Martinius Stenshorne celebrated his first FIA F2 podium after post-race penalties promoted him to third place in the Sprint Race at the 2026 Canadian GP.
The Rodin Motorsport driver crossed the line fourth around the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, but a 10-second time penalty for team mate Alex Dunne elevated Stenshorne onto the podium to secure a breakthrough result in Formula 2.
“Finally, first F2 podium,” Stenshorne said afterwards in the Post-Sprint Race press conference, with Pit Debrief in attendance. “First of all, very happy with that.”
The Norwegian driver admitted the closing stages of the race had been particularly difficult, with tyre degradation and minor damage affecting his pace as the Sprint Race unfolded.
“I did struggle a bit towards the end,” he explained.
“From early on, I could feel it was getting a bit difficult. Also when I tried to make the move on Villagomez and had to cut the track, I think we lost a bit of grip there. Also, the front wing was a bit damaged from an earlier contact. Anyway, first podium and happy with that.”
The 18-year-old also praised the atmosphere in Montreal, with packed grandstands creating an impressive backdrop for Formula 2’s first visit to the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
“It’s been good so far. A lot of people are on the tribunes, which is always nice. The track itself is very enjoyable to drive. Just like Gabriele [Mini] said, it was a bit dusty in the beginning, but as soon as that was cleaned up, it’s been very good.”
Stenshorne looking ahead to the Feature Race
Despite securing his maiden podium, Stenshorne admitted there are still areas Rodin Motorsport needs to improve ahead of Sunday’s Feature Race at the F2 Canadian GP.
“Yes, we also struggled a bit today, to be honest, with the pace. So we have a few things to look into,” he explained. “But yes, let’s see first what the weather brings. But I think there’s a lot of things we can learn anyway for the future from this race.”
Stenshorne is set to start third for the Feature Race following grid penalties for drivers ahead, and after delivering consistently strong qualifying performances throughout the 2026 season, the Norwegian believes strategy and adaptability could prove decisive if rain arrives on Sunday.
“We have had very good qualifying this year, so I’m very happy about that,” he said.
“It didn’t look too good in the first part of qualifying yesterday, but we came back for the second set, which I’m very happy about.”
However, with wet weather forecast for race day, Stenshorne expects conditions to heavily influence the outcome.
“For tomorrow we will see the weather first. I think it’s not going to be… If it’s dry, which I doubt it will, it’s not easy to get away here with all the DRS zones, but we will see. I think it’s going to be a bit wet, maybe it will dry up. I think it’s going to be a bit about strategy and making the right calls.”
Reflecting on the Sprint Race
The Sprint Race itself proved chaotic at times, with Stenshorne involved in several intense battles while also trying to avoid incidents around the tight Montreal layout.
“It was not easy. There’s a couple of hairpins where if you have someone behind and going for a move, it can be… You have to watch your mirrors a bit, to be honest,” he said.
“I did get hit once and then hit the guy in front of me again because of that and lost my end plate on the front wing, but luckily we didn’t stop there. Tomorrow, if it’s wet, I think it’s going to be another thing to look into, but hopefully we stay out of trouble.”
Stenshorne also confirmed he was aware of the penalties handed to both Dunne and Nikola Tsolov during the closing stages of the race, allowing him to focus on staying within range to inherit positions after the chequered flag.
“Unfortunately, I was a bit more on the defensive side today,” he admitted. “I knew that Alex had a penalty, so he got by me when I tried to overtake Villagomez on the outside, which didn’t really work out. After that, I knew both Tsolov and Alex had a penalty, so I just needed to keep it on track and stay within 10 seconds, which was alright in two laps, so I’m happy with another good result.”
