The 2026 F2 Canadian GP delivered another action-packed weekend as the championship made its first-ever visit to Montreal. The third round of the season also marked the final stop before drivers return to familiar venues, beginning with Monaco next week.
On Friday, Trident’s Laurens van Hoepen stormed to his first F2 pole position after a perfectly timed tow saw him at the top of the timesheets. However, the weekend ended in disappointment for the Dutchman, who fell victim to the Wall of Champions during Sunday’s Feature Race. Saturday’s Sprint Race belonged to Campos Racing’s Noel León, who claimed victory, while Sunday saw Rodin Motorsport secure a well-deserved one-two finish with Martinius Stenshorne and Alex Dunne.
Ahead of the European leg of the season, we take a look at the winners and losers of the 2026 F2 Canadian GP.
Winners of the weekend
Rodin Motorsport’s Martinius Stenshorne & Alex Dunne
Despite showing they have had the pace to fight for strong results, things had not necessarily gone their way until Sunday’s Feature Race, where both Stenshorne and Dunne were finally were rewarded with a well-deserved victory and podium respectively.
The weekend got off to a strong start in Qualifying, with Dunne finishing in P3 and Stenshorne in P5. Although the Irishman received a grid drop for both races after being found to have impeded Van Amersfoort Racing’s Rafael Villagómez, the Rodin duo continued their impressive form, having consistently qualified inside the top three throughout the opening rounds of the season.
Saturday’s Sprint Race proved more challenging for Dunne, as a collision with Joshua Dürksen saw him receive a ten-second time penalty that dropped him well down the order. However, it was a brilliant drive from Stenshorne, who claimed his first podium of the season and weekend.
Navigating the chaotic weather conditions that struck during Sunday’s Feature Race, a redemption drive from Dunne saw him finish alongside his teammate on the podium. After a well-executed race and several safety car periods, the Rodin duo found themselves occupying the top two positions. The Norwegian came across the line to lead a one-two finish, claiming a significant points haul to move him up to fourth in the Drivers’ Standings and securing a double podium finish in Montreal.
In a weekend marked by fewer mistakes and strong execution, both Rodin Motorsport drivers will be hoping to carry this momentum forward.
Noel León
The Mexican driver returned to the podium in Montreal after a consistent run of form in recent races. Despite qualifying eighth, León maximised his weekend by securing a double points finish, collecting crucial points in what is becoming a tightly contested title fight. Heading into the weekend with a focus on minimising mistakes, he made the most of every opportunity to fight for points.
Having qualified P8 on Friday, León started Saturday’s Sprint Race from P3. Maintaining strong pace for much of the race, a decisive move on Gabriele Minì saw him sweep past the Italian to take the lead. And eventually, as the chequered flag flew, he crossed the line to claim his maiden F2 victory.
Although Sunday proved more difficult for León and Campos Racing, the Mexican driver still managed to salvage a P10 finish, securing a point from the Feature Race. With a double points finish, including a win, León now sits 5th in the Drivers’ Standings. With only six points separating second and seventh in the standings and eleven rounds to go, a shake-up remains highly possible.
Gabriele Minì
Fresh off his Feature Race win in Miami, the Italian made it three podiums in a row, taking the championship lead and extending his advantage to 21 points over Invicta Racing’s Rafael Câmara, who sits 2nd. Even when Qualifying sessions haven’t necessarily gone his way this year, his race consistency has been unmatched so far this year.
Minì started the weekend by finishing P10 in Qualifying, which therefore saw him start on pole position for Saturday’s reverse-grid Sprint Race. Despite losing out to León for the win, the Italian felt they had maximised their Sprint Race result, ultimately finishing P2. He still took positives from the race, noting that they had secured a significant haul of points.
However, having started further down the field on Sunday, staying out of trouble and executing a well-managed race saw him climb steadily through the order. Capitalising on others’ mistakes and penalties, Minì eventually worked his way through the field to claim the final spot on the podium, walking away from the weekend with a double podium finish—an impressive effort despite his lower starting position.
