Sometimes the bravest move in qualifying is simply staying out when everyone else pits. That is exactly what Noel Leon did at the Red Bull Ring on Friday, and it earned him his first ever Noel Leon F2 pole position. The Mexican rookie from Campos Racing lit up the Spielberg timing screens and sent a clear message to his championship rivals ahead of this weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix Feature Race.
How Noel Leon Took His Maiden F2 Pole
Noel Leon F2 Pole: A Game-Changing Moment
Leon clinched pole position for the F2 Feature Race at the Austrian Grand Prix by using an alternative run plan to go fastest in the 30-minute qualifying session.
Here is how it unfolded. Rafael Câmara had gone to the top with a 1m16.062s, leading a small group of cars that returned to the pitlane after their second lap. Most drivers followed that same plan and waited inside for their final runs. Not Leon.
The Mexican left the pits on his own during the middle of the session while the rest of his rivals waited in the pit lane before conducting their final runs. While the rest of his rivals waited, Leon returned to the track on a fresh set of Supersofts to complete a stunning 1m15.544s, over half a second quicker than Câmara.
With a clear, empty track and fresh rubber, Leon had everything he needed. Leon was the first driver to set his second push lap, going half a second quicker than Câmara with around 10 minutes remaining on the clock. Nobody could respond in time.
The Full Qualifying Order in Spielberg
Leon’s 1m15.544s became the time to beat. Alexander Dunne was the closest, 0.129s slower in P2, while Nikola Tsolov took P3. Championship leader Gabriele Minì ended up fourth for MP Motorsport, with Rafael Câmara in P5 after topping the early running.
Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak, Oliver Goethe, Rafael Villagómez, John Bennett and Sebastián Montoya completed the top 10, with Bennett and Montoya set to start the reverse-grid Sprint Race from the front row.
For Campos Racing, it was a wonderful result. It was an early 1-2 for the team when Leon led Tsolov thanks to a 1m16.283s in the first runs. To then have Leon convert that into pole with a bold second run made it even sweeter. Campos Racing leads the Teams’ Championship as the only team to have scored points in every single race of the year so far.
You can read more about the Red Bull Ring F1 action in our Austrian GP free practice report, where the extreme heat was already making life tough for the drivers.
Who is Noel Leon?
Noel Jesús León Vázquez is a Mexican racing driver who drives for Campos Racing in the FIA Formula 2 Championship. He is the 2019-20 NACAM F4, 2021 F4 US and 2023 Euroformula Open champion. He has been quietly building his career for years, and this pole feels like a real breakthrough moment.
The Formula 2 official account celebrated the moment, calling him “the Mexican driver” who used “a different strategy to secure a first Pole Position Award in Spielberg.”
In terms of the championship, Leon sits fifth in the standings. Rafael Câmara is third in the standings, while Alex Dunne and Noel León complete the top five, the group all within 32 points of each other. This pole could be the springboard he needs.
Sprint Race and Feature Race
Spielberg kicks off a run of four rounds in five weeks before the summer break, and this next month could be critical to every driver’s chances of winning the title.
On Saturday, the Sprint Race starts with a reversed top-10 grid, meaning Montoya leads the field away. Leon will start from further back but will be hungry to recover places. Then on Sunday, the Feature Race starts at 10:10 local time, with everyone starting in the order they qualified. That means Leon leads the field from pole.
Can he convert it into a first F2 win? With Campos’ pace, a clean track on Sunday morning, and that belief from Friday’s qualifying, there is every reason to think he can. Keep an eye on our Austrian Grand Prix race guide and our latest Austrian GP report for all the build-up from Spielberg this weekend.
