Kush Maini secured pole position for Sunday’s Feature Race after a dramatic and closely fought F2 Qualifying session at the 2026 Miami GP. The session unfolded on a circuit hosting F2 Qualifying for the first time, with teams balancing outright pace runs against valuable data gathering at the Miami International Autodrome. While Invicta Racing’s Rafael Câmara initially set the benchmark, the order constantly shifted in the closing minutes before a late stoppage cemented the final positions. Amid the wider intensity, Campos Racing endured a difficult start to the weekend after both Nikola Tsolov and Noel León failed to complete meaningful running in Free Practice, leaving them under immediate pressure heading into Qualifying.
Campos struggle as rivals set the pace in opening minutes of F2 Qualifying at the 2026 Miami GP
Campos Racing entered Qualifying on the back foot after a nightmare start to the weekend, with both Nikola Tsolov and Noel León missing out on significant Free Practice mileage. As a result, both drivers immediately focused on rebuilding momentum once the session began.
Meanwhile, Tsolov and León joined all 22 drivers on track for early exploratory laps, as teams adapted to the unfamiliar demands of the Miami International Autodrome. With no prior F2 Qualifying reference on American soil, drivers prioritised track learning alongside performance.
After six minutes, Invicta Racing’s Rafael Câmara set the early benchmark with a strong 1:40.441. Shortly afterwards, Rodin Motorsport’s Alex Dunne moved into second with a 1:40.543, while teammate Martinius Stenshorne followed closely in third with a 1:40.624. ART Grand Prix’s Kush Maini and Van Amersfoort Racing’s Nico Varrone completed the early top five.
Shifts at the front as Campos aims to recover and van Amersfoort impresses
As the first third of the session unfolded, Câmara continued to show strong pace. He set a purple Sector 1 on his next push lap but failed to improve his overall time, although he retained provisional pole.
At the same time, Rafael Villagómez climbed to P4 after a particularly strong Sector 3, despite carrying a ten-place grid penalty for both races. His effort reflected the importance of track position at a circuit where overtaking opportunities remained uncertain.
Elsewhere, Tsolov improved to P11 as he gradually rebuilt his session, although he still remained well short of the top ten fight. León, however, continued to struggle near the rear in P17. At the halfway stage, Câmara still led from Dunne and Stenshorne, while Maini, Varrone, Villagómez, and Dino Beganovic completed the upper midfield. Joshua Dürksen ran in P8 ahead of Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak and Colton Herta, with Tsolov just outside the top ten.
Late surges sees shake-ups in the top 10
After a short return to the pit lane, drivers re-emerged for the final ten minutes, where the fight for pole intensified. With penalties influencing multiple contenders, including Dunne and Villagómez, the closing phase demanded precision and timing.
With just over five minutes remaining, Tsolov briefly claimed provisional pole, while León also rose to P3, marking a late but significant recovery for Campos. However, the order quickly evolved as the track ramped up in grip.
Kush Maini then delivered a decisive lap of 1:39.888 to move to the top of the standings. Câmara and Stenshorne followed in second and third respectively, while Dunne improved to P4. Gabriele Minì briefly reached the top before dropping to fifth, ahead of Varrone and Dürksen. Oliver Goethe and Laurens Van Hoepen completed the top ten, pushing Tsolov down to P10 as the final runs reshuffled the order.
However, the session ended under yellow flags when Stenshorne pulled off with a smoking car, preventing any further improvements. As a result, his earlier lap held firm for P3.
Consequently, Kush Maini secured pole position for Sunday’s Feature Race, ahead of Rafael Câmara, with Stenshorne completing the top three in a session defined by constant position changes, penalties, and a dramatic late interruption.
