Rafael Câmara delivered on a one-lap Qualifying session in Barcelona to secure his second pole position in a row, giving himself a valuable opportunity to gain ground in the championship standings.
The Brazilian currently sits seventh in the drivers’ standings and arrived at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya looking to keep the momentum after scoring his first Formula 2 pole last weekend in Barcelona.
Câmara looked comfortable from the beginning of the weekend, having found confidence in the car during Free Practice. With Barcelona being known for the high tyre degradation, he knew maximising his first flying lap would be crucial for his Qualifying success.
The Ferrari Academy driver told InsideF2: “Very good pole position. Run one, I think, went very well and I was able to get a very good lap in lap one. Here in Barcelona, you always need to deliver in one lap because tyres don’t last very long.”
Track temperatures rose to around 50°C during the session, creating difficult conditions for drivers. Even on a single lap, managing tyre wear and temperature became a key factor, with everyone trying to strike a balance between pace and preserving the tyres for the final sector.
“Through one lap, you already feel a bit of degradation in Sector 3 with overheating and the tyres not feeling good in the last sector. But it’s just trying to survive with that, managing it on the driving and keeping it clean.“
A front-row lockout for the Feature?
Rafael Câmara on pole and @JoshuaDuerksen1 second ????
A fantastic Friday for @InvictaRacing ?#F2 #BarcelonaGP pic.twitter.com/hsDqaHPN1q
— Formula 2 (@Formula2) June 12, 2026
Even though his second attempt was unsuccessful due to a red flag, Câmara’s opening effort proved enough to secure the fastest time of the session.
“Unfortunately, couldn’t get the second lap, but it was good enough to be on pole. Now just focusing on the races on Saturday and Sunday,” the 21-year-old said.
While his qualifying speed has put him in a strong position for the weekend, the Spanish track places an even greater emphasis on tyre management during race conditions. Sunday’s Feature Race, in particular, is expected to be influenced by degradation and strategy.
“Yeah, I think in the races it will be a big thing, looking for your tyres and making sure that you’re doing the things properly. Just looking well with the team on what we need to do for the races and make sure we are prepared for the conditions.”
Two in a row for Rafa ?#F2 #Formula2 #InvincibleInSpirit #BarcelonaGP pic.twitter.com/bVh5zMRAp5
— Invicta Racing (@InvictaRacing) June 13, 2026
The Ferrari Driver Academy member also acknowledged that the setup that delivered pole position is unlikely to remain unchanged as his focus shifts toward the races.
“For sure, you cannot run the same as Qualifying. I think it would be a bit too aggressive. Going with the team, change a bit to make sure the tyres wear less in the race. We’ll just look with them to make sure that we prepare well and have a good race.”
With a reverse-grid Sprint Race set to see him start ninth on Saturday before leading the field in Sunday’s Feature Race, Câmara has placed himself in an ideal position to score heavily and climb further up the Formula 2 standings this weekend in Barcelona.
Formula 2 continues this weekend in Barcelona with the Sprint Race at 14:15 local time on Saturday and the Feature Race at 11:25 local time on Sunday.
Rafael Câmara led an @InvictaRacing 1-2 in Quali ?
Here's the provisional classification after the 30-minute session ?#F2 #BarcelonaGP pic.twitter.com/zqGq4bWjRZ
— Formula 2 (@Formula2) June 12, 2026
Image Credit – Formula Motorsport Limited via Getty
