Montreal – Sprint: Noel León's show of strength and a flurry of retirements

As has been the case since the start of the season, the Formula 2 races are particularly exciting. With excellent pace, Noel León clearly dominated the event, while retirements and upsets were plentiful.

Published 23/05/2026 à 21:01

Mathieu Chambenoit

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Montreal – Sprint: Noel León's show of strength and a flurry of retirements

© Eric Alonso / DPPI

Thanks to the reverse grid rule, Gabriele Mini would have liked to win this sprint race. Formula 2 on Notre-Dame Island in Montreal. Very fast, and the author of a superb takeoff, the pilot, a protégé of the academy Alpine However, he couldn't match Noel León's pace. The Campos driver thus dominated his Italian rival, with Rodin Martinius Stenshorne completing the podium. In total, four drivers retired from the race. Alexander Dunne and Nikola Tsolov, who were third and fifth overall, were both penalized for causing costly collisions.

To kick off the Montreal season, Formula 2 once again didn't hold back in terms of drama. The start saw contact between several leading drivers, including Noel León, and Joshua Dürksen, although it ultimately had no consequences. Gabriele Mini, having broken away in the lead, was then unaware of the ensuing events. Among the key moments was Nikola Tsolov's collision with Josh Bennett, which forced the Trident driver to retire after just a few laps. Later, Alex Dunne was far too optimistic on his braking, causing Josh Dürksen to retire – and he didn't hesitate to voice his opinion of his Irish counterpart…

Errors and haste

The end of the race unfolded as Rafael Villagomez crashed into the wall, forcing him to retire almost immediately. Under the Virtual Safety Car, his teammate, Nicolas Varrone, who was well on his way to a good result, was hit from behind by Cian Shields. Both VAR drivers were then forced to retire.

However, several strong results were confirmed in this sprint race. Laurens Van Hoepen, finishing 4th, continued to score valuable points for Trident, while Rafael Câmara, penalized and starting 14th on the grid, managed to score points by finishing 7th. Colton Herta, meanwhile, climbed to 9th position, despite starting from the back of the grid. The main race will now be crucial for all of them, starting this Sunday at 18 pm (French time).

ALSO READ > In Montreal, grey skies for the French in the Sprint: "There are several areas in which we need to improve."

F2 – Montreal (Canada)
The sprint race classification

Mathieu Chambenoit

Responsible for the single-seater categories (F2, F3, FRECA, Eurocup-3, F4...), I enjoy discussing F1, Endurance, or MotoGP.

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1 Comment (s)

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Hilton Leon

24/05/2026 at 03:58 a.m.

Dunne, a firecracker that fizzled out quickly.

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