Formula 2 (F2) returned from the summer break at Monza for Round 10 of the 2026 season, with the Italian GP delivering a weekend that significantly reshaped both the Drivers’ and Teams’ Championship battles.
Invicta Racing emerged as the dominant force across the weekend. Rafael Câmara claimed his fifth pole position of the season on Friday before teammate Joshua Dürksen went on to complete a clean sweep of both races. Behind them, several drivers enjoyed breakthrough results, while others left Monza having lost crucial ground in an increasingly tight championship fight.
With only a handful of rounds remaining in the 2026 campaign, every point is becoming increasingly valuable. Before F2 heads to Madrid, we take a look at the winners and losers from the 2026 Italian GP.
Winners of the weekend
Joshua Dürksen
Few drivers could have asked for a better return from the summer break than Joshua Dürksen. The Invicta Racing driver produced the standout performance of the 2026 Italian GP, winning both the F2 Sprint and Feature Races to collect 36 points in Monza and launch himself back up the championship order. His weekend began strongly in Qualifying, where Dürksen secured P2 alongside teammate Câmara to complete an Invicta front-row lockout for Sunday. Starting further back for Saturday’s reverse-grid Sprint Race, the Paraguayan immediately made progress, gaining three positions at the start and quickly inserting himself into the fight at the front.
After closing on early leader John Bennett, Dürksen eventually used the long Monza straights to his advantage and took control of the race. A late Safety Car gave the field another opportunity, but he managed the restart perfectly before pulling clear to secure his seventh Formula 2 victory. Sunday brought another commanding performance. Starting alongside Câmara on the front row, Dürksen and his teammate traded the lead throughout the opening stages before the pit-stop sequence put the Paraguayan back ahead. Even after a Safety Car erased the advantage he had built, Dürksen controlled the restart and resisted late pressure from Câmara to complete the Monza sweep.
The victory was the eighth of Dürksen’s F2 career, equalling the championship’s record, while his 36-point haul moved him from 11th in the Drivers’ Championship before the weekend to eighth on 78 points. He now sits just one point behind Dino Beganovic in seventh. After a difficult first half of the season in which strong performances did not always translate into results, Monza represented a major turnaround. With two victories from two races, Dürksen leaves Italy with considerable momentum.
Rafael Câmara
Although a Sprint Race retirement prevented Câmara from matching his teammate’s near-perfect weekend, the Brazilian still emerged as one of Monza’s biggest winners—particularly in the championship fight. The reigning Formula 3 champion once again demonstrated his impressive one-lap speed on Friday. Câmara produced a 1:31.326 to secure his fifth pole position of the 2026 season, beating Dürksen as Invicta locked out the front row.
Saturday proved far more frustrating. Starting from the reverse end of the top 10, Câmara’s Sprint Race came to an early conclusion when he stopped on track following an engine issue, triggering the first Safety Car of the race. With title rival Nikola Tsolov finishing fifth, it appeared to be another missed opportunity for Câmara. However, the Brazilian responded strongly on Sunday. After initially losing out to Dürksen at the start, Câmara fought back and reclaimed the lead at Turn 1 before the pit-stop sequence eventually swung the advantage back towards his teammate. He remained within striking distance during the closing laps but ultimately had to settle for P2 as Invicta completed a dominant one-two.
More importantly, the result transformed Câmara’s championship position. Alongside his 18 points for second, he collected the fastest-lap point and two points for pole, taking 21 points from the Feature Race. He moved ahead of Gabriele Minì into second in the standings on 166 points and now trails championship leader Tsolov by just 11. Having arrived at Monza 22 points behind Tsolov, Câmara leaves the Italian GP and Monza firmly established as the Bulgarian’s closest challenger in the F2 title fight. Despite Saturday’s setback, the weekend could prove crucial in the fight for the 2026 title.
John Bennett
While the Invicta duo dominated the headlines, John Bennett quietly produced one of his strongest F2 weekends to date. Qualifying P10 on Friday placed the TRIDENT driver on reverse-grid pole for Saturday’s Sprint Race. Bennett made full use of the opportunity, launching well and maintaining the lead through the opening phase despite immediate pressure from those behind.
