John Bennett says his first Formula 2 victory at the Red Bull Ring gave him proof that his difficult route through the championship had been worth it, after a challenging rookie season and an uncertain winter left his F2 future unclear.
The TRIDENT driver claimed his maiden F2 win in the Spielberg Sprint Race, passing Sebastián Montoya on the final lap to take victory. For Bennett, the result meant more than simply standing on the top step. The win came after a run of missed opportunities in the opening part of the 2026 season, where pace had not always turned into points.
“It was an incredible feeling,” said Bennett. “It was probably the best day of my life, to be honest.”
He continued, “It was amazing to finally get that first race win in Formula 2, it had been a long time coming, and it felt really good to finally have a result that I can show on paper.”
“We’ve shown a lot of pace all year but things just haven’t quite got across the finish line. Like in Miami, we were P3 in the Feature, really fighting for a top five, and then we had an issue in the pit lane.”
“Canada, we were P4 in both races before two DNFs. There’s been a lot of things this year that haven’t quite gone our way. But following that result in the Barcelona Feature, finishing seventh from 18th and with the fastest lap, that was the first step in the right direction.”
“Then to back it up with a win at the Red Bull Ring was really good. We we’ve shown a lot of potential this year, so to finally get a solid result definitely means a lot for me and the team.”
Missed chances made Spielberg more important
Bennett’s Red Bull Ring victory arrived after several weekends that had hinted at progress without delivering the reward.
In Miami, he had been running in podium contention in the Feature Race before a pit lane issue cost him. In Canada, he had been fourth in both races before two DNFs ended his chances. Barcelona then offered a first clear step forward, as he recovered from 18th to seventh in the Feature Race and added the fastest lap.
That sequence made the Spielberg win feel like a release. After a year and a half of trying to prove himself in F2, Bennett finally had a result that matched the pace he believed he and TRIDENT had shown.
TRIDENT move gives Bennett fresh start
Bennett’s 2026 progress came after a difficult first season in F2. He scored just one point during his rookie campaign, finishing 10th in the Monza Feature Race, and his place on the grid looked uncertain heading into the winter.
A late agreement with TRIDENT gave him another chance, even though both driver and team were coming off challenging seasons. Bennett said the atmosphere changed quickly once he started working with the Italian outfit.
“It’s been really good,” said Bennett on working with TRIDENT. “I had a tricky year last year and then towards the end of the season, we weren’t so sure where we were going to go, or if we could even stay in Formula 2.”
“Then the deal with TRIDENT came out at the very last minute. We thought it was worth a go. TRIDENT had a tricky year last year, but during testing there was a good feeling in the team. I could see how hard they work. It felt like we were on an upwards trajectory.”
“In the end the risk has sort of paid off. We’ve been strong all year both myself and the team, and I think we just keep on getting better every week. So right now there’s a very good atmosphere in the team, and I’m very happy with where I am.”
Bennett admits 2025 F2 season was “very, very tough”
Before stepping into F2, Bennett had built momentum in GB3. He finished second in the standings after taking 11 podiums, then impressed in Formula 3 testing before earning a late move into Formula 2.
His first Feature Race in F2 offered encouragement, but the rest of the season proved much harder. Bennett said he struggled to understand what the car needed from him, making the step up especially difficult after such a successful year in GB3.
“It’s been mentally very, very tough,” admitted Bennett. “I’m quite proud of myself in the way that I always kept pushing, kept working hard, knowing that eventually it will turn around. But it has been very mentally tough.
“I joined Formula 2 off the back of a very strong season in GB3 where I was on the podium every race weekend that year. Then I had some very strong results in the F3 testing, which then got me this last-minute move to Formula 2, and that went very well at first too.”
“I was P8 in the first ever Feature Race I did. But then from that point on I felt like I got a bit lost. I didn’t really know what the car wanted from me, so last season was very tricky. Coming off the back of such a successful year, it was for sure tough mentally.”
“This year has given me a lot more motivation, like a fresh start, and as I said, we’ve been showing pace, but the result never got there, which again was very tough to take. But I knew that eventually it’ll come.”
“So winning at the Red Bull Ring was like a reward for all the work over the past two years.”
Bennett wants more than one breakthrough result
Despite the breakthrough victory, Bennett still wants to change the shape of his season in the championship table.
He heads to Monza for Round 10 sitting 18th in the Drivers’ Standings, a position he feels undersells the level he and TRIDENT have shown across 2026. After proving he can win in F2, Bennett now wants to turn isolated strong weekends into a more consistent points run.
“I still have a lot of work to do in the championship,” added Bennett. “I think we’re quite a lot further down than where we should be. So that’s the main goal right now.”
“It’s just about consistently picking up those points and moving up in the order. At the end of the day, I want to chase more podiums and wins.”
