F2 title fight: Camara leads Tsolov by 7 points with Qatar and Abu Dhabi to decide 2026 crown
Rafael Camara leads Nikola Tsolov 207-200 with Alex Dunne 18 back. Two rounds and 78 points remain, while Tsolov also chases a 2027 Racing Bulls F1 seat.
While Formula 1 has its drivers' champion, the feeder series below it is heading for a tense finish. Rafael Camara leads Nikola Tsolov by just seven points in the 2026 Formula 2 championship, with two rounds left in Qatar and Abu Dhabi, and the outcome could shape at least one seat on the 2027 F1 grid.
The standings
After the Baku round in September, the top of the F2 drivers' standings reads:
- Rafael Camara (Invicta Racing) 207 points
- Nikola Tsolov (Campos Racing) 200
- Alex Dunne (Rodin Motorsport) 189
- Gabriele Mini (MP Motorsport) 163
- Dino Beganovic (DAMS Lucas Oil) 137
- Noel Leon (Campos Racing) 133
Camara took the lead in Baku by winning the second feature race of the weekend, turning a one-point deficit into a seven-point advantage. Dunne crossed the line first in that race but a five-second time penalty dropped him to third.
Southeast Asian interest comes from Thailand's Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak, who sits 11th on 71 points.
The maths: 78 points still available
The remaining rounds are at Lusail, Qatar (27-29 November) and Yas Marina, Abu Dhabi (4-6 December), both supporting the final two F1 grands prix.
Each F2 weekend offers a sprint race (10 points for a win) and a feature race (25 for a win), plus two points for feature-race pole and one point for the fastest lap in each race if the driver finishes in the top ten. That makes 39 points the most a driver can score in one round and 78 across the two.
Camara, Tsolov and Dunne are the realistic contenders. Mini is 44 points back, and Beganovic (70 behind) and Leon (74 behind) remain alive only in the strictest mathematical sense.
The calendar question
There was doubt over whether the Middle East rounds would go ahead. The season already lost its Bahrain and Jeddah rounds to the conflict involving Iran, and in October some suggested Camara could be crowned without racing again. F2 chief executive Bruno Michel rejected that, saying in mid-October that the championship would finish in Qatar and Abu Dhabi and would follow Formula 1's plans. The official F2 calendar still lists both rounds, and F1 has kept both grands prix on its schedule.
Seats on the line for 2027
Camara's future is already settled: Haas have confirmed the Ferrari junior will make his F1 debut in 2027 alongside Oliver Bearman, title or not.
Tsolov's situation is different. The Bulgarian Red Bull junior is in the mix for a Racing Bulls seat in 2027 alongside incumbents Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad. Team principal Alan Permane said in Singapore that "three doesn't fit into two", and no decision has been announced.
Tsolov made his F1 race-weekend debut in first practice in Mexico City last Friday, finishing 12th, and Racing Bulls CEO Peter Bayer said he had integrated perfectly into the team. Bayer also said Lawson, ninth in the drivers' standings on 83 points, has done everything to prove himself, and that the final call rests with Permane.
Key takeaways
- Camara leads Tsolov 207-200 in F2, with Dunne 18 points back on 189.
- Two rounds remain: Lusail (27-29 Nov) and Yas Marina (4-6 Dec).
- A maximum of 78 points is still available.
- Camara is confirmed at Haas for 2027; Tsolov is fighting Lawson and Lindblad for Racing Bulls seats.
- Thailand's Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak is 11th in the standings.
FAQ
How many points can an F2 driver score in one weekend? Up to 39: 10 for a sprint win, 25 for a feature win, two for feature pole and one for fastest lap in each race.
Will the F2 season finish in Qatar and Abu Dhabi? That is the plan. F2's CEO said in October the championship will end there, and both rounds remain on the official calendar.
Who is racing for Haas in 2027? Haas have confirmed Oliver Bearman and Rafael Camara for 2027.
Sources: FIA, RacingNews365, Grande Premio, Grandprix.com, FIA Formula 2