Rafael Villagómez continued his strongest run of the 2026 F2 season with a podium finish in the Silverstone Sprint Race.
The Van Amersfoort Racing driver backed up his Red Bull Ring podium with another top-three result in Britain, giving himself and the team further evidence that their recent progress has begun to translate into results.
Speaking in the post-Sprint Race press conference attended by Pit Debrief, Villagómez discussed his race pace, VAR’s work on degradation, his improving rhythm, and his desire to turn Sprint Race podiums into Feature Race success.
Villagómez explains why he could not catch the leaders
Villagómez made a strong start, but he admitted that the opening and middle phases of the race limited his chances of challenging the two drivers ahead.
“Yeah, I think the start was pretty good and after that, the initial phase of the race, we just seemed to struggle a little bit. In the start to middle part, we lost the DRS and I just didn’t have the pace that these two guys had, and it was difficult. Like I said, the DRS was super powerful, and to make that up is just tricky.
The loss of DRS proved particularly costly at Silverstone. Once the gap opened, Villagómez had to manage the race rather than attack immediately. However, he took encouragement from the closing stages, where his pace improved and he started to come back towards the front pair.
“But I was happy because then I was just managing a little bit, and then towards the end, I was able to come back. Of course, we were fighting, so that made it a little bit easier, but I do believe that the pace towards the end was a lot more competitive than middle phase of the race.”
That late improvement gave Villagómez a positive reference point. Although he could not fight for the win, he felt VAR had stronger pace once the race settled.
VAR continues to search for degradation gains
Van Amersfoort Racing has worked to understand its race pace and tyre degradation since Barcelona. Villagómez said the team continues to focus on those details as it looks to improve round by round.
“Yeah, I think since Barcelona, we’ve been struggling a lot with deg in general, so we’re trying to figure out together with the team what’s going on, what can we improve, and I think everyone’s on the same boat. Everyone wants to improve race by race.”
That answer underlined one of VAR’s key targets. The team has improved its Qualifying performance, but Villagómez still wants stronger consistency across a full race stint.
Villagómez hopes recent podiums signal a turning point
After a difficult start to the season, Villagómez now hopes his Red Bull Ring and Silverstone podiums can shift the direction of his campaign.
He stressed that the speed had already existed, but different issues had stopped him and VAR from converting that pace into results.
“Hopefully, it’s a turning point. Because, like you said, the start of the year has been pretty tricky. We had no doubt that the pace was there for sure, because we’ve shown it. But yeah, for some reason or another, we just couldn’t really get the end result, which is frustrating. But at the end of the day, yeah, I think the most important is the work I’ve been doing with the team, how much the team has been helping me. And, like you said, hopefully, it’s a turning point.”
For Villagómez, the result therefore carried emotional weight as well as championship value. It rewarded the work he and VAR had continued to do despite early-season frustration.
Pit Debrief asks about overnight improvements
Pit Debrief asked Villagómez whether VAR needed to work on any specific areas overnight, especially with the team starting from the middle and further down the order in the Feature Race.
Villagómez said the team did not need major changes, but he still identified small areas for improvement straight after the race.
“Yeah, for us, we have small things, you know. Nothing major because I do believe the pace was where it needs to be. But we can always improve. So yeah, straight on the radio, I knew more or less what we need for tomorrow. So yeah.”
His answer showed quiet confidence. VAR had found a more competitive direction, but Villagómez still wanted to refine the package before Sunday.
Sprint Race success brings mixed feelings
Villagómez has now taken four FIA Formula 2 podiums, and all of them have come in Sprint Races. While he welcomed another top-three finish, he admitted that the pattern frustrates him.
“Yeah, it’s been only in the Sprint race, which is annoying, to be honest. It’s nice, but also annoying in a way. I also want to get a podium in a Feature Race because, yeah, that’s the main race.
The Mexican driver has come close to a Feature Race podium before, but he has not yet converted those opportunities.
“Obviously, we’ve been closed this year twice, but it just hasn’t happened. To be honest, it’s hard to tell. I don’t think there’s a big difference between what I have in a Sprint Race or what I will have in a Feature Race. Yeah, that’s pretty much it.”
That remains one of his biggest targets. The pace has appeared at different points this season, but Villagómez now wants to prove it in the longer Sunday race.
Pit Debrief asks about building consistency
Pit Debrief also asked Villagómez what he needs to turn promising pace into a more consistent rhythm during the second half of the season.
Villagómez pointed to the early part of 2026, where contact and retirements disrupted his campaign before he could build momentum.
“I think at the start of the year, there have been many races that we were just unlucky with contacts and some DNFs. Of course, when I look back at the end of last year, we built a nice rhythm. Things just started to flow a little bit easier.
He felt that rhythm disappeared at the start of the current season. However, he believes the team has started to rebuild it since Barcelona.
“And then, like I said, this year, that rhythm just broke. And we just couldn’t really get into the rhythm again. Since Barcelona, I think we’re close again. And then finally in Red Bull Ring, it started to happen. So yeah, F2 is all about being in a nice rhythm, being consistent, sorry. So from here onwards, I hope we can keep that.”
That consistency now matters most. Villagómez wants Red Bull Ring and Silverstone to become the start of a sustained run rather than isolated highlights.
Qualifying gains give VAR a stronger platform
Villagómez also explained where VAR has improved most compared to last season. He highlighted Qualifying as a previous weakness that the team has now addressed.
“Definitely Qualifying. That was the weak point from last year. We definitely improved that because we knew we had the pace in some of the races. So in Qualifying, we just couldn’t really… it was something in the car that we [couldn’t] extract the most. And this year that changed. It’s been better.
That improvement has helped Villagómez put himself into more competitive positions. However, he believes the team must now shift its focus towards race pace.
“Like I said, almost every driver in the grid is looking to improve race after race. So of course, we’re looking at that. And we will improve that. I think the main target now for the team is to improve a little bit the race pace rather than Qualifying. Because yeah, we just seem to have a little bit more than the rest.”
That target could define VAR’s second half of the season. If the team sharpens its race pace while keeping its Qualifying gains, Villagómez can fight more regularly for podiums.
Villagómez looks to keep momentum alive
Villagómez leaves Silverstone with his second consecutive Sprint Race podium and renewed belief in VAR’s direction. However, he also knows the team must still improve tyre degradation and race pace to take the next step.
The recent results have given him rhythm again after a difficult opening phase of the season. Now, his challenge is to carry that momentum into Feature Races and turn podium contention into a more consistent run of points.