With 23 points from the 2026 F2 Canadian GP, Minì has established a significant gap between himself and his competitors. Having scored points in every race so far this season, if he continues this consistent momentum, he will be well placed to extend that advantage as the championship heads into its European leg.
AIX Racing’s Emerson Fittipaldi Jr. & Cian Shields
After a tough start to the year, it was a strong weekend for both Fittipaldi Jr. and Shields, who achieved their career-best finishes in F2. Both drivers’ points finishes also marked the team’s first of the year, as they sit tied on points with Van Amersfoort Racing at the bottom of the Teams’ Standings.
Although neither Fittipaldi Jr. nor Shields impressed in Qualifying—finishing P11 and P17 respectively—staying out of trouble and executing strong races ultimately rewarded both drivers with well-deserved points. Saturday’s Sprint Race saw Fittipaldi Jr. finish P5, while Shields failed to finish. Likewise, on Sunday, Shields secured P5, while his teammate retired after crashing into the barriers on cold tyres as he left the pit lane.
In a weekend where drivers were unfamiliar with the track and faced tricky weather conditions, career-best finishes for both AIX Racing drivers marked a successful outing for the team at the 2026 F2 Canadian GP.
Losers of the weekend
Nikola Tsolov
The 2026 F2 Canadian GP was far from what Tsolov needed, having led the championship until last weekend. Despite showing he had the pace to fight, mistakes and penalties denied him the chance to score a solid points haul in both the Sprint and Feature Race. Having qualified P4, the Bulgarian was in a strong position to fight for points and extend his championship lead, however, that did not last long.
The Red Bull-backed driver looked set to finish in the points in the Sprint Race. However, after causing a collision, a ten-second time penalty saw him drop down the classification, ultimately finishing P14. Subsequently, a mix of misfortune and mistakes followed in Sunday’s Feature Race. Having found himself behind race leader van Hoepen in the early stages, Tsolov was spun around by Kush Maini and dropped to the back of the field. While it initially looked like he would recover with a strong comeback drive, he was set to finish P4. However, a further ten-second penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage dropped him to P12 instead.
Walking away from the weekend with two non-points-scoring results, the Bulgarian will be hoping to bounce back stronger on the streets of Monaco, where he has previously won.
Rafael Villagómez
Still yet to score points, the third round in Montreal presented the Mexican driver with two strong opportunities to fight for points, and even a podium. Especially having started from the front row in Saturday’s Sprint Race, Villagómez looked to have his race under control, spending the majority of the race inside the top five. However, a mistake and a snap of oversteer into the wall after the first chicane saw that opportunity slip away, marking his first retirement of the weekend.
On Sunday, a similar opportunity presented itself as he found himself running inside the top five. Although it was not a mistake from his end this time, he sustained damage to the front-left suspension of his car after Câmara attempted a bold lunge, marking a double retirement for Villagómez. As one of only two drivers yet to score points, the seasoned veteran in his third F2 season will be hoping that his breakthrough comes soon.
Rafael Câmara
The 2026 F2 Canadian GP proved to be an uncharacteristic weekend for the reigning Formula 3 Champion, marked by several mistakes and overly eager overtaking attempts that ultimately did not pay off. Although he had qualified P2 on Friday, a post-session penalty after being found to have impeded Dunne saw him receive a three-place grid drop for both races.
Although he had walked away from the Sprint Race with two points, he approached the Feature Race with uncharacteristic frustration. The Brazilian went on to attempt several further overtakes—including the move on Villagómez that ended his race prematurely—which was not typical of what we usually see from him. Despite pitting and rejoining the field, a five-second time penalty saw him finish the Feature Race in P14.
Although his early-season consistency sees him remain 2nd in the Drivers’ Standings, if he wants to take the lead and stay in the fight, Câmara will be hoping to iron out the mistakes and have a stronger weekend in Monaco.
