Rafael Câmara capped off a “very good weekend” by extending his championship lead and winning Feature Race 2 at the 2026 F2 Baku round.
Starting the weekend with P5 in Free Practice and P5 in Qualifying 1, Câmara improved to P3 in Qualifying 2 before finishing P15 in a difficult Sprint Race. However, the Brazilian bounced back with P4 in Feature Race 1, taking the championship lead as title rival Nikola Tsolov retired.
Starting Saturday’s Feature Race 2 from P3, Câmara battled for the lead after an early Safety Car restart, with Rodin Motorsport’s Alex Dunne emerging as his main rival. The Invicta driver briefly moved into the lead during a messy pit-stop phase before Dunne reclaimed the position on fresher tyres. However, a five-second penalty for Dunne kept Câmara firmly in contention, with Tsolov also closing in during the final stages of the race.
Despite being unable to make a move past Dunne, Câmara ultimately inherited the race win at the chequered flag, with Tsolov and Dunne completing the podium.
Câmara details difficult fight for Feature Race 2 lead at Baku
Reflecting on his win during the post-Feature Race 2 press conference, attended by Pit Debrief, Câmara explained the challenges he faced while trying to challenge Dunne for the lead:
“Yeah, I mean, it was a long race for me, all the way behind Alex. But, yeah, I think on the supersoft, in the first stint, we were quite good, but after that, every time I was getting close to Alex, it was tricky to follow behind. Then it was difficult to get a chance into Turn 1. Overall, it was very good because he had a penalty, but yeah it felt like we won a bit more, and it was a bit tricky today.”
With the time penalty hanging over Dunne, Câmara knew he did not necessarily need to force a move for the lead. Instead, the Ferrari-backed driver focused on staying within reach while managing the tight closing stages of the race.
“Probably at the beginning of the stint I could try a bit as well with the good tyres, but after that, even if I tried, I couldn’t overtake him,” he said. “So I think he was just better overall. It was tricky to follow and get close enough to try something, but overall, in the end it was a very good weekend for us in terms of the championship. Yesterday we also scored what we could, and I think it was a positive weekend overall.”
Confident in Invicta’s pace
Despite visiting the Baku City Circuit for the first time, Câmara entered the weekend confident that Invicta Racing could be competitive after the team’s previous performances at the track.
“Not really. I knew it was a new track, a street circuit, but I think looking at the past years, the team has always been good here. I knew that by doing the work beforehand and preparing well, we could be there fighting for both positions in the races.”
“In the end, we were quite strong from FP. In qualifying, I think we were always there. Overall, throughout the weekend, we always had a chance to be fighting, so I think it was a very positive weekend, even though it was a new track. Yeah, now we just keep working and see what happens in the final two rounds,” he shared, with the Lusail and Yas Martina rounds set to decide the championship.
Asked how he expected the Feature Race 2 pace to compare with Friday’s Sprint and Feature Race 1, Câmara continued:
“Yeah, I was expecting to be a bit better than yesterday and I think we managed to do that step from yesterday. Still I think missing a little bit, especially compared to Nico [Tsolov], that was quite quick behind. But overall I think we had a very good pace and I think we’re just struggling really to follow. Probably trying something in the beginning with Alex could help with the balance, but in the end it is what it is. I tried to take that position back in the end, but it was just not really possible.”
Avoiding chaos
Baku’s unpredictable nature was on display again this season, with F2 recording 16 race retirements across the 2026 weekend, four of which came during Feature Race 2.
Discussing how he managed the risk and reward of the intense drag race to the line, the 21-year-old explained how difficult it was to challenge Dunne while keeping Tsolov behind.
“On my side really I was just trying to keep it up. I saw that Niko [Tsolov] was coming every lap and with that I was just trying to take opportunity with Alex, but it was just really difficult, so every time I was getting very close, for me it was just tricky to follow and then with that I was just really trying to stay there. With the tyres as well, at one point it wasn’t really much to save, so I was just trying to keep with Alex and yeah, unfortunately I couldn’t take the first place.”
“Hopefully we can finish on a high”: Câmara on the championship battle
Câmara leaves Baku at the top of the Drivers’ Standings with 207 points, seven points clear of Tsolov, while Invicta Racing remains second in the Teams’ Championship with 297 points. Campos Racing currently leads the standings with 333 points, leaving just a 36-point gap between the two teams.
When asked by Pit Debrief what the Baku Feature Race 2 victory meant for both his individual championship fight and Invicta’s push for the Teams’ Championship, Câmara shared:
“Yeah, I think it was a very good weekend for me and for the team. Yeah, I think the whole season I think we’ve been working very hard to achieve that and to be in this fight. I think like Nico said, this year in qualifying we’ve always been there, basically top three, and it’s been really… I think everyone has been very consistent, so I think who wins this year will deserve it and I think we’ve been battling at a very strong level, so I think it means a lot with the team also.”
He added: “It’s been a very nice year together and I think in the end it’s quite quick, everything passed. I mean, in the beginning of the year you’re knowing everyone more and more and then now basically it’s done already, so it was a very good year together. It was still another two rounds but it was a year that we enjoyed, I think, a lot together and hopefully we can finish on a high.”
