Sebastián Montoya returns to PREMA in 2026 for his second Formula 2 (F2) season with clarity and a confidence to win. The Colombian driver believes both he and the team are better equipped this season for a sustained title fight. After a rollercoaster 2025 campaign which showed flashes of brilliance alongside troubles, Montoya arrives in 2026 with PREMA more self-assured in his approach to racing.
“It’s a long season. But obviously, the goal is to win. That’s why we do this,” said Montoya. “There’s a lot of work to do, but we understand that if we want to do a good job, we just take it race by race.”
Making a statement
It’s the kind of statement that reflects both ambition and restraint. After a rookie campaign that featured moments of genuine front-running pace mixed with tough setbacks, Montoya understands that a title fight in F2 with PREMA in 2026 will be built on consistency just as much as speed.
“We want to win the championship. That’s why we show up every weekend working our butts off. But I think even more than that, it’s just we know who we are. I think that’s the biggest thing.”
That self-awareness has become central to his approach. Rather than being consumed by the championship picture in November, Montoya is deliberately narrowing his focus to the immediate task in front of him.
“Our goal is every weekend, just maximise what we can. Instead of focusing so much on the end, we’re just going to focus on what we can control right now, and then what’s the next thing we have and just focus on that.”
“There’s no point in trying to focus on Abu Dhabi when you haven’t even done pre-season testing or trying to focus on Abu Dhabi when you have Australia, for example. So I think the important thing is just staying present in the team.”
“The time of my life” with PREMA
For Montoya, staying present is made easier by the environment around him. His return to PREMA is not simply a continuation, it’s a partnership he believes has already proven its strength.
He described 2025 as “the time of my life” working with the Italian outfit, explaining how he and the team “complement” each other and how eager he is to continue building on that relationship.
“I’m really looking forward to being back, first of all, in F2,” continued Montoya. “I think it’s awesome, I learned a lot last year. I had a lot of good results.”
While the results sheet may only show the final positions, Montoya points to the trajectory of his season as a key source of confidence.
“The end of the season was super strong. So for me, I really enjoyed it and I really wanted another shot, another opportunity, because in the end, this is what I love doing, and every time that I usually jump up category, I enjoy it even more.”
His 2025 rookie season
His rookie year was far from straightforward. There were breakthrough performances, but also weekends that tested his resilience.
“I just had a blast last year, I learned a lot. There were some hard times, but there were some very good times as well. But it was really a rollercoaster year where there was a lot learned.”
“But I had the time of my life, and especially now, being back with PREMA again for my second season, it’s awesome. I think last year, we built a really strong foundation in the first part of the season.”
“Then in the second part of the season, we just maximised. There were some races that were quite difficult. But I think for this year, we’ve kind of learned from that. I would like to say that we’ve improved on that. But obviously, we need to hit the track first.”
Lessons from a rollercoaster rookie season
Beyond pure performance, Montoya speaks about a mental shift, an understanding that success at this level doesn’t require overcomplication.
“I think it’s just trusting myself a little bit more,” he said. “I feel like I was super quick throughout the season, but there’s obviously some mistakes I made here and there.”
“But overall, I think the biggest wake up for me was realising that it’s not rocket science where I’m going to the moon. The biggest thing is just kind of realising that you just do the work, you do what you can and then that’s it.”
That emphasis on learning is no coincidence. One of the defining moments of his 2025 campaign came in Baku, a weekend that encapsulated both his potential and the brutal unpredictability of F2.
“For me, the biggest wake up call, I’d have to say, was Baku running P2 in the Sprint, fighting with Dino for the win to having an issue and then slowly going back.“
“Then on Sunday, being the quickest on the Option and kind of making my way bit by bit. I felt really confident for the Feature Race. Then obviously in the pit stop, we came into the pits P5, P6 and I exited P17, P16.”
“That’s like, it’s one of those things where as a driver, it’s really frustrating, but you also have to learn that that’s F2. There are times it goes your way and there’s times it doesn’t, and last year I had a bit of that of both ways.”
Maximising every opportunity
“I’d say the biggest thing I’m trying to improve from last season to this season is just maximising what I have,” he concluded. “If I have a car to qualify P8, I qualify P8. I’m not going to try to qualify P6 because that’s when mistakes come.”
It’s a pragmatic approach, one that acknowledges the razor-thin margins in Formula 2.
“If I have a car to qualify on pole or in the front row, put it on the front row. But that’s the biggest thing, and then for the races, it’s just maximise what you have.”
“I think my race pace is one of my strongest points. But I just want to focus race by race and just get on track and drive as fast as I can.”
Managing the demands of the calendar
The physical and mental demands of the calendar are another factor Montoya is preparing for with PREMA in 2026, particularly with the intense double- and triple-header stretches that define the F2 season.
“It can be a little bit overwhelming though, especially with a doubleheader or tripleheader, these weekends are really difficult. I’m trying to manage that. Also, we have very busy schedules as well, we also have times with a lot of rest period, like after Australia, we have a month and a half to Bahrain.”
“So obviously managing that as well, understanding what you need to focus on in that period, and I think with that experience, I’m looking forward to seeing what we can do this year.”
