Laurens van Hoepen believes Trident’s double points finish in Barcelona provides important motivation for the remainder of the 2026 Formula 2 (F2) season, although he feels the team could have achieved even more in Spain.
Van Hoepen delivered one of the strongest recovery drives of the Barcelona Feature Race. After starting 13th, the Dutch driver fought through the field to finish fifth, while teammate John Bennett crossed the line in seventh.
Their results marked the first time both Trident drivers scored points in the same race during the 2026 season.
Speaking to the media, including Pit Debrief, ahead of the 2026 Spielberg Round at the Austrian GP, Van Hoepen explained that the F2 Feature Race result showed Trident’s potential while also highlighting the work still required.
“I mean, we had a good Feature Race, but overall I think the weekend could have been a lot better because both John and I got quite unlucky in qualifying. I think we were both on for a good lap to be at least inside the top five, so that’s a bit of a shame because then it made the race a lot harder.”
“But I think we did a really good job, especially in the Feature Race, to fight back and both get into the points, which for sure is very motivating also for the rest of the season and for this round in Spielberg and for everything that’s to come.”
“I think there are a lot of positives to get from that, but also we know that we still have work to do, for sure.”
Qualifying leaves Trident with work to do
Both Trident drivers faced a difficult task after qualifying outside the leading positions in Barcelona.
Rafael Câmara secured pole position as part of an Invicta Racing front-row lockout, while Van Hoepen and Bennett missed out on the positions their pace appeared capable of producing.
Van Hoepen felt both drivers had the potential to qualify inside the top five before circumstances disrupted their laps. Their starting positions then made it considerably harder to fight for points across the weekend.
The Dutchman could not score in the Sprint Race, which Kush Maini won after taking the lead at the start. A long DRS train formed through the midfield, restricting the opportunities for drivers further back to make significant progress.
Sunday’s Feature Race provided more strategic possibilities.
Van Hoepen charges from 13th to fifth
Câmara extended his opening stint before using fresher tyres to reclaim the lead and secure his maiden Formula 2 victory.
Behind the leaders, Van Hoepen made steady progress through the field. He gained eight positions to finish fifth, while Bennett completed Trident’s double points result in seventh.
The result demonstrated the team’s race pace, but Van Hoepen also viewed it as evidence of what Trident could achieve with a stronger qualifying performance.
Starting closer to the front would reduce the number of positions he must recover and allow him to fight the leading teams from the beginning of the race.
Nevertheless, Barcelona offered Trident an important boost ahead of the Austrian round. The team converted a challenging starting position into its best combined result of the season and showed it could compete inside the top 10 with both cars.
Stronger understanding within Trident
Van Hoepen joined Trident for the final rounds of the 2025 season before remaining with the Italian team for his first full F2 campaign in 2026.
As the season has progressed, he and the team have developed a clearer understanding of each other’s working methods.
“For sure, it helps that we are understanding each other well. I mean, we’ve been spending quite a lot of time together now.”
“It’s almost the halfway point of the season. So, at this point, we know each other well, and it definitely helps because when I just arrived in the team, of course, you have to learn each other. You have to kind of start to speak with each other, and you don’t know what we all like. Now, we have a better understanding of that, and that also helped me, for sure, to come back stronger in Barcelona.”
Van Hoepen believes that stronger relationship has helped Trident react constructively when weekends have not gone to plan.
Positive response after difficult weekends
The Dutchman endured setbacks in Montreal and Monaco before returning to the points in Barcelona.
He explained that the team’s support helped him approach Monaco positively despite his disappointment with the Montreal Feature Race.
“But it also helped me come back to Monaco in a good mental state because, of course, what I did in Montreal was not exactly what I wanted to do in the Feature Race.”
“So, it helped me for Monaco straight away because things like that can happen, and we took the positives and we went with a positive mindset to Monaco. Then, straight away in FP, I think the first push of FP, I was in first, and then we were up there for the whole of FP. We were quick in Monaco, just a shame for what happened in qualifying.”
“In Barcelona, we were quick. So, yeah, we understand each other well, and it definitely is a big plus.”
Spielberg heat changes the approach
The Red Bull Ring presents a different challenge for the Formula 2 field.
Its short lap and limited number of corners usually produce small gaps, increasing the importance of executing every lap cleanly. High temperatures add another complication, with drivers needing to control slides and wheelspin to prevent the tyres from overheating.
Asked how the conditions would affect tyre management, Van Hoepen said Trident would need to adapt its usual plan.
“I think it definitely changes a bit because usually at this track you’re not that used to having high temperatures. So, for sure, the plan has to be changed a bit, but in the end, we’re quite used to having high temperatures on track.”
“I mean, Barcelona was very hot, Miami was very hot. So, we have the experience from that and we know kind of what to do.”
The experience gained at previous hot-weather rounds should provide Trident with a useful reference in Austria.
Mistakes carry a heavier cost
Van Hoepen explained that a single mistake could cause greater tyre damage in the extreme heat.
“It’s about managing those mistakes because, yeah, everything you do now has a big effect.”
“So, if you have a big slide in this heat, it has a bigger impact than when you have a big slide when it’s, I don’t know, 20 degrees track temperature. So, for sure, that’s something you keep in mind, but then apart from that, you basically do what you feel, and usually it works out quite well in that way.”
Van Hoepen proud of De Vries’ Le Mans victory
Van Hoepen also reflected on Nyck de Vries’ victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The former F2 and Formula E champion has played an important mentoring role throughout Van Hoepen’s career.
When Pit Debrief asked what it meant to see De Vries achieve such a significant victory, Van Hoepen expressed his pride in his fellow Dutch driver.
“I mean, it’s super cool to see Nyck [de Vries] win a race like that. I think it’s one of the most prestigious races in motorsport and, yeah, on almost every driver’s list of races that they want to win.”
“To see him win that race is very, very cool and, yeah, I was very proud of him, of course.”
“I spoke to him after the race, and I know how hard he’s been working to get to that point. So, yeah, it’s been very cool and, yeah, obviously, I wish him all the best for that kind of stuff. So, yeah, to see him win was very nice.”
De Vries’ perseverance provides an example for Van Hoepen as he navigates his first complete F2 season.
Barcelona demonstrated both the progress Trident has made and the potential that remains untapped. A cleaner F2 qualifying session in Spielberg at the 2026 Austrian GP, could allow Van Hoepen to build on fifth place in Spain without needing another recovery drive.
