Rafael Câmara believes he remains in a strong position for the 2026 Formula 2 (F2) Baku round despite admitting his Qualifying 2 strategy prevented him from maximising his potential.
The Brazilian briefly looked on course to fight for pole after producing a 1:54.227 on his opening run, which put him at the top of the timesheets. While Câmara returned to the pits in the closing stages, several of his rivals continued their qualifying efforts. Alex Dunne eventually moved ahead before his Rodin Motorsport teammate Martinius Stenshorne claimed pole with a 1:53.728, leaving Câmara third.
The result nevertheless strengthened Câmara’s position relative to championship leader Nikola Tsolov, who finished Qualifying 2 in eighth. With Câmara having also secured fifth in the opening qualifying session, the Invicta Racing driver heads into the races with opportunities to reduce his seven-point deficit to Tsolov.
Câmara content with P3 after finding more comfort in the car
Speaking during the post-Qualifying 2 press conference attended by Pit Debrief, Câmara described his session as a positive one overall. After finishing fifth in Qualifying 1, he felt increasingly comfortable with his car when the field returned to the Baku City Circuit for the second session.
However, while he acknowledged that his strategy left some performance untapped, the 21-year-old remained satisfied with his starting position. He also highlighted the unpredictable nature of racing in Baku as a potential source of opportunities.
“Yeah, I think overall it was decent quali. Obviously from Q1 I think we had a good race and was also able to feel more comfortable with the car in that second quali. And yeah, probably I think with the strategy we didn’t maximise, but I think I’m pretty happy with where we are starting. Here in Baku as well, there’s always plenty of action in the races, so for sure there will be a lot going on on Sunday. So let’s see how it will be.”
Câmara concedes strategy prevented a stronger pole challenge
Câmara’s decision to return to the pits rather than complete another flying lap proved significant as the track continued to evolve in the closing minutes. His opening effort had initially been strong enough for provisional pole, but the drivers who remained on track found further improvements. Dunne went fastest before Stenshorne delivered the decisive lap, with Câmara unable to respond from the pits.
Reflecting on the decision, Câmara conceded that he and the team had not extracted everything available from the session. Nevertheless, he took encouragement from the strength of his first lap and believes P3 leaves him well placed to score heavily.
“Yeah, I mean, in the end I think we didn’t really, like I said, maximise. For sure we could have done a better job, and I think what we did in a way was not really what we needed to be there fighting for pole position. But in the end I think the first lap was good enough that we’re still in a place where we can fight. And like I said, I’m quite happy with what we did, and from there we can grab some good points.”
Championship remains the priority as Câmara gains qualifying advantage over Tsolov
The Azerbaijan weekend could also prove significant in Câmara’s championship battle with Tsolov. Câmara entered the round seven points behind his rival and outqualified the Bulgarian in both sessions. While Câmara took fifth and third respectively, Tsolov endured a more difficult qualifying day and ended Qualifying 2 durint the 2026 F2 Baku round in eighth.
That gives Câmara an opportunity to put pressure on the championship leader across the races, but he refused to read too much into their qualifying positions. Instead, he stressed the need to concentrate on his own performances and consistently maximise every opportunity as the title fight continues.
“Yeah, for sure in qualifying we were better than him, and for sure it gives us a better chance already on the start positions. But we know how it is in F2, and we know that a lot of things can happen, so for sure we need to keep focused, head down, and still far from over the championship fight. I think we just need to always keep focused on ourselves, make sure that we always try to maximise what we can, and don’t leave anything on the table, because we know how competitive it is, and we always need to be there and consistent to make sure that we can fight for the championship.”
