TRIDENT’s John Bennett claimed his maiden F2 victory in a nail-biting Sprint Race at the 2026 Austrian GP, with a last-lap lunge down the inside of PREMA Racing’s Sebastian Montoya securing both his first podium and win in Formula 2.
The Briton’s win comes after a career-best result in the Barcelona Feature Race, where he managed to finish P7. Prior to that, Bennett’s best finish came during the Lusail Sprint Race in 2024. Reflecting on his race during the post-Sprint press conference attended by Pit Debrief, Bennett said: “It feels amazing, I’m really just trying to enjoy every second of this.”
“I think we’ve been waiting a long time for a strong result, this year we’ve been showing a lot of pace, but things just haven’t quite gone our way, so yeah, to have a race like this is a really good feeling.”
Staying calm under pressure against Montoya
With a stronger launch off the line than Montoya, he found himself in the lead by the time the pack exited Turn 1. Despite losing the lead several laps later, the 22 year-old explained that his focus remained on staying within DRS range of the PREMA driver before he saw an opportunity to eventually reclaim the lead.
“I spent most of the race really just trying to hold the DRS to [Sebastian] Montoya, not trying to drop out, and then the last 3-4 laps after the VSCs, I started to see him struggle, close the gap, close the gap.”
“And then on the last lap I just said to myself, like it’s now or never, got a good exit out of [Turn] 1, put him under pressure into T3, got a good exit out of 3, had the run into 4, was on the outside, just got slightly ahead in the braking zone, and I knew he was going to brake late, so I went for the switchback, and just had quite enough traction to make it work and then led to the line.”
Tyre management crucial in hot Sprint Race
The 2026 Austrian GP has so far brought some extreme heat that Bennett and his fellow F2 drivers have had to contend with. When asked about how crucial tyre management was in the first half of his stint, he explained that he expected it to play an important role and said he was not concerned when he lost the lead to Montoya.
“Yeah, for sure. Going into the race I knew it was going to be a lot about managing the tyres, like in FP the race just went off straight away, and today was super hot. So yeah, I got the lead off the line, which was nice, but I wasn’t super worried about keeping it.”, he said.
“When Montoya overtook, I didn’t defend too hard, and I just thought, I’ll just manage the race, stay in DRS, keep the tyres under control, and maybe I can make something happen at the end.”
Having studied races from previous years, he observed a pattern of leading drivers fading towards the end as they struggled for grip. Hoping to replicate a late comeback, which he eventually did, he explained that this was the approach he aimed to follow.
“I watched the races back over the past couple of years, and the leader could lead for most of the race, but then was under pressure at the end, just because of the tyre management. So that’s what I tried to replicate, and yeah, it worked, thankfully.”
Bennett: “It’s been a long time coming”
“Like I said, like a good result, it’s been a long time coming.”, Bennett said. “You know, I had quite a lot of success in my previous championship, but then moving into Formula 2 was a very big step and a tricky one.”
Taking the leap from the GB3 Championship in 2024 and Formula 2 in 2025, he said his rookie season was all about learning. Now, after achieving a significant milestone for himself and the team, the Briton expressed his gratitude to TRIDENT and the competitiveness of the car they showed today.
“So last year was all about learning, and then this year, join Trident, and the step they’ve made over winter is just amazing. They’ve been putting in so much work, and yeah, we’ve had pace in the car every weekend now.”
“So yeah, to finally put it all together with a win feels amazing. And yeah, I can’t thank the team enough for giving me the car that they have. And yeah, it feels really good.”
An “enjoyable battle” with Montoya
Throughout the race, Bennett and Montoya both demonstrated strong and respectful racecraft as they battled for the lead. When asked by Pit Debrief how much drivers enjoy races like these and how much trust they need to place in both the car and their competitors, he explained: “Yeah, for sure. It was a fun fight today. You know, we had quite a few moves on each other with no contact, which is always the goal. But you know, it’s important to trust the cars and drivers around you.”
“I think Formula 2 is a very skilled field. And I’m sure you know, we’ve been racing a long time now. We know what to expect. And yeah, I could trust Sebastian. He would put the car where he wanted and I would put the car where I wanted. And yeah, it was just a very enjoyable battle between the two of us.”
Podium finish a confidence booster
For Bennett and his fellow top-three finishers, he noted similarities in their 2026 F2 seasons so far, with all three often showing promising pace but often being caught out by misfortune. Nonetheless, he admitted that his result is a definite confidence booster.
“I think all three of us are in a bit of a similar situation this year. You know, we’ve all shown some speed, but we’ve had a bit of a tricky season with the results. So the podium feels really good. Definitely gives me a lot of confidence. You know, this is really a great result for myself.”
