivals, Ugo Ugochukwu, as he spun into the gravel. Théophile Naël and Brando Badoer featured on the fringes of the points, finishing eighth and tenth, respectively. Van Amersfoort Racing had a consistent race, finishing fifth, sixth and seventh, and Tuukka Taponen finished in fourth, with Louis Sharp scoring his first points of the season.
Feature Race
Naël led the field off the line, with Ugochukwu and Hiyu Yamakoshi following behind. While Naël got the best start off the line, Ugochukwu had a slow getaway, dropping to third. The race was interrupted by a Virtual Safety Car after Nicola Lacorte and Nandhavud Bhirombhakdi made contact, but the order remained unchanged.
Ugochukwu recovered to third with DRS, while Slater had a poor day after being given a five-second penalty for overtaking Enzo Deligny, finishing eighth. The other podium finishers from yesterday slipped outside the points. Both Campos and VAR showed good pace, with a one-three finish for Campos and second for VAR, with Yamakoshi regaining a podium. Brando Badoer, Deligny, del Pino, Rivera, Kato, and Gladysz made up the top ten.
Naël, who claimed his first win, was delighted after the race and thanked the team, saying they deserved it after a dominant victory. After three pole positions, the win was the final piece of the puzzle. Yamakoshi called it a comeback after his disqualification but admitted he wanted the win, describing the feeling as mixed. Ugochukwu stated that with del Pino behind him, he felt he had maximised the weekend despite his Sprint Race DNF.
Championship Standings
Freddie Slater and Ugo Ugochukwu were level on points after the Sprint Race in the championship fight, but with Slater's penalty, Ugochukwu leads the field. Naël moves up to second with his victory, with Bruno del Pino third, Slater fourth, one point shy of del Pino, and Badoer rounds out the top five. Campos leads the way in the Teams' Standings. Van Amersfoort Racing is second, Rodin is up to third, Trident is fourth, and ART Grand Prix is fifth.
While Formula 3’s weekend was defined by breakthrough victories and shifting momentum at the front, Formula 2 told a different story, one shaped far more by strategy, execution, and timing.
Formula 2: The Championship Fight is on
Formula 2 also arrived in Barcelona for the second half of the double-header, with both races reshaping the championship picture as the season begins to tighten.
Sprint Race
The reverse grid started with Kush Maini launching into the lead from reverse polesitter Noel León, who redeemed himself after causing a red flag in Free Practice. León was unable to keep a podium position but continued his point run as Maini led a lights-to-flag victory.
Gabriele Minì and Nikola Tsolov battled throughout, while a fast-charging Colton Herta was fighting for a podium after overtaking Tsolov for third. A late-race lock-up dropped him to fifth, while Minì led Tsolov across the line in second and third. The top eight was completed by Rafael Câmara in sixth, Dino Beganovic in seventh, and Alexander Dunne in eighth.
In the post-race press conference, Maini was delighted to secure his first win of the 2026 season after a difficult couple of years in Formula 2 and thanked ART Grand Prix for providing a strong car. Minì also reflected on his podium run, having finished five of the six races on the podium, but insisted he is not looking at the Drivers' Standings yet as the championship has not reached its halfway point. Tsolov praised his consistency.
Feature Race
Strategy defined the Feature Race, with Alexander Dunne leading early. Rafael Câmara's extended stint on soft tyres earned him his first Formula 2 victory. Câmara was the only driver to execute this strategy, while those on alternative strategies lost ground as the faster runners came through. Herta, Rafael Villagómez and Nico Varrone, who all made strong starts but dropped out of the points.
Tsolov and Minì battled for second and third, with Tsolov initially taking the final podium position. Tsolov later received a post-race penalty for overtaking Minì off the track, dropping him to fourth and promoting Alexander Dunne to second and Gabriele Minì to third.
The top ten finishers included drivers scoring their first points of the season, including John Bennett in seventh. Laurens van Hoepen finished fifth, Dino Beganovic sixth, León eighth, Sprint Race winner Maini ninth and Roman Bilinski tenth.
In the press conference, both Tsolov and Dunne admitted Câmara's fast pace, with Dunne pleased to continue building consistency. Tsolov felt he lacked pace through the weekend but believed the strategy was correct. Despite praise, Câmara felt there was more performance available.
Championship Standings
After Tsolov‘s penalty, Minì retains the championship lead with Tsolov, separated by just six points. Câmara moves up to third, with Dunne staying fourth. With a poor strategy in the Feature Race, Martinius Stenshorne drops out of the top five, while León falls from third to fifth.
With the championship standings so close, Formula 2 continues to be a tight contest for the stars of tomorrow, with the top four separated by just 22 points, going into the double header.
Campos Racing leads both categories, ahead of Rodin Motorsport, MP Motorsport, Invicta Racing and DAMS Lucas Oil.
Tight Battles Can Change Everything
Both the Formula 2 and Formula 3 weekends can be summarised by one phrase: a win can change everything. A small mistake or wrong strategy can mean the difference between points, a podium, or a penalty. Colton Herta, Nikola Tsolov and Freddie Slater lost key points to their championship rivals through errors or misfortune.
Strategy also played a key role in Formula 2, as Câmara dominated the Feature Race with a masterclass in tyre management, extending the soft tyres by ten more laps than Arvid Lindblad last year. Meanwhile, alternative strategies left many drivers vulnerable despite starting in favourable positions. Campos Racing in both categories showed they were the team to beat.
Oftentimes, these are the qualities needed to step up to Formula One: race pace, tyre management, and qualifying performance. During the Formula 2 press conference, Tsolov, Câmara and Dunne were asked about FP1 outings, and all agreed that success in Formula 2 is the key to reaching Formula 1. Dunne has completed laps in Formula 1 machinery with both McLaren and Alpine and agreed that Formula 2 is still the priority.
Formula 2 and Formula 3 drivers also continue to stress that the right team can make a stark difference. Kush Maini finally loves Formula 2 again with ART Grand Prix, while Minì echoed similar sentiments about his current environment. Wharton is enjoying PREMA and was delighted to convert the team's pace into a victory. Teams are important in both championships, with the right one often deciding if you reach the next step.
With the season not yet at the midpoint, the championship battles stay wide open. Austria is next on the calendar, followed by Great Britain, and the pressure is growing on Campos at the top. As the sun sets on Barcelona until 2028, these Formula 2 and Formula 3 drivers have shown that it is still a place where junior drivers race hard and fairly.
Written by Amy Powis
