Gabriele Minì: how to turn consistency into a serious title challenge

Minì’s points-first title campaign

Gabriele Minì has transformed consistency into a genuine Formula 2 title challenge in 2026, despite carrying the pressure of a difficult rookie season. After nine rounds, the MP Motorsport driver sits second in the Championship on 147 points, 20 behind leader Nikola Tsolov.

“We haven't been the quickest, but we have maximised the most out of everyone,” Minì says. “Consistency is always really, really important. You need to maximise what you have to try and win championships.”

A fresh start with MP Motorsport

The 21-year-old arrived at MP for his second full F2 campaign, entering a new team and a new environment. He nevertheless expected the Dutch outfit to fight at the front, given its strong recent record in the category.

That optimism was balanced by the need to respond after finishing 13th in the 2025 Championship. Minì describes the move as both an opportunity and a source of pressure: a chance to prove that his difficult first season was not an accurate reflection of his ability.

He had started 2025 positively, taking pole position in Melbourne before a three-place grid penalty and later setbacks disrupted his progress. The season eventually produced only three podiums, with Minì describing the experience as a “snowball effect” in which bad luck, frustration and mistakes compounded one another.

Alpine backing and the F1 target

Minì says Alpine continued to support him, focusing on fundamentals including braking, race craft and tyre saving. That relationship has strengthened in 2026, with the Italian set to test for Alpine and increasingly involved in the team’s Formula 1 simulator work.

The pathway is clear in his mind: he must win. Minì views every driver in the paddock as competition for an F1 opportunity, rather than focusing only on fellow Alpine-linked racers Alexander Dunne and Kush Maini.

“I want to arrive at the end of the year and say, ‘OK, I could have not done anything better,’” he says. For now, his results suggest that measured execution — not just raw speed — is keeping his title bid alive. His progress can be viewed alongside Dino Beganovic’s assessment of his 2026 F2 campaign, another example of how junior drivers are managing the demands of a long season.