Sebastián Montoya heads into the 2026 Formula 2 (F2) Monaco round with a clear understanding of how quickly the Principality can change a weekend.
The PREMA Racing driver arrives after a strong recovery drive in Canada, where he climbed from 18th on the grid to sixth in a chaotic Feature Race. Martinius Stenshorne won the race ahead of Rodin Motorsport team-mate Alex Dunne, while championship leader Gabriele Minì completed the podium.
The identity of Monaco
Speaking during a media session attended by Pit Debrief ahead of the Monaco round, Montoya said the circuit’s limited overtaking opportunities remain part of its identity.
“Yeah, I think the track as it is, it’s really good. It’s obviously really historic and historically it’s always been really difficult to overtake. Looking back at other years, usually when the cars, for example, in F1 were a bit smaller, there was more overtaking.”
“Now that, for example, the F2, the F1, the F3s even are so big, it’s quite difficult to make moves. I think F3 is the one that most action can give, especially on the opening lap, so you can go side by side. But now with the cars being so big, it’s quite difficult.”
“And for track modifications, it’s quite hard because it’s not like you can make the road any wider. But no, I like the track how it is. I think it really defines that the drivers really have to make a statement in qualifying and make a difference in qualifying.”
“So as a track, I don’t know what you can change, but I think it just kind of is what it is. And it’s always been like that. Monaco’s always been known to be quite difficult to overtake.”
“I think in recent years, it’s been even harder, but I’m interested to see how Formula 1 with smaller cars and the energy changes that this weekend.”
Qualifying makes the difference in Monaco
Montoya’s view reflects the wider challenge of the Monaco weekend. Formula 2’s preview notes that qualifying plays a crucial role in the final result because overtaking remains difficult around the narrow streets. Strategy can still play a part, especially with the soft and supersoft tyre allocation, but Safety Cars, red flags and timing often shape the outcome.
For Montoya, that makes the preparation before qualifying especially important. He learned that lesson clearly in 2025, when his Monaco weekend turned into a rollercoaster.
After stalling on the grid, his race looked like it could unravel immediately. Instead, he recovered and scored his first Formula 2 podium.
Asked what that comeback taught him about succeeding in Monaco, Montoya said the weekend reinforced the need to keep fighting.
“That it’s not over until it’s over. I think that’s the biggest thing. And if you look back to previous years, it’s always kind of been like that.”
“If you ask Jak [Crawford], I think even Jak said it in the press conference that that win for him, obviously, it was amazing. But for him, it was just kind of, he just felt lucky. It was just one of those things.”
Recovery to a podium
“And that’s kind of how it goes, not only in Monaco, but in F2. The level is so high that you just need to do what you can and maximise what you can and that’s it.”
“So I think the biggest thing is, and I think the biggest thing that we’ve talked about with Alex is just qualifying, making sure that in qualifying, you put yourself in the right position for the rest of the weekend.”
“Because once you do that, everything kind of changes. The best example of that is 2024, Zak 21. And no one expected that.”
“And I think that’s the beauty of Monaco, that it can go your way, but it also goes the other way. So for me, the biggest, let’s say, lesson I’ve learned is making sure you really maximise practice.”
“You go out to qualify with a car that you feel really confident with. It doesn’t have to be the quickest, but if you’re able to push that limit, push yourself and push the car to what it can do, then that can make the difference between starting on the front row or starting fourth or fifth.”
“And the difference between starting on the front row or fourth or fifth is that you can end up on the podium really easy. So yes, that’s the biggest thing and I’m excited for it because it’s a challenge that you don’t really get in other circuits.”
“And having done it last year, I really appreciate that.”
Montoya highlights Tabac and Casino
Montoya also pointed to the parts of Monaco that reward commitment and precision. While Alex Dunne named Tabac and the Swimming Pool as his favourite sections, Montoya also picked Tabac before adding the Casino sequence.
“For me, Tabac. From the first year in F3 that I’ve done it, it’s one of those corners that I just really enjoy, as Alex [Dunne] said.”
“I would say that and also the Casino, the combination of the left and the right, because you can carry a lot of speed in, but if you get it wrong or if you have a lock-up, you’re going to end up in the wall.”
“And then the exit of the right over the edge, making sure you don’t get a snap and end up in the wall. I would say that’s my two favourite sections of the track.”
Montoya says drivers do not “just send it”
When asked by Pit Debrief what he feels is the biggest misconception about what it takes to be quick around Monaco, Montoya rejected the idea that drivers simply throw the car at the circuit and hope it works.
Instead, he said modern preparation, simulator work and driver understanding mean the process is more controlled than it may look from the outside.
“It’s quite difficult to say. I think overall, you just need to make sure you maximise the braking and you just kind of get used to it. I think a lot of people probably say like, no, you look at the wall and you’re just scared to get close to it.”
“But honestly, as a driver, you know what to do, especially now with the simulators. You can do so many laps that you kind of know what to expect to go quick. So, yeah, you know what to do.”
“You don’t go crazy like a lot of people, I think, say that you just kind of send it in there and then hope for the best. No, I think as a driver, especially at this level, you know what to expect. You know how far you can push your car.”
“Sometimes you try to guess maybe a little bit more. But yeah, to be honest, I would say that’s the biggest thing. You just push as if it were every other track and then you hope you don’t hit the wall.”
Monaco offers Montoya another chance to build momentum
Montoya currently sits 11th in the Drivers’ Championship on 16 points after three rounds. PREMA Racing is ninth in the Teams’ standings, level on points with DAMS Lucas Oil.
After his recovery drive in Canada, Monaco gives Montoya another opportunity to turn pace and execution into points. However, he knows the weekend will likely depend on how well he builds confidence through practice and delivers in qualifying.
His 2025 podium showed that Monaco can reward persistence when a race appears lost. This year, Montoya wants to put himself in a stronger position from the start.
