While some drivers have lived up to expectations—such as Nikola Tsolov and Rafael Câmara—others have sprung surprises, both positive and negative, in the 2026 Formula 2 season. The names that best encapsulate these surprises after nine double-header rounds are Gabriele Minì and Alex Dunne, though Joshua Dürksen and Rafael Villagómez also deserve special mention.
Before diving into the two drivers occupying spots in the top four of the championship standings, it is worth looking at those sitting mid-table who don’t always receive due coverage. Starting with Dürksen, who seemed equipped with every tool to finally launch a title bid, but has turned out to be a disappointment.
The Paraguayan displayed serious raw pace and turned in strong results with limited AIX machinery, collecting four wins and nine additional podiums over the past two years. A promotion to the powerhouse Invicta squad alongside joining the Mercedes junior program seemed the ideal recipe for a standout 2026 campaign. However, reality has bitten hard.
Dürksen started strongly by winning the Australian Sprint race, but has struggled to sustain that level of performance. While bad luck played a part on occasion, a series of penalties severely compromised several of his weekends. Despite returning to the top step in the Belgian Sprint, he rarely finishes inside the top five and sits outside the top 10 in the standings. Currently 11th with 42 points, he trails teammate Câmara by 103 points.
Colton Herta also merits a mention. Arriving from IndyCar and widely tipped as a prime candidate for a Cadillac F1 seat, the American has categorically failed to adapt to the F2 format, struggling to score points while being outperformed internally by Ritomo Miyata. Herta sits a lowly 16th in the standings with 26 points.
On the flip side, Rafael Villagómez stands out as a positive surprise. Now in his third year of F2—and remaining with the uncompetitive Van Amersfoort squad—expectations surrounding the Mexican were low. Unsurprisingly, his campaign began poorly, enduring a 10-race dry spell outside the points. However, from Austria onwards, the narrative flipped. Alongside a third-place finish in the Red Bull Ring Sprint, Villagómez delivered a flawless weekend at Silverstone to finish on the podium in both races.
Turning the page to the drivers at the sharp end of the table, Minì put together solid campaigns in F3—despite never claiming the title—but endured a difficult 2025 season with Prema. For 2026, he made the switch to a similarly mid-tier MP Motorsport team, meaning he was barely considered a championship threat. Yet the picture after round nine looks vastly different.
Granted, in terms of outright raw speed, the Italian is far from the fastest on the grid. However, he has proved that consistency can keep you in an F2 title fight, frequently leveraging his experience to maximize race results. Having finished outside the points on just two occasions, Minì has accumulated 147 points to sit second in the standings, trailing leader Tsolov by just 20 points.
Finally, Dunne’s situation stands in stark contrast to Minì’s. The Irishman showcased remarkable speed during his 2025 rookie season, establishing himself as a title contender for large stretches. However, overaggressive moves leading to penalties and retirements derailed his championship push, leaving him fifth overall.
For 2026, a more mature version of Dunne was expected, ready to mount a proper title assault. Yet right from the opening round in Australia, the Irishman proved that rash decision-making remained an issue, colliding with teammate Martinius Stenshorne on the opening laps of Feature Race 2 to cause a double DNF.
The subsequent stretch of the championship wasn’t entirely bad, yields including podium finishes in Miami, Monaco, Canada, and Barcelona. However, Dunne has been unable to return to winning ways in F2, and after scoring zero points in Hungary, he watched Tsolov open up a 59-point lead at the top.
With six rounds remaining on the calendar, Dunne still retains a mathematical chance to turn his season around and achieve redemption in F2. However, he will need a dramatic shift in approach if he intends to stay alive in the title fight.
Formula 2 now enters its summer break before resuming action from September 4 to 6 for the Monza round. Five rounds remain until the championship concludes, with GRANDE PRÊMIO providing full coverage of the weekend.
