The opening round of the 2026 FIA F2 Championship delivered immediate drama across both the Sprint Race andFeature Race at the Australian GP. Although Joshua Dürksen entered Sunday’s Feature Race as the early championship leader following his Sprint Race victory, the order changed dramatically after a chaotic main event.
Ultimately, Nikola Tsolov claimed victory in the Feature Race and surged to the top of the Drivers’ Championship with 25 points. Meanwhile, Rafael Câmara and Laurens van Hoepen completed the podium and now sit second and third in the standings respectively.
In the Teams’ Championship, Campos Racing emerged from Melbourne with the early advantage, building a narrow lead after a highly competitive opening weekend.
Chaotic Feature Race at the Australian GP reshapes the 2026 F2 Championship
Before Sunday’s Feature Race reshaped the standings, Saturday’s Sprint Race had already offered an early glimpse of the championship battle to come.
Starting from eighth on the grid, Joshua Dürksen delivered a composed and strategic drive to claim victory for Invicta Racing. After overtaking Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak early in the race, the Paraguayan controlled proceedings at the front and secured the first win of the season. Behind him, Noel León produced an impressive recovery drive to finish second, while Alex Dunne inherited third place after Martinius Stenshorne received a late time penalty.
As a result, Dürksen led the championship with 10 points after the Sprint Race. León followed with eight points, while Dunne occupied third with six. However, Sunday’s Feature Race at Albert Park soon descended into chaos and dramatically altered the championship picture.
At the start, Martinius Stenshorne and Alex Dunne surged past pole-sitter Dino Beganovic. However, the race changed completely when Dunne attempted an aggressive move on his teammate into Turn 1. The contact sent both Rodin Motorsport drivers into the gravel and forced the Safety Car onto the track.
Consequently, Nikola Tsolov inherited the race lead ahead of Rafael Câmara. From that point onwards, the Campos Racing driver managed the race expertly despite multiple interruptions.
Later in the race, a mechanical failure for Beganovic triggered another Safety Car, which briefly allowed Nicolás Varrone to take the lead through strategy. Nevertheless, Tsolov quickly reclaimed first place after the restart and controlled the closing stages.
Ultimately, Tsolov crossed the line to secure victory, while Câmara finished second. Meanwhile, Laurens van Hoepen completed the podium after delivering a strong and consistent drive.
Tsolov leads tightly packed Drivers’ standings
Following the Feature Race, the championship order shifted dramatically. Victory gives Nikola Tsolov 25 points and the early championship lead. However, the fight behind him remains extremely close. Rafael Câmara and Laurens van Hoepen both sit on 18 points, meaning only a small margin separates the top three.
Furthermore, several drivers remain firmly in contention after strong opening weekends. Ritomo Miyata occupies fourth place with 14 points, while Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak follows closely with 13.
Meanwhile, the former championship leader Joshua Dürksen now sits seventh with 11 points after penalties and a tenth-place finish in the Feature Race limited his overall tally.
Notably, Colton Herta climbed into the top ten of the standings following a strong recovery drive to seventh in the Feature Race.
Campos Racing takes early lead in Teams’ Championship
The Melbourne weekend also reshaped the Teams’ Championship battle. Thanks to Tsolov’s victory and Inthraphuvasak’s points finish, Campos Racing now leads the standings with 33 points.
However, Invicta Racing remains close behind with 29 points after Dürksen’s Sprint Race victory and consistent scoring across the weekend. Behind them, Hitech, MP Motorsport, and Trident complete a tightly packed top five. Meanwhile, traditional powerhouse ART Grand Prix sits sixth after a mixed opening round.
Although the season has only just begun, the narrow points gaps suggest the teams’ battle could remain highly competitive throughout the year.
Early momentum sets up intriguing season battle
After a dramatic opening weekend at the Australian GP, the 2026 F2 championship already shows signs of becoming a tightly contested one.
Initially, Joshua Dürksen looked poised to control the early title fight following his Sprint Race victory. However, Nikola Tsolov’s commanding Feature Race win has immediately shifted momentum toward Campos Racing.
At the same time, strong performances from Rafael Câmara, Laurens van Hoepen, and Ritomo Miyata indicate that the championship fight will likely involve multiple contenders.
With many races still remaining, the 2026 season has already delivered chaos, strategy battles, and intense racing — and Melbourne may only be the beginning.
Drivers’ Standings after 2026 F2 Australian GP Feature Race
- Nikola Tsolov – 25 points
- Rafael Câmara – 18 points
- Laurens van Hoepen – 18 points
- Ritomo Miyata – 14 points
- Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak – 13 points
- Oliver Goethe – 12 points
- Joshua Dürksen – 11 points
- Noel León – 8 points
- Gabriele Minì – 7 points
- Colton Herta – 6 points
- Alex Dunne – 6 points
- Sebastián Montoya – 2 points
- Dino Beganovic – 2 points
- Roman Bilinski – 1 point
- Martinius Stenshorne – 1 point
- Rafael Villagómez – 0 points
- Kush Maini – 0 points
- Mari Boya – 0 points
- Emerson Fittipaldi – 0 points
- John Bennett – 0 points
- Nicolás Varrone – 0 points
- Cian Shields – 0 points
Teams’ Standings after 2026 F2 Australian GP Sprint Race
- Campos Racing – 33 points
- Invicta Racing – 29 points
- Hitech – 20 points
- MP Motorsport – 19 points
- Trident – 18 points
- ART Grand Prix – 13 points
- Rodin Motorsport – 7 points
- DAMS Lucas Oil – 3 points
- PREMA Racing – 2 points
- Van Amersfoort Racing – 0 points
- AIX Racing – 0 points
