Câmara snatches F2 pole in Monaco despite early barrier hit, Tsolov leads Group B
Câmara Delivers Under Pressure
Rafael Câmara produced one of the standout laps of the Formula 2 season so far, claiming the Aramco Pole Position Award in Monte Carlo despite spending much of the qualifying session stranded in the pitlane after early contact with the barriers. The Invicta Racing driver's 1:20.923 in Group A was enough to put him on pole for the Feature Race â a remarkable recovery on the unforgiving streets of the Principality.
Nikola Tsolov led the way in Group B with a 1:21.053 for Campos Racing, earning himself a front row start alongside Câmara for Sunday's Feature Race. The Campos driver â whose rising profile has already attracted serious attention further up the paddock, with Racing Bulls keeping a close eye on his progress â continued to demonstrate the kind of composed, electric pace that is making him one of the series' most compelling talents.
Group A: Red Flags and a Resilient Recovery
Câmara was first to post a representative time in Group A, but his session almost unravelled immediately as he ran wide at the final corner and struck the barrier, damaging his suspension and forcing him to pit. With the Brazilian sidelined, Alexander Dunne led the way on a 1:22.427, with Hitech's Ritomo Miyata slotting into second, 0.310s behind the Rodin Motorsport driver.
Dino Beganovic then elevated himself to the top with a 1:21.947, with Gabriele MinĂŹ pressing him hard â just 0.084s adrift. MinĂŹ's strong showing in qualifying came as little surprise, given the MP Motorsport driver had warned before the session that there was more pace still to come from his package.
The session was then interrupted by red flags with just under four minutes remaining, after John Bennett's TRIDENT car found the barrier at Turn 1. Once the track was cleared and action resumed, Noel LeĂłn went fastest with a 1:21.595, despite himself brushing the wall in the final sector.
But it was Câmara who had the final word. Returning to the circuit despite his limited track time, the Invicta rookie went to provisional pole with a 1:20.923. Dunne improved to take second, 0.110s off the pace, with Beganovic third, MinÏ fourth, and León completing the top five.
Group B: Tsolov Fires Late to Lead the Pack
Group B got off to a chaotic start, as the red flags were immediately waved following a collision between Laurens van Hoepen and Kush Maini, with van Hoepen's car beached on the kerb at the Nouvelle chicane.
Once resumed, Colton Herta set the early benchmark with a 1:22.672. The times fell quickly, however â Maini surging to the top on a 1:21.405, with Tsolov slipping into second just 0.265s behind. Maini then improved again to a 1:21.338, but Tsolov matched him step for step, closing to within a breathtaking 0.001s.
As the chequered flag fell, Martinius Stenshorne briefly went top on a 1:21.274 â only for Tsolov to respond with a stunning 1:21.053 to seal the Group B honours. Stenshorne ended in P2, Maini third, Roman Bilinski fourth, and Joshua Duerksen fifth.
Sprint Race Outlook
Duerksen, by virtue of his P5 finish in Group B, is set to lead the field away from reverse grid pole in the Sprint Race, which is scheduled to get underway at 14:15 local time on Saturday afternoon. With positions finely balanced across both groups, the streets of Monte Carlo look set to deliver another compelling chapter in what is shaping up to be a memorable Formula 2 weekend.
Simone Scanu
Heâs a software engineer with a deep passion for Formula 1 and motorsport. He co-founded Formula Live Pulse to make live telemetry and race insights accessible, visual, and easy to follow.