Invicta Racing’s Rafael Câmara claimed pole position in Formula 2 qualifying at Monza on Friday, edging teammate Joshua Dürksen by just 57 milliseconds after a decisive final lap. The result gave Invicta a front-row lockout in the championship’s sole Italian weekend of the season.
Rodin Motorsport’s Alex Dunne completed the top three after recovering from an early setback, while Campos Racing also enjoyed a strong session. Noel León qualified fourth and championship leader Nikola Tsolov sixth, with Rodin’s Martinius Stenshorne splitting the Campos pairing in fifth.
Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak took seventh for ART Grand Prix, ahead of Hitech TGR’s Ritomo Miyata. MP Motorsport’s Ollie Goethe and Trident’s John Bennett completed the top 10. Bennett’s qualifying result is particularly significant for Saturday’s sprint, as he will start from reverse-grid pole.
The outcome follows the competitive picture outlined in Formula 2’s Monza preview, with Tsolov, Câmara and Gabriele Minì among the key figures expected to shape the weekend.
The opening phase was unusually cautious for Formula 2 qualifying. All 22 drivers remained in the pit lane for the first three minutes, wary of giving rivals the advantage of Monza’s powerful slipstream in the fight for pole.
Dunne was the first to leave the pits after five minutes, but the field soon returned to the garage after a single reconnaissance lap. When the flying laps finally began around the 10-minute mark, Dunne locked up at the Ascari chicane and lost his first attempt.
Invicta immediately set the pace, with Dürksen leading León and Câmara at the halfway point. Tsolov sat fourth, while Goethe and Gabriele Minì later moved into the next positions. Dunne’s second attempt lifted him to fourth, although he remained four tenths off Câmara’s benchmark after missing out on a useful tow.
The final runs produced the session’s most chaotic moments. Drivers slowed through the final corner to secure track position, while Sebastián Montoya used the run-off area as he prepared to begin his lap. ART’s Kush Maini, seventh in Hungary qualifying, slipped to 21st after sliding at the exit of Ascari.
Several drivers improved, including Dunne, who moved into third. But Câmara held firm at the front, securing pole ahead of Dürksen and completing an intense finish at Monza.
F2 qualifying top 10
Rafael Câmara — Invicta Racing
Joshua Dürksen — Invicta Racing
Alex Dunne — Rodin Motorsport
Noel León — Campos Racing
Martinius Stenshorne — Rodin Motorsport
Nikola Tsolov — Campos Racing
Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak — ART Grand Prix
Ritomo Miyata — Hitech TGR
Ollie Goethe — MP Motorsport
John Bennett — Trident
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.
