Sebastián Montoya came agonisingly close to claiming his first pole position during the F2 Spanish GP Qualifying session, ultimately settling for second place as Arvid Lindblad secured a historic maiden pole to become the youngest polesitter in the championship’s history.
The Colombian driver, racing for Prema, delivered a stunning late effort that briefly looked set to claim the top spot before Lindblad responded with an even quicker lap. Montoya’s time of 1:25.180s was ultimately two tenths shy of pole position, but still secured a crucial front-row start for Sunday’s Feature Race.
“Yeah, most definitely,” Montoya said when asked if he remained pleased with the result despite missing pole. “Arvid was quick on the first lap in an FP and us, on the other hand, we were struggling a little bit more with the car. I finished the first run and the car wasn’t exactly where I thought it was going to be and where it should have been.”
Montoya praises team efforts
The 20-year-old praised his team’s efforts between the two qualifying runs, which proved crucial in transforming his prospects for the session.
“The team did a good job to put in a better window. We were missing that last little bit around here, especially with the temperatures we’re having this weekend being so hot. The tyre is quite sensitive, and you really need to make sure the car is on it.”
Montoya identified the final sector during the F2 Spanish GP Qualifying, as the decisive factor in missing out on pole position, acknowledging Lindblad’s superior pace through the closing stages of the lap. “So you don’t, let’s say, burn the tyre, and we were just missing that last little bit to be able to improve through sector one, sector two, we’re quite close,” he explained.
“But then the last sector, he just nicked us because I think he did a good lap. He had the speed, and he’s doing a really good job, and we were just missing that last little bit in the last sector.”
Despite the narrow miss, Montoya expressed genuine satisfaction with the team’s progress and his own performance during the F2 Spanish GP Qualifying session.
“I’m really happy. I’m really content. The team did an amazing job, to give me the opportunity to do the lap I did. I did a good job. They did a good step between both runs and to be on the front row again is really nice.”
Steady improvement with consecutive front-row starts
The F2 Spanish GP Qualifying result marks Montoya’s second consecutive front-row start, following his P2 start in Monaco. This consistency represents a significant breakthrough for the driver, who has worked extensively to improve his single-lap pace.
“I’d say a lot behind the scenes has changed and the mentality as well that I’ve, let’s say, used the approach for the season,” Montoya explained. “I knew qualifying wasn’t my strongest point. I knew the races I was always quite strong and quite quick, but I knew I was missing a little bit in qualifying and I knew I could do a good job.”
The mental aspect of qualifying has been a particular focus for Montoya and his team. “And just working bit by bit on the same with the team, I understand the mentality that I needed to have for that one lap approach. And yeah, it’s been really nice, especially getting confidence again to be able to push the car the way I want to push it. It’s really a fun feeling.”
No luck involved today, just speed 💨@sebasmontoya58 will start P2 for Sunday's Feature ✌️#F2 #SpanishGP pic.twitter.com/VYAr7t0cpr
— Formula 2 (@Formula2) May 30, 2025
Looking ahead to translating qualifying success into race results, Montoya emphasised the importance of a methodical approach. “A little bit of luck, but also just take it a little bit step by step,” he said. “Yeah, qualifying we’ve been lucky enough to have a good car, and I’ve been good enough to do a good lap. Yeah, we’ve been working really hard with the team and for the races.”
Embracing the European triple-header
When asked by Pit Debrief about the intense triple-header format, Montoya revealed his genuine enthusiasm for the demanding schedule that has taken the championship from Monaco to Barcelona to Austria in consecutive weekends.
“I like the triple-headers. It’s fun, especially considering that you do a lot of races in a row, and then you kind of stop for a while, and then kind of get going again,” he said. “You kind of get into a rhythm. I really enjoy it.”
Montoya added, “I heard of some of the flights people had to do. I was quite lucky because all the races were quite close to Parma and easy flights. But yeah, I really enjoy it.“
“It’s really nice. It’s a really fun car to drive, and I really enjoy the car in qualifying, especially low fuel, the option tyre. You have really good grip, and the tracks we go to are really nice. So I really enjoy it.”
The format appears to suit Montoya’s racing mentality, with the regular competition keeping him sharp and motivated. “And it can be a little bit tiring, but I have so much fun in it that I’m just eager. As soon as I got the podium in Monaco, I was like, ‘I’m ready to get back in. When is it?'”
“That makes it a lot more enjoyable, I have to say. So for me, I really enjoy the time in the past three weeks we’ve had, especially with the progress we’ve made. It’s really nice.”
Maintaining focus under F1 scrutiny
When Pit Debrief followed up about racing under the watchful eyes of Formula 1 team principals during such high-profile weekends, Montoya maintained his focus remains firmly on his own performance.
“To be honest, I’m here to do the best job I can. I know what I can do. And obviously, the first time you come to an F1 race weekend, and you’re racing an F3 or F2, you’re like, oh, that’s super cool and stuff.”
“But then you kind of realise that you’re so focused on your own thing that you sometimes forget what’s going on. So yeah. And when I’m in qualifying, I know the job I can do, and I do the best job I can. And if that’s P2, that’s great. If we’re missing a little bit, understand what happened and keep working on it.”
