News Summary
- Nikola Tsolov leads the 2026 F2 championship with 177 points, only 7 ahead of Rafael Câmara
- Baku will use a special format featuring two qualifying sessions, one Sprint and two Feature Races
- Câmara needs to outscore Tsolov by at least 8 points across the Azerbaijan weekend to leave Baku with the outright championship lead
Rafael Câmara left Madrid having missed a major opportunity — and yet closer to the Formula 2 championship lead than at any point in recent months.
Nikola Tsolov remains first with 177 points after failing to score at Madring, while Câmara moved to 170 despite receiving a 10-second penalty for his collision with Oliver Goethe in Sunday’s Feature Race.
As GRANDE PRÊMIO detailed after the Madrid round, the gap has fallen from 11 to only 7 points.
Normally, that would make the calculation heading into Baku straightforward. But Formula 2 has introduced a one-off format for Azerbaijan that makes the next round considerably more important.
With F2 the only support category on the Azerbaijan GP programme, Baku will feature two qualifying sessions, one Sprint Race and two Feature Races from September 24-26.
For Câmara and Tsolov, it effectively creates an expanded championship round just as their title fight reaches its most critical stage.
What does Câmara need to overtake Tsolov?
The basic calculation is simple.
Tsolov has 177 points. Câmara has 170.
That means Câmara needs to gain 8 points more than Tsolov across the Baku weekend to leave Azerbaijan with the outright championship lead.
A net gain of exactly 7 would put them level on points, leaving the championship order dependent on the tie-break criteria. An 8-point swing removes that complication.
Câmara therefore does not necessarily need to win in Baku. He simply needs to outperform Tsolov sufficiently across an unusually large number of scoring opportunities.
And there will be plenty of them.
Why Baku changes the championship calculation
Formula 2 has created a special schedule specifically for the Azerbaijan round.
Thursday will begin with the usual 45-minute practice session before two consecutive 20-minute qualifying sessions. The first will determine the grid for Friday’s first Feature Race, as well as the reversed top ten for the Sprint. The second qualifying session will establish the grid for Saturday’s second Feature Race.
Each Feature Race pole is worth 2 points.
Friday will then contain both the Sprint and the first Feature Race, before the second Feature Race takes place on Saturday.
The usual Feature Race points system remains in place: 25 points for victory, followed by 18, 15, 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2 and 1 for the top ten. A fastest-lap bonus is also available to an eligible driver finishing inside the top ten.
That means Baku offers substantially more opportunity for championship swings than a conventional F2 weekend.
For Câmara, the objective is therefore less about one specific finishing position and more about consistently finishing ahead of Tsolov across all of those sessions.
Câmara can even begin closing the gap on Thursday
The unusual format means the championship fight starts before either race takes place.
With 2 points available for pole in each qualifying session, Câmara could score as many as 4 points on Thursday alone.
If Câmara took both poles and Tsolov scored neither, the championship gap would fall from 7 points to only 3 before Friday’s racing.
The Sprint would then provide the first opportunity for Câmara actually to move ahead.
At the other extreme, strong qualifying from Tsolov could immediately increase the Bulgarian’s advantage before the races begin.
That makes Thursday far more important than qualifying normally is during an F2 title fight.
Tsolov isn’t Câmara’s only problem
The championship is also not yet a two-driver contest.
Gabriele Minì sits third with 153 points, only 24 behind Tsolov and 17 behind Câmara. Alexander Dunne is fourth on 139, 38 away from the championship lead.
Madrid demonstrated how quickly those gaps can change.
Tsolov entered the weekend 11 points ahead of Câmara and scored nothing. Câmara himself managed only 4 points after his penalty, while Minì added to his total and Dunne’s second place in the Feature Race brought him significantly closer.
Dino Beganovic also demonstrated the value of qualifying at the front by taking pole and winning Sunday’s Feature Race.
With Baku offering additional qualifying and an entire extra Feature Race, a bad weekend for either championship leader could bring Minì — and potentially Dunne — much more firmly into contention.
Baku could transform the F2 title fight
Câmara does not need a perfect weekend to take the championship lead.
He needs 8 points more than Tsolov.
That could come through a victory, through consistently finishing ahead of the Campos driver or through accumulating smaller gains across qualifying and all three races.
The danger works both ways. A poor Baku weekend could turn Câmara’s 7-point deficit into a much larger one just as the championship approaches its final stages.
After Azerbaijan, F2 returns to its conventional format for the final two rounds at Lusail and Yas Marina.
That makes the unique Baku weekend the biggest concentration of scoring opportunities remaining in the 2026 season — and potentially the point at which the championship changes hands.
F2 standings before Baku
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | N. TSOLOV | Campos Racing | 177 |
| 2 | R. CÂMARA | Invicta Racing | 170 |
| 3 | G. MINÌ | MP Motorsport | 153 |
| 4 | A. DUNNE | Rodin Motorsport | 139 |
| 5 | N. LEÓN | Campos Racing | 119 |
| 6 | D. BEGANOVIC | DAMS | 106 |
| 7 | J. DÜRKSEN | Invicta Racing | 90 |
| 8 | K. MAINI | ART Grand Prix | 88 |
| 9 | L. VAN HOEPEN | Trident | 72 |
| 10 | T. INTHRAPHUVASAK | ART Grand Prix | 71 |
FAQ
How many points behind Tsolov is Câmara in the F2 championship?
Câmara has 170 points after Madrid, while championship leader Tsolov has 177. The difference is only 7 points with three rounds remaining.
What does Câmara need to take the F2 championship lead in Baku?
Câmara needs to outscore Tsolov by at least 8 points across the Baku weekend to leave Azerbaijan with the outright championship lead. A 7-point gain would leave the two drivers level on points.
Why are there two F2 Feature Races in Baku?
Formula 2 is the only support category at the 2026 Azerbaijan GP, allowing the championship to run a special expanded schedule. Baku will feature two qualifying sessions, one Sprint and two Feature Races before the usual format returns for Lusail and Yas Marina.
