2026 F2 Pre-Season Testing | Barcelona | Invicta Racing dominates Day 2 with Câmara fastest

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Invicta Racing delivered a statement performance on Day 2 of the 2026 FIA Formula 2 Championship pre-season test at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, as Rafael Câmara set the fastest lap of the F2 test so far before Joshua Dürksen completed a commanding team sweep in the afternoon.

Invicta lay down an early marker

As preparations intensified ahead of the new F2 campaign, teams used the second day of running in Barcelona to explore both headline performance and long-run consistency. Although several outfits showed flashes of speed, Invicta Racing established itself as the reference point.

Câmara struck first in the morning, edging a tightly packed field to record the quickest time of the entire test. Later, Dürksen underlined the squad’s strength by topping the afternoon session, ensuring Invicta led both segments of the day.

Câmara edges ultra-close field in morning session

Running began smoothly but halted almost immediately. Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak spun harmlessly on his outlap, prompting a brief red flag while marshals recovered his ART Grand Prix car. The interruption proved minor; however, it set the tone for a stop-start opening hour.

Once the session resumed, drivers steadily improved their lap times as grip levels increased. Dino Beganovic initially led with a 1:25.877 before Laurens van Hoepen briefly placed TRIDENT at the top of the timesheets. Soon after, MP Motorsport asserted itself, with Gabriele Minì posting a 1:25.346 and Oliver Goethe following just 0.015 seconds behind.

When teams switched to Soft Pirelli tyres, the pace intensified. Van Hoepen extracted the most from the compound to record a 1:24.210, signalling that the 1:23 bracket would soon fall. Nevertheless, John Bennett’s spin triggered another red flag, and Minì’s stoppage at Turn 12 caused a further delay shortly after the restart.

Despite the repeated interruptions, the battle for top spot reached its peak in the final hour. Câmara delivered a composed and clinical lap, stopping the clock at 1:23.630 to record the fastest time of the test so far. Crucially, he achieved the lap amid fierce competition, with several rivals also attempting low-fuel runs.

Inthraphuvasak responded immediately, finishing just 0.018 seconds adrift. Behind them, Bennett, Martinius Stenshorne and Nicolas Varrone ensured the top five remained covered by a mere 0.067 seconds. Therefore, the morning session not only highlighted Invicta’s speed but also demonstrated the remarkable competitiveness throughout the field.

A late red flag for Noel León, who became stranded in the gravel at Turn 9, briefly halted proceedings once more. However, when the chequered flag waved, Câmara retained P1 and secured the morning honours for Invicta.

2026 FIA F2 Testing: Barcelona: Day 2: Results – Morning

Rafael Câmara – Invicta Racing – 1:23.630
Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak – ART Grand Prix – 1:23.648
John Bennett – TRIDENT – 1:23.664
Martinius Stenshorne – Rodin Motorsport – 1:23.697
Nicolas Varrone – Van Amersfoort Racing – 1:23.760
Oliver Goethe – MP Motorsport – 1:23.793
Kush Maini – ART Grand Prix – 1:23.835
Colton Herta – Hitech – 1:23.855
Laurens van Hoepen – TRIDENT – 1:23.870
Dino Beganovic – DAMS Lucas Oil – 1:23.913
Nikola Tsolov – Campos Racing – 1:23.957
Gabriele Mini – MP Motorsport – 1:24.237
Rafael Villagómez – Van Amersfoort Racing – 1:24.259
Roman Bilinski – DAMS Lucas Oil – 1:23.436
Mari Boya – PREMA Racing – 1:24.454
Cian Shields – AIX Racing – 1:24.716
Sébastian Montoya – PREMA Racing – 1:24.761
Emerson Fittipaldi – AIX Racing – 1:25.006
Noel Leon – Campos Racing – 1:25.829
Ritomo Miyata – Hitech – 1:26.845
Joshua Dürksen – Invicta Racing – 1:29.950
Alexander Dunne – Rodin Motorsport – No Time

All times for Car 15 were deleted after post-session checks found it underweight.

Dürksen seals Invicta sweep in afternoon session

In contrast, teams dedicated much of the afternoon to long runs and race simulations. Consequently, early lap times appeared conservative as drivers managed tyre wear and fuel loads.

Martinius Stenshorne set the first representative benchmark before Câmara re-established Invicta at the top with a 1:29.544. Shortly afterwards, Dürksen raised the pace considerably. The Paraguayan posted a 1:27.463, creating a significant margin that he maintained for the majority of the session.

Although Colton Herta caused a brief red flag after running wide at Turn 4, the stoppage had minimal impact on programmes. Most teams continued to prioritise race data over outright performance.

However, as the final hour approached, Dürksen returned to the circuit on Soft tyres for a performance run. He immediately improved to a 1:25.363, comfortably securing the fastest time of the afternoon. Câmara then climbed to second, completing an Invicta one-two and reinforcing the team’s authority.

A late spin for Mari Boya brought out one final red flag, yet no driver mounted a serious challenge once green flags returned. As a result, Invicta swept both sessions on Day 2, sending a clear warning to their rivals before competitive action begins.