Dürksen eventually found a way past for first, but Bennett remained composed and kept himself in podium contention through two Safety Car periods. He crossed the line in P2 to claim a valuable podium and eight championship points. His performance on Sunday was arguably even more impressive. Starting from the midfield, Bennett steadily worked his way forward and moved past Alex Dunne during the second half of the Feature Race. While Dürksen, Câmara and Noel León occupied the podium positions, Bennett secured P4 and another 12 points.
Having entered Monza with only 18 points, Bennett doubled that total across the weekend, scoring 20 to move up to 13th in the Drivers’ Championship. His results also played an important role in TRIDENT climbing ahead of DAMS Lucas Oil for sixth in the Teams’ standings by a single point. After struggling for consistent points earlier in the campaign, Bennett’s Monza weekend provided a significant boost and demonstrated what the British driver can achieve when given the opportunity to race at the front.
Losers of the weekend
Gabriele Minì
The Italian GP proved particularly costly for Gabriele Minì, who arrived at his home round sitting second in the F2 Drivers’ Championship but left Monza having fallen behind Câmara and lost significant ground to Tsolov. Minì’s difficulties began in Qualifying. While Câmara, Dürksen and Dunne occupied the top three, the MP Motorsport driver could manage only P11. His situation worsened when he was one of seven drivers handed a three-place grid penalty following incidents investigated after the session.
Saturday offered little recovery. Minì finished the Sprint Race in P10, narrowly outside the points, leaving him unable to capitalise on Câmara’s retirement. Tsolov, meanwhile, recovered to P5 and strengthened his position at the top of the standings. Sunday proved even more damaging. Minì was unable to break into the points during the Feature Race and crossed the line in P11. It meant the Italian left Monza without adding a single point to his championship total.
The consequences were significant. Minì remains on 147 points but has dropped from second to third in the championship. He now sits 19 points behind Câmara and 30 behind Tsolov after beginning the weekend only 20 points away from the championship lead. Consistency had kept Minì firmly in the title fight throughout much of 2026, but at this stage of the season, scoreless weekends are increasingly costly. Madrid will therefore become an important opportunity for the Italian to respond.
Colton Herta
From the very first session of the weekend, little went Colton Herta’s way at Monza. His Italian GP began with a sizeable crash during Free Practice. The American went through the gravel at the second Lesmo before hitting the barrier, causing enough damage for the session to be red-flagged and ultimately ended early while repairs were made. His difficult Friday continued when his Cadillac broke down during his Formula 1 FP1 appearance later in the day.
Herta subsequently qualified only P20 for the F2 races, leaving himself with a difficult task for the remainder of the weekend. He managed to climb to P15 in Saturday’s Sprint but remained well outside the points. The Feature Race brought another early conclusion. After sustaining front-wing damage earlier in the race, Herta went off at Parabolica and ended up in the barrier and gravel, triggering the Safety Car on Lap 13. He became the first retirement of Sunday’s race and left Monza without scoring.
Having shown flashes of pace since entering the championship, Herta will be hoping to put a bruising Italian GP behind him quickly when the season continues in Madrid.
Kush Maini
Kush Maini also endured a weekend to forget at Monza, with the ART Grand Prix driver unable to add to his championship tally across either race. The Indian struggled from the outset in Qualifying, setting only the 21st-fastest time. Already facing a weekend starting towards the rear of the field, Maini was also among the seven drivers handed three-place grid penalties following Friday’s session.
Little changed during Saturday’s Sprint Race. Starting near the back, Maini found it difficult to make meaningful progress and eventually finished P20. The Feature Race provided another opportunity to recover, but after running an alternative strategy and becoming involved in contact with Rafael Villagómez, he could manage only P17.
As a result, Maini left the Italian GP without scoring a point and remains sixth in the Drivers’ Championship on 88. However, the pack behind him is closing quickly: Beganovic sits on 79 points, while Dürksen’s Monza sweep has propelled him to 78. With Dürksen now carrying significant momentum and the midfield standings increasingly compressed, Maini will need a stronger weekend in Madrid to protect his position inside the championship’s top six.
