Defending FIA Formula 2 Teams Champions, Invicta Racing, say they are heading to the 2026 season opener in Melbourne with “excitement and positivity” after a promising three days of testing in Barcelona.
The Norfolk-based squad is aiming to win an unprecedented third straight Formula 2 double, having been the dominant team of the last two seasons, while also delivering Drivers’ Champions in Brazil’s Gabriel Bortoleto in 2024, now an Audi F1 driver, and Italian Leonardo Fornaroli in 2025.
Since the series rebranded as Formula 2 in 2017, only PREMA Racing have delivered back-to-back doubles, with Mick Schumacher and current McLaren driver Oscar Piastri taking the Drivers crowns in 2020 and 2021 respectively.
For 2026 Invicta have an all-new line up behind the wheel of their two machines, including the reigning FIA Formula 3 champion for the third year running.
Ferrari Academy Driver Rafael Câmara is joined by new Mercedes Junior Josh Durksen. who has won races in the last two seasons at AIX, at the team led by James Robinson.
The Team Principal said the pair have settled into their new surrounding well.
He said: It’s been impressive to see how the two drivers have worked together and how they’re already helping each other. We’re heading to Melbourne feeling positive and excited for the season ahead.”
A strong start to the season ? #F2 #Formula2 #InvincibleInSpirit pic.twitter.com/xeL2ESMTgG
— Invicta Racing (@InvictaRacing) February 20, 2026
F3 Champion “in a good place” after step up
F3 champion Câmara is among the favourites for the F2 title, with many tipping him to follow in the footsteps of Bortoleto and Fornaroli in winning the F3 and F2 titles in consecutive years.
Across the six sessions of running in Barcelona, the 20-year-old Brazilian topped the times on two occasions, setting the fastest lap of the pre-season test on Friday morning, with a 1:23.252.
Câmara said he’s happy with his preparation ahead of the trip to Australia for the curtain raiser, after completing 211 laps.
“It’s been a positive few days in Barcelona and we’ve worked well as a team. We’ve been able to try a lot of different things and learn which direction we want to go,” he said.
The confidence is growing ??
Rafa reacts after topping day two ??? https://t.co/OSWqOukgbL#F2 #F2Testing pic.twitter.com/dnNZDsUzpp
— Formula 2 (@Formula2) February 18, 2026
Câmara stressed that the times are “not very representative”, which he said was due to the colder weather in Spain, but he’s confident he and the team are well set for the opening round next month.
Robinson said: “We’re impressed with the adaptability Rafael [Câmara] has shown, coming from Formula 3 and stepping into the Formula 2 car. He’s hit the ground running and I’d say he’s where he needs to be on the learning curve.”
2025 Melbourne winner “excited” to return
Paraguay’s Dürksen was the sole race winner at Albert Park in 2025, after the Feature Race was cancelled due to heavy rain.
The 22-year-old won the reverse-grid Sprint Race on a dry Saturday to kick off the season with 10 points.
But a promising start was followed by a significant dip in performance with AIX, before a rousing end of the year, which saw Dürksen scoop six podiums in the last eight races, including victory for the second year in a row in the Abu Dhabi Feature Race.
Now having switched to the leading team, and having joined the Mercedes Development Driver programme, the Paraguayan will be keen to put himself into the championship hunt throughout 2026.
A big step forward on the #RoadToF1 ?
Congratulations to brand new @MercedesAMGF1 Development Driver, @JoshuaDuerksen1 ??#F2 pic.twitter.com/v3wg373dJW
— Formula 2 (@Formula2) February 2, 2026
He described his pre-season test as “productive”, having lapped the Circuit de Barcelona Catalunya 223 times.
He said: “It was nice to get to know the car on this track and get up to speed after a long break. We tried a lot of things on the car, some things that worked, some others that didn’t work as well.
“But the good thing is, we gained a lot of knowledge and we know how to optimise the car better now. I’m super excited to be racing in Melbourne in two weeks.”
Dürksen’s new boss added that his experience and knowledge from his two-years at AIX has already been beneficial to the Invicta team.
The 2026 FIA Formula 2 season kicks off in Australia on Friday 6th March, where the drivers will be aiming to secure the first Pole Position of the year.
IMAGE CREDIT – Photo by James Sutton – Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images
