PREMA Racing’s Sebastián Montoya experienced a mixed 2025 F2 season during his rookie campaign with the Italian outfit, where he partnered fellow rookie Gabriele Minì. The Colombian driver stepped up to the F2 grid after two seasons in Formula 3 — one with Hitech and one with Campos Racing — and returned to a team he’d previously raced for earlier in his single-seater career.
The 2025 F2 season proved to be a year of learning and valuable experience for Montoya. He finished 12th in the Drivers’ Standings with 91 points, securing three podiums over the course of the season. Up against a historically quick and competitive teammate in Minì, the 20 year-old held his own and scored a solid haul of points.
While he was unable to break into the top ten in the final championship standings, confirmation of his return to the F2 grid in 2026 gives Montoya a second opportunity to build on his rookie season and potentially even mount a title challenge if he continues to improve.
A rocky start to the season
At the season opener in Melbourne, for a rookie, Montoya made a solid start to the year. He qualified 11th before benefitting from grid penalties applied to other drivers. In the Sprint Race, the Colombian fought his way through the field to finish 6th and claimed his first points of the season. Ultimately, the first F2 weekend of the year was cut short following the cancellation of Sunday’s Feature Race.
Heading to the Middle East, the second and third rounds in Bahrain and Jeddah proved disappointing for Montoya. The 20 year-old struggled for pace, qualifying 18th in Bahrain and 17th in Jeddah. Across the four races over both weekends, he recorded two retirements — one at each venue — and found it difficult to progress through the field, finishing 19th in the Bahrain Feature Race and 13th in the Jeddah Sprint Race.
Signs of progress during the European leg
The start of the European leg of the season showed that when everything came together, Montoya was capable of delivering consistent, podium-worthy performances. In Imola, Montoya was in luck when he’d managed to sneak in a final flying lap in qualifying before the session was cut short. This was enough for him to secure him a front-row start for the Feature Race. However, a stall on the formation lap forced him to start from the pit lane on Sunday. Despite the setback, the 20 year-old fought his way through the field to claim a well-earned 6th-place finish.
Although the 2025 F2 Imola GP brought mixed fortunes for Montoya, momentum began to build from the Feature Race onwards as the Colombian started to find his rhythm. In Monaco, he produced another strong qualifying lap to secure a third-row start for Sunday’s Feature Race in 5th. He had already earned points in the Sprint Race, but misfortunes struck once again when he stalled on the formation lap, marking a second consecutive pit lane start for the Colombian. Staying out of trouble proved crucial, and after a long and eventful Sunday, Montoya’s perseverance was rewarded with his maiden F2 podium, having finished 3rd in the Feature Race.
Montoya returned to the podium at the next round in Barcelona after he finished 2nd in the Feature Race. The Colombian appeared confident in the car and delivered strong performances, while his teammate struggled during the same period. From Barcelona to Silverstone, he failed to score points in only one race. Following a double points-finish in Austria, Montoya secured his third and final podium of the season in the Silverstone Sprint Race.
Montoya’s dry spell from Spa to Monza
After a strong run of results, things began to slide for Montoya and PREMA. While the start of the European leg had been successful, the second half proved frustrating, as the Colombian failed to score points from Spa through the Monza Sprint Race. Fortunately, a 9th-place finish in the Feature Race saw Montoya return to the points just before the 2025 F2 season headed to its final three fly-away rounds.
Bittersweet end to the 2025 season
The 2025 F2 Azerbaijan GP was a subpar weekend for Montoya, as he added more points to his tally with a points finish in the Feature Race. However, his weekend in Qatar showcased one of his stronger weekends he’d delivered in awhile. The 20 year-old managed to qualify 6th on Friday and went on to finish 4th in the Sprint Race. In the Feature Race, he improved one place to cross the line in 5th, leaving the weekend with a significant amount of points added to his tally.
Montoya’s weekend at Yas Marina wasn’t the way he would’ve wanted to end his rookie season, finishing just one of the two races. He came home to finish 12th in the Sprint Race and retired from the Feature Race, bringing his 2025 season to a close.
Seeking improvements with PREMA in 2026
Ahead of the 2026 F2 season, Montoya would be looking to set new goals as he looks to improve on last year’s results. When everything came together in 2025, the Colombian showed that he could deliver strong results. As he addresses the small issues that hampered his consistency, Montoya will undoubtedly be aiming for a more competitive season in 2026. Partnering Formula 3 graduate Mari Boya, Montoya and PREMA will be targeting higher positions in the championship standings this year.
