Title fight "far from over" says Câmara after taking the lead in Baku
Rafael Câmara left Baku with his first championship lead of the season after inheriting victory in Feature Race 2, where Alexander Dunne’s five-second penalty changed the final order. The Invicta Racing driver crossed the line second, but the result extended his advantage over Nikola Tsolov to seven points.
The outcome capped a strong weekend for Câmara, who qualified in the top five for both races. Fourth in Feature Race 1, after a drag race to the line with Noel León, had already moved him one point clear of Tsolov. Saturday’s result strengthened that position, though the Brazilian stressed that the title remains undecided.
“It feels good. It’s my first time leading this championship this whole season, and it was good to get the win to extend the gap,” Câmara said. “We know that it’s still far from over, but we will still keep working hard to make sure that we are ready for every scenario moving forward.”
Strategy and a late fight
The Baku Feature Race 2 result hinged in part on the timing of the mandatory stops. After Ritomo Miyata stopped on track, several drivers, including race leader Dunne, pitted in anticipation of a Virtual Safety Car. Câmara stayed out. He made the same choice when a second VSC was called after Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak pulled over, then pitted once racing conditions resumed.
Câmara admitted he initially wondered whether the decision had cost him. However, he said the pace after the VSCs was strong enough to help him return ahead of rivals who had stopped earlier. He still felt the team lacked a little pace to pass Dunne on track.
As Câmara pursued Dunne in the closing stages, Tsolov was also closing behind. Câmara knew Dunne had a five-second penalty and tried to manage the situation before making another late attempt to pass. That move did not succeed, but Dunne’s penalty ultimately promoted him to first.
“Nikola was quick,” Câmara said. “Luckily, it was just not enough to get us.” He acknowledged that Dunne had also driven well, while describing the result as important for the championship.
Title fight remains open
The top three are separated by 18 points heading to Lusail. Câmara sees similarities with his 2025 Formula 3 title-winning campaign, when he was the driver being chased, but said his focus is on maximising the final two rounds rather than the standings.
“Whatever the situation, we just really focus on what we can do in the best way,” he said. Câmara added that he considers the next two tracks strong for the team and wants to finish the season well.
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.