Rafael Villagómez believes his third-place finish in the F2 Sprint Race in Spielberg finally rewarded the pace that he and Van Amersfoort Racing have shown throughout the 2026 F2 season.
The Mexican driver started third at the Red Bull Ring and maintained that position across the 28-lap contest. John Bennett snatched victory from Sebastián Montoya on the final lap, while Villagómez followed the PREMA Racing driver across the line by only 0.138s. He finished 1.634s behind Bennett to secure his first points and podium of the campaign.
Although Villagómez could not match the leading pair during the middle and closing phases, he managed his tyres and protected third from Alexander Dunne. The result gave him a timely breakthrough after several weekends in which promising pace failed to produce a representative result. he discussed his race in the post-Sprint Race press conference attended by Pit Debrief.
Villagómez finally turns pace into a 2026 F2 Sprint Race podium in Spielberg
Villagómez entered the Austrian weekend without a point despite believing that his underlying pace had deserved far more. He highlighted Montreal and Barcelona as two rounds where Van Amersfoort Racing showed potential but could not complete the job.
Therefore, the Spielberg podium brought relief as well as renewed confidence for the remainder of the season.
“Yeah, definitely. I think all year, the pace has been there. Of course, in Montreal, we’re really close to two podiums, actually. In Barcelona, the pace was there as well, but it wasn’t clicking. For some reason, we just couldn’t really finish it. And yeah, finally, I’m happy with the podium today.”
The result also continued Villagómez’s long relationship with Van Amersfoort Racing. He returned for a third F2 campaign in 2026 and began a fifth consecutive season with the Dutch organisation, giving both sides an established foundation from which to address their difficult start.
Tyre management separates Villagómez from leading duo
Tyre management played a central role as high temperatures placed additional stress on the Pirelli rubber around the short and demanding Red Bull Ring.
Villagómez initially attempted to preserve his tyres, but that approach prevented him from maintaining the leaders’ pace. Once he lost DRS, Bennett and Montoya gradually moved clear, leaving the Van Amersfoort Racing driver to consolidate third.
“It was a bit more tricky because, at the start, I was managing quite a lot, and I couldn’t keep up with these two. But then, from one lap to another one, I just lost the DRS. I went back to pushing a little bit more to see if I could go back to the DRS, but they were just too quick. Yeah, middle phase to end of the race, they were just a little bit quicker. So, we have to see with the team, understand what we can do for tomorrow, because tomorrow is a longer race.”
Villagómez nevertheless kept Dunne behind and remained close enough to Montoya to challenge if the Colombian encountered further trouble on the final lap. He ultimately secured the final podium position as Bennett completed his decisive Turn 4 move for victory.
Austrian heat magnifies every mistake
Spielberg’s high temperatures challenged the cars, tyres and drivers throughout the Sprint Race. However, Villagómez felt the conditions placed even greater pressure on the machinery than on the competitors inside the cockpit.
The heat reduced the margin for error and increased the consequences of minor slides or lock-ups. As a result, drivers needed to balance outright speed with careful management throughout each stint.
“I think it’s more tough for the car than for us. I think there’s so much adrenaline and so much going on that, for us, [that] we don’t really think about it. In terms of the car, yeah, like every small detail, it’s really, let’s say, it’s times 10. So, like a little slide or a lock-up, you really feel it straight away. So, yeah, it’s just about managing and taking care of everything.”
Villagómez also credited his physical preparation for helping him cope with the conditions. His training programme allowed him to focus on the race rather than the temperature, while the team took additional steps to manage heat at the circuit.
“Yeah, obviously, everything… Well, what I can add to that is we kind of also train for it. At least I’m very lucky to have a good team behind me. They put in place a training [plan] in order to be adapted to the heat. And then, when you come here, it just becomes a little bit easier, and then you don’t get affected that much by the heat.
“So, training, and then things you do on track to keep everything a little bit cool. And then, like I said, on the car, just everything is [sensitive]. So, you really need to be extremely careful with everything and know how to manage the tyres.”
2026 F2 Results fail to reflect Villagómez’s early-season pace
The podium changed the direction of Villagómez’s campaign, but it did not erase his frustration over earlier missed opportunities.
Rather than questioning the car’s potential, he continued to remind himself that the pace remained present. However, incidents and incomplete weekends repeatedly prevented him from converting that speed into points.
“Yeah, I mean, at the end of the day, if you look at it, it’s a bad season in terms of results, but not in terms of pace. So, that’s what I kept reminding myself. And also with the team, of course, it’s pretty frustrating because, a lot of times, you can come away with a much better result, and the year turns out a lot better.
“But it’s racing, you know. Everyone goes through that. Of course, it’s a field with a lot of talent. Everyone works super hard. So, again, it’s just doing the same, you know, working that extra hard, a little bit more than everyone, and working with the team together. You know, I think the relationship with the team is super important.”
Villagómez’s third place supplied six Championship points and gave Van Amersfoort Racing a valuable result during a challenging opening half of the season.
Preparation proves more valuable than constant communication
While changing conditions increased the importance of teamwork, Villagómez placed greater value on the preparation completed before the race than on frequent radio communication.
Van Amersfoort Racing discussed several possible scenarios before the start, allowing Villagómez to react without requiring detailed instructions from the pit wall. His established relationship with his engineer also helped both sides communicate efficiently.
“For me, more important is the preparation rather than the communication, I would say. The prep you do before the race—so, basically, the brief we had with the team pre-race—was more important because you run through different scenarios. So, you know more or less what to expect, and when things happen, you’re prepared.
“Because the communication within the car was fairly basic, I would say. I think the relationship I have with my engineer—we have a lot of trust with each other. So, he just says the right thing, and he knows I’m reacting to what he says. So, I would aim it more for the preparation rather than the communication, for me.”
That preparation helped Villagómez negotiate the tyre-management phase, respond after losing DRS and maintain his podium position under pressure.
Mexican success adds significance to 2026 F2 Spielberg Sprint Race result
Villagómez’s podium formed part of a successful Austrian weekend for Mexico across the F2 and F3 paddocks.
Noel León secured his maiden F2 pole position on Friday, while Ernesto Rivera claimed his first F3 victory in Saturday’s Sprint Race. Villagómez then added another Mexican driver to the Spielberg podium.
He hopes those performances can motivate younger Mexican drivers as they progress through karting and the junior single-seater categories.
“Yeah, I’m very proud, first of all, to carry that flag with me. People in Mexico are extremely proud to be Mexicans. Even sometimes they don’t say it, but we’re really proud.
“I’m really happy to see Ernesto win today. Also, Noel taking pole yesterday. And hopefully, it inspires the young kids in karting, and they see that everything is possible. Because a couple of years ago, it was a little bit quiet or more difficult in motorsport to see this. And finally, it’s paying off. And we also see it in the World Cup. And we saw it in Colombia. Mexico is really a passionate country in whatever sport you do.”
Villagómez now wants to build on the result rather than treat it as an isolated success. The podium confirmed the pace that he and Van Amersfoort Racing had seen internally, but the longer Feature Race will demand another step in tyre management and execution.
After several missed opportunities, Spielberg finally gave Villagómez a tangible reward. More importantly, it offered the momentum and confidence that he believes can transform the remainder of his 2026 F2 campaign.
