The 2026 FIA Formula 2 Championship took another major turn after a chaotic Sprint Race at the Canadian GP, as Noel León claimed victory for Campos Racing while Gabriele Minì moved into the lead of the F2 Drivers’ Championship standings.
Minì entered the Montréal weekend level with Rafael Câmara and just one point behind Nikola Tsolov after his maiden F2 victory in Miami. However, after finishing second in the Canadian GP Sprint Race, the MP Motorsport driver now leads the standings with 42 points.
Câmara sits second on 36 points, while former championship leader Tsolov drops to third on 35 after a penalty-hit race left him outside the points. Meanwhile, León’s victory moves him up to fourth in the standings on 32 points, keeping Campos Racing firmly at the top of the Teams’ Championship.
León wins chaotic Sprint Race at the Canadian GP
Following a dramatic Qualifying session, Minì lined up on reverse-grid pole alongside Rafael Villagómez, with León starting third. Feature Race polesitter Laurens van Hoepen started eighth after post-Qualifying penalties reshuffled the grid.
At the start, Minì made a clean getaway and quickly built a gap at the front. Behind him, León jumped to second, while Joshua Dürksen made strong early progress and moved into the podium fight.
Dürksen soon challenged León and used DRS to move ahead into the final chicane. However, León responded on the following lap and reclaimed second as the battle behind Minì continued to intensify.
Further back, the race quickly became messy. Nicolás Varrone received a stop-and-go penalty for a starting procedure infringement, while Sebastián Montoya dropped down the order after making slight contact with the wall.
Safety Cars and penalties reshape the Sprint Race
The first major turning point came on Lap 11 when Tsolov hit the rear of Martinius Stenshorne, who then collided with John Bennett. Bennett was sent into a spin at the hairpin and was forced to retire, bringing out the Safety Car.
Minì controlled the restart, but León immediately placed him under pressure. Behind them, Dürksen’s race began to unravel. The Invicta Racing driver received a five-second penalty for causing a collision before later making contact with Alex Dunne at the hairpin. Dürksen spun to a stop, triggering another Safety Car.
During the chaos, León seized his opportunity and passed Minì for the lead. Once racing resumed, the Campos driver produced a strong restart and quickly opened a gap, pulling clear while the field behind continued to fight through penalties and incidents.
Dunne and Tsolov were both handed 10-second penalties for separate collisions, while Villagómez later hit the wall and retired. A collision between Cian Shields and Varrone then triggered a brief Virtual Safety Car, adding another interruption to an already chaotic Sprint Race.
Minì takes lead of the Drivers’ standings ahead of Sunday’s F2 Feature Race at the 2026 Canadian GP
Although León claimed the victory, Minì’s second-place finish carried major championship significance. The Italian now leads the Drivers’ Championship with 42 points, six points clear of Câmara and seven ahead of Tsolov.
It marks a major swing from the Miami GP Feature Race, where Tsolov still held the championship lead by a single point over Câmara and Minì. Now, after the Canadian GP Sprint Race, Minì has moved ahead for the first time this season.
However, the championship remains extremely tight. Câmara finished seventh in the Sprint Race and now sits second on 36 points, while Tsolov remains third on 35 despite failing to score.
With the Feature Race still to come on Sunday, the order at the top could change again before the Canadian GP weekend is complete.
León and van Hoepen close in after strong Sprint Race results
León was one of the biggest winners from the Canadian GP Sprint Race. His victory moves him to 32 points, placing him fourth in the Drivers’ Championship and just 10 points behind Minì.
Van Hoepen also made important gains. After starting eighth, the Trident driver finished fourth and now sits fifth in the standings on 31 points. With Feature Race pole still to come, he remains well positioned to make another major move on Sunday.
Stenshorne also climbed the order after finishing third, moving to 10 points for the season. Emerson Fittipaldi scored valuable points as well, rising to four points after finishing fifth.
Meanwhile, Dürksen’s retirement proved costly. He remains eighth in the Drivers’ Championship on 16 points and will also take a three-place grid drop for the next race after receiving a penalty for causing a collision.
Drivers’ Standings after 2026 F2 Canadian GP Sprint Race
- Gabriele Minì – 42 points
- Rafael Câmara – 36 points
- Nikola Tsolov – 35 points
- Noel León – 32 points
- Laurens van Hoepen – 31 points
- Dino Beganovic – 24 points
- Ritomo Miyata – 22 points
- Joshua Dürksen – 16 points
- Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak – 13 points
- Alex Dunne – 12 points
- Oliver Goethe – 12 points
- Kush Maini – 12 points
- Martinius Stenshorne – 10 points
- Colton Herta – 10 points
- Mari Boya – 6 points
- Nicolás Varrone – 5 points
- Emerson Fittipaldi – 4 points
- Sebastián Montoya – 4 points
- Roman Bilinski – 2 points
- Rafael Villagómez – 0 points
- John Bennett – 0 points
- Cian Shields – 0 points
Campos Racing strengthens Teams’ Championship lead
Campos Racing continues to lead the Teams’ Championship after León’s victory and despite Tsolov’s difficult Sprint Race. The team now sits on 67 points, giving it a 15-point advantage over MP Motorsport and Invicta Racing.
MP Motorsport rises to second on 52 points thanks to Minì’s second-place finish, while Invicta Racing also sits on 52 after Câmara scored points. Hitech remains fourth on 32 points, narrowly ahead of Trident on 31.
Further back, DAMS Lucas Oil moves to 26 points, while ART Grand Prix stays on 25. Rodin Motorsport climbs to 22 points after Stenshorne’s podium, while AIX Racing opens its account through Fittipaldi’s fifth-place finish.
With Sunday’s Feature Race still remaining, Campos holds the advantage. However, MP Motorsport and Invicta Racing remain close enough to apply pressure if Minì, Câmara, or their teammates can deliver a strong result.
Teams’ Standings after 2026 F2 Canadian GP Sprint Race
- Campos Racing – 67 points
- MP Motorsport – 52 points
- Invicta Racing – 52 points
- Hitech – 32 points
- Trident – 31 points
- DAMS Lucas Oil – 26 points
- ART Grand Prix – 25 points
- Rodin Motorsport – 22 points
- PREMA Racing – 10 points
- Van Amersfoort Racing – 5 points
- AIX Racing – 4 points
Canadian GP Sprint Race sets up crucial Feature Race
The Canadian GP Sprint Race has tightened the 2026 F2 title fight once again. Minì now leads the championship, but Câmara, Tsolov, León and van Hoepen all remain within striking distance.
The result also gives Campos Racing a stronger hold on the Teams’ Championship, although MP Motorsport and Invicta Racing continue to close in.
With the Feature Race still to come on Sunday, the Montréal weekend is far from over. Van Hoepen will start from pole, while several championship contenders will have another chance to score heavily and reshape the standings once again.