“And, it shows that I have what it takes to win in Formula 2. Yeah, I think, as I’ve said before, we’ve been showing a lot of pace this year, but things haven’t quite gone our way.”
Drawing on his weekend in Montreal, where he suffered two retirements, he acknowledged that results will not always go their way. Moving forward, however, Bennett looks to build on this momentum, especially heading into his home race at Silverstone next weekend.
“You know, similar to Rafa [Villagómez], I was fighting for the podium in both races in Canada and came away with two DNFs. And that’s just sometimes how it goes. So, yeah, it feels really good this weekend to put it all together and get this result.”
“And yeah, just keep building on this momentum and taking it into the next few weekends. And yeah, I mean, next up, Silverstone, my home race, which I’m very excited for.”
A strength of Bennett’s: The Red Bull Ring
Having qualified in the top ten and started on reverse-grid pole last year, Bennett continues to find success around the Red Bull Ring. However, he believes his pace this weekend is not an outlier, but rather a reflection of finally being able to fully showcase their potential.
“Yeah, I mean, for sure, things have clicked around here. You know, like you said, it was strong last year. But I think this year, it isn’t really an outlier. I think I’ve actually had pace in the top 10 every weekend.”
“This is just the first weekend where we’ve really been able to show it. Barcelona, we were on for a lap for top five in quali before the red flag came out and then fought up to seventh in the Feature Race. So I wouldn’t say this year it’s been an outlier, but for sure, I feel confident around here.”
While he acknowledged that he likes the track’s characteristics and that it suits his strengths, Bennett credited TRIDENT with providing a strong and competitive car.
“I mean, all the tracks to me and you, I don’t have so much experience having skipped Formula 3. But yeah, I think this track does suit me a bit. The heavy braking zones have always been a bit of a strength of mine and then also the high speeds I’m quite comfortable with.”
“So, I think I’ve just gotten into a good flow around here. And, I mean the car was just really strong today from Trident.”, the 22 year-old said.
Communication with engineer key to success
“Yeah, the communication for sure is very important. As I said, this was kind of a strategy in my head before starting the race, really just settle in, take the DRS, manage the tyres, and try and make something happen in the last few laps.”, Bennett explained.
Having built a strong relationship with his race engineer Leo, he explained that he was guided throughout the race and reminded to stay calm, level-headed, and informed when necessary.
“I’ve got quite a strong relationship with my engineer, Leo. Throughout the whole race, he was really just keeping me motivated, reminding me to just stay on DRS, wait till the end of the race, be patient, keep the tyres under control.”
“And yeah, that’s exactly what I did. He just made sure I kept it in the right place. I always knew the gaps. And yeah, I attacked when I wanted to.”
A new chapter with TRIDENT: “They’ve taught me a lot”
After a season with Van Amersfoort Racing, Bennett made the switch to the Italian outfit for his sophomore campaign in 2026. When asked by Pit Debrief how joining the team has given him a fresh mindset and approach to his second F2 season, he said: “Yeah, it’s been really great joining Trident. I think, you know, we hit the ground running straight away with P3 in the Barcelona pre-season test.”
“You know, obviously I learned so much with VAR last year and it was my rookie season, so it was always going to be a big learning curve. But yeah, I mean, I have a lot of respect for VAR. It was a great team. I learned a lot.”
With both the team and himself working on various factors over the winter, he said they have taught him a lot. Feeling confident in their momentum and current position, Bennett added that morale within the team remains high and that he hopes to keep building on it.
He continued: “But yeah, coming to Trident was put a new perspective on things. I think they’ve worked super hard on the car and I’ve worked super hard on myself. They’ve taught me a lot. And yeah, every weekend I think we keep improving, both the car and on my side and I feel like we’re just in a good position right now. I feel strong. The atmosphere in the team is good. And yeah, we’ll just keep going with this momentum.”
A “very motivated” TRIDENT
TRIDENT and their drivers, particularly Laurens van Hoepen, have impressed on several occasions this year. And now with Bennett’s win after a tough F2 season last year, the Italian outfit’s progress is clear.
“Yeah, it feels absolutely amazing. Like I said, the team have put in so much work over winter and between each round. It’s no surprise they had quite a tricky year last year, as did I.”, he admitted.
“You know, they always kept working. For sure, it can be hard to keep pushing when no results are coming. And I know they’ve felt very, very motivated this year. But yeah, to get the win just feels absolutely amazing. They all deserve it so much. They all worked super hard. And yeah, it’s just a very good feeling to finally get that win, both for myself and for the team.”
