Sebastián Montoya delivered a masterful recovery drive to claim second place in the F2 Feature Race at the Spanish GP. Montoya bounced back from Saturday’s sprint race disappointment to secure P2 and delight the passionate Colombian fans in attendance.
The PREMA Racing driver showed remarkable composure throughout the 37-lap encounter, fending off persistent challenges from Richard Verschoor whilst managing tyre degradation expertly to maintain his position behind race winner Arvid Lindblad.
Speaking to the media including Pit Debrief after the F2 Spanish GP, Montoya was pleased with both his performance and his team’s overnight improvements. “Yeah it was quite long, not so hot, so can’t really complain about that, but no, it was quite good, I think it was quite positive,” he said. “I was able to get a good start and not good enough to challenge Arvid [Lindblad] into the first corner but good enough to defend P2 and then after that I was just managing the tyres.”
Swift recovery from Sprint Race setback
Saturday’s F2 Spanish GP Sprint Race had ended in disappointment for Montoya, who received a five-second time penalty following a collision with teammate Gabriele Mini that dropped him from fifth to 11th in the final classification. However, Montoya’s ability to reset and refocus proved crucial to Sunday’s success.
“The sprint was a bit up and down in the end, I did finish P5, and obviously, I got a penalty for what happened but yeah, you have to kind of reset and in the end, I learned a lot yesterday [Sprint Race],” Montoya reflected. “I learned a lot and there was a lot of good things that helped us for today and I knew even from Friday, I knew today was kind of a separate job from Saturday.”
The 21-year-old’s analytical approach to the weekend’s challenges demonstrated his maturity, separating the disappointment of the sprint from the opportunity presented by the feature race.
“I knew today we had to make sure the car was in the right window, make sure I was driving how I’m supposed to be driving and in the end it was quite good. Just the most important thing I think in the end was get the start and actually get off the line.”
Tactical defence under pressure
Montoya’s second-place finish was far from straightforward, requiring constant vigilance to maintain position ahead of a charging Verschoor and later Jak Crawford. The Colombian’s defensive driving showcased his racecraft, utilising different sections of the circuit to his advantage.
“It was a bit difficult, but in the end he [Verschoor] was really quick in the places where he couldn’t really overtake, and then I was quick in the places where I needed to be quicker to defend, so it was quite good,” Montoya explained. “It was kind of like a yo-yo, he would kind of get close, drop out, get close, drop out and especially since the people on the prime [tyres] were extending quite a lot when we were catching traffic it was making sure that he was far enough behind me where he didn’t have the opportunity to overtake.”
The strategic nature of his defence highlighted both his understanding of the Barcelona circuit and his ability to maximise his car’s strengths whilst minimising exposure to attack.
“It was quite good, and the car was in a really good area so I could manage the tyres quite well.”
A PREMA team effort
Critical to Montoya’s success was the overnight work undertaken by his PREMA Racing team, who managed to find the setup window that had eluded them on Saturday.
“The team did a massive job making a step from yesterday to today, getting the car in the right window and I think that’s exactly what we needed to give us and give me the chance to finish P2,” Montoya acknowledged, crediting his mechanics and engineers for their rapid turnaround.
This ability to adapt and improve between sessions underlined PREMA’s championship-winning pedigree and provided Montoya with the platform he needed to showcase his talent.
Colombian pride on display
The podium finish held special significance for Montoya, who was able to celebrate in front of a substantial Colombian contingent in the Barcelona grandstands. Spain’s proximity to Latin America and shared language made it a natural gathering point for his supporters.
“It’s really nice considering how many Colombian fans there are this weekend here in Spain and yesterday the fans when you could see yesterday, as well in the sprint race, I could see Colombian fans and I think this is the closest race for let’s say Latin American people to come. It’s the easiest one. Everyone speaks Spanish here and to be able to do such a good job here is really nice.”
The emotional connection with his fanbase clearly motivated Montoya, who was eager to reward their long-distance support with a strong performance.
“Get another podium, score some good points and doing a good job on Friday [Qualifying], I think shows the work we’ve been doing and just keep head down and hopefully more to come.”
Triple-header lessons
As the European triple header of Imola, Monaco and Spain concluded, Montoya reflected on the valuable experience gained across the three challenging weekends when asked by Pit Debrief.
“I think the triple header has been quite good, quite positive. It’s given us the opportunity to kind of execute the work we’ve been putting in on the same behind the scenes and looking for the future, obviously keep doing the same thing that we’re doing, keep trying to find that last little bit, keep working on it and keep improving.”
His measured assessment of the current competitive landscape in Formula 2 demonstrated his understanding of the championship’s demands.
“The risk reward as I’ve said, it’s quite difficult to overtake, especially now in F2. I think the level is quite high and everything is so close that it kind of forms the DRS train. I think the main thing is qualifying make sure you get that, and you want to do the best job you can, but you know that if you make a big mistake it can cost you being in the top 10.”
Montoya’s Spanish podium represented more than just a strong individual result; it demonstrated his ability to bounce back and extract maximum performance when the pressure was on. With his PREMA team finding their rhythm and his own confidence growing, the Colombian appears well-positioned for the remainder of the 2025 campaign.
“In the end, you do the best you can, you do the best job you can, the team does the best they can to give you the best car, and you just keep working regardless.”
