The 2026 Austrian GP F2 Sprint delivered intense action under extreme conditions, as soaring temperatures and a dramatic late-race twist crowned a first-time winner at the Red Bull Ring.
Round 6 of the championship took place in punishing heat, with air temperatures reaching 32°C and track temperatures climbing to 53°C. These conditions quickly became a decisive factor, pushing both drivers and tyre management to their limits.
Starting from pole position on the reverse grid, Montoya lined up alongside John Bennett, with Villagomez in third.
Lap 1-10:
At lights out, Bennett made an exceptional launch to seize the lead immediately, while Montoya came under pressure heading into the opening corners.
The race was quickly neutralised following an incident at Turn 3 on lap one. Durksen made contact with Tsolov, triggering a chain reaction that caught several drivers. Goethe spun with nowhere to go, while Inthraphuvasak and Fittipaldi were forced out of the race. Begoñavic and Durksen both sustained damage and required repairs, and although Tsolov continued, he dropped down the order. The Safety Car was deployed until lap 3.
Once racing resumed, Bennett led Montoya and Villagomez, with the top positions tightly contested. Montoya immediately began applying pressure for the lead, while further back, Dunne and Camara engaged in a fierce battle.
Tyre degradation soon became a critical issue, as the extreme heat accelerated wear. Despite this, Montoya remained glued to Bennett, repeatedly using DRS to challenge. On lap 8, he made a decisive move at Turn 4, diving down the inside to take the lead.
At this stage, the top six drivers were closely packed, all within contention. Notably, none of the leading trio, Montoya, Bennett, and Villagomez, had previously won a Formula 2 race, adding further tension to the fight at the front.
Lap 11-19:
The middle phase of the race saw a temporary lull in overtaking as drivers attempted to preserve their tyres. Durksen, unable to recover from the opening lap damage, eventually retired on lap 13.
However, the battle for fourth intensified, with Dunne applying sustained pressure on Camara before successfully overtaking with DRS on lap 17.
Lap 20-28
A Virtual Safety Car was deployed on lap 21 after Herta stopped on track, briefly neutralising the race once again. Racing resumed on lap 22, with Montoya leading Bennett by less than a second. Shortly after, Mini executed a clean move on Camara to take fifth place.
As the race approached its conclusion, Bennett remained within DRS range of Montoya, maintaining relentless pressure. On the final lap, a small mistake from Montoya proved decisive. Bennett capitalised immediately, making a bold move into Turn 4 to reclaim the lead. Villagomez also closed in but was unable to challenge for position before the chequered flag.
The 2026 Austrian GP F2 Sprint Race saw John Bennett cross the line to secure his first Formula 2 victory, ahead of Montoya in second and Villagomez in third. Dunne finished fourth, followed by Mini, Camara, Bilinski, and Maini, rounding out the points.
Formula 2 will be back tomorrow at 10:10 am local time for the sixth feature race of the season.
Featured image credit: Trident Motorsport