Dürksen Dominates Formula 2 Feature Race at Monza

Joshua Dürksen completed a perfect Monza weekend with a composed, hard‑fought victory in the Formula 2 Feature Race, backing up his Sprint Race win and announcing himself as the man of the moment at the Italian temple of speed.

Rafael Camara chased him all the way to the flag but had to settle for second, with Noel Leon capitalising on late drama to secure the final spot on the podium.

Dürksen wrestles control from pole-sitter Camara

From pole, this was supposed to be Camara’s race. A Ferrari junior, in Italy, at the front of the grid – the script wrote itself. The start tore it up.

Camara bogged down off the line and then compounded the error with a lock-up into Turn 1. He skipped across the chicane and, under pressure to give back what he’d gained, ceded the lead to his Invicta Racing teammate Dürksen before the race had even settled into rhythm.

What followed was a fierce, almost personal duel between the pair. By Lap 4 they were trading blows into Turn 1, swapping the lead across multiple laps as both pushed the limits of braking and traction on the long drag down to the Rettifilo. Dürksen finally blinked first on strategy, diving into the pits at the end of Lap 6.

Camara stayed out two more laps, trying to build enough of a cushion to emerge ahead. It wasn’t enough. His stop on Lap 8 dropped him back onto the circuit just behind Dürksen, the Paraguayan having undercut his teammate to reclaim track position. Behind them, Dunne lurked, ready to pounce if either Invicta car slipped.

Safety Car shakes it up, Dürksen holds his nerve

The race’s turning point arrived on Lap 12. Colton Herta slid off into the gravel at Parabolica, his car beached and immobile. The Safety Car came out, compressing the field and wiping away the slender advantage Dürksen had built over Camara.

On the restart, Dürksen didn’t flinch. He timed the launch cleanly, defended the inside, and kept the lead into Turn 1. Camara, instead of attacking, suddenly found himself under heavy pressure from Dunne.

The Irishman went on the offensive but overstepped at the Roggia chicane, forced to cut across and losing momentum. Leon needed no second invitation and swept past, turning Dunne’s attack into his own opportunity and planting himself firmly in podium contention.

Up front, the pattern returned: Dürksen leading, Camara stalking.

Late pressure, same result

As the laps ticked down, Camara regrouped. The Ferrari prospect began to close the gap, edging back into DRS range and probing for a weakness. Each lap he drew a little closer, shadowing Dürksen’s lines, trying to force a mistake that never came.

The tension peaked on the final tour. Camara sat right on Dürksen’s tail, the pair almost welded together through the opening chicanes. One slip from the leader would have flipped the result. It never arrived.

Dürksen nailed his exits, kept his braking tidy, and powered out of Parabolica for the last time with just enough in hand. He crossed the line first to seal a Monza double, with Camara a frustrated but valuable second and Leon completing a smart, opportunistic drive in third.

Title picture tightens, home hopes fade

Behind the podium fight, the result carried weight for the championship. Camara’s second place trims his deficit to standings leader Nikola Tsolov, who could only manage seventh after a muted run in the points.

For Gabriele Mini and MP Motorsport, the Italian Grand Prix weekend brought only disappointment. At his home race, Mini left Monza empty-handed, failing to score and watching others shape the title narrative on his doorstep.

Dürksen, meanwhile, walks away from Italy with maximum momentum and a growing reputation. On a circuit that punishes hesitation and rewards conviction, he owned both races. The rest of the field now has a clear question to answer: how do you stop a driver who looks this sharp when the pressure is at its highest?