Noel León Claims Maiden F2 Pole with Decisive Spielberg Qualifying Strike
León delivers under clear air in Spielberg
Noel León claimed his first Aramco Pole Position Award with a sharp and well-timed performance in Spielberg Qualifying, giving Campos Racing a standout result as he beat Alexander Dunne and teammate Nikola Tsolov to the top spot.
The Mexican rookie made decisive use of an empty circuit on his second Supersoft run, producing a 1:15.544 that ultimately proved beyond reach. Dunne came closest, but his best effort left him 0.129s adrift, securing second place while León celebrated a maiden FIA Formula 2 pole position.
It was a session that rewarded timing as much as raw speed. Campos Racing began strongly, with León heading Tsolov by just 0.015s in an early one-two for the team after setting a 1:16.283. The pair then pressed on for second laps on their Supersoft tyres, with León improving again to stretch the gap over Tsolov to 0.179s.
Câmara briefly takes control before León responds
Rafael Câmara then displaced León at the top, putting Invicta Racing into provisional P1 with a 1:16.062. Câmara led a small group near the front of the order that returned to the pitlane after their second laps, while several drivers further down the timing screens chose to stay out for one more attempt.
León’s decisive move came while most of his rivals waited in the pitlane. Returning to the track on a fresh set of Supersofts, the Campos driver found the clear air he needed and delivered a lap 0.508s quicker than Câmara. He then came back into the pitlane and watched as the remaining 21 cars headed out to chase his benchmark.
The closing phase brought personal best sector times from several contenders, but none could overhaul León. The result marked a major turnaround from the earlier running, where Oliver Goethe had set the pace in Spielberg Free Practice, a session you can revisit here: Oliver Goethe fastest in Spielberg Free Practice.
Top 10 sets Sprint Race picture
Dunne held second ahead of Tsolov, completing a strong Campos presence inside the top three. Gabriele Minì took fourth, with Câmara ending the session fifth after his earlier spell at the top.
Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak finished sixth for ART Grand Prix, ahead of Goethe in seventh. Rafael Villagómez was eighth, with TRIDENT’s John Bennett ninth and Sebastián Montoya completing the top 10 for PREMA Racing.
That result places Montoya on reverse grid pole for Saturday’s Sprint Race, with lights out scheduled for 14:15 local time.
Simone Scanu
He’s 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.