Stenshorne masters chaos to take maiden F2 victory

Martinius Stenshorne survived an afternoon of extreme atmospheric tension, tactical gambles, and relentless accidents to claim a spectacular maiden victory in the FIA Formula 2 Feature Race at the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve.

In a race dictated by the constant threat of showers and multiple safety cars, the Rodin Motorsport driver delivered a clinical operational performance to emerge on top, while Gabriele Minì secured the championship lead.

Tense opening duels and the Wall of Champions claims its first victim

The grid rolled off under highly volatile mixed conditions, with the entire field opting for the slick soft compound despite dark clouds looming large over Notre Dame Island.

Pole-sitter Laurens van Hoepen executed a flawless launch to protect his line into the opening chicanes, aggressively fending off a sharp challenge from championship leader Nikola Tsolov.

As the leading duo quickly established a comfortable 2.5-second buffer over Martinius Stenshorne in third, a dense midfield train formed from sixth to ninth, with Alex Dunne, Gabriele Minì, Rafael Câmara, and Joshua Dürksen locked in an intense tactical stalemate.

The complexion of the race shifted entirely on lap 4 when the predicted rain drops began greasy-ing up the track surface.

Just one lap later, disaster struck for the race leader; Van Hoepen lost the rear of his Trident machine over the treacherous exit curbs and careened directly into the infamous Wall of Champions.

The premium casualty of the weekend triggered an immediate Safety Car deployment, automatically handing the net lead to Tsolov, while further back, Câmara had managed to hustle his way past Minì for sixth position.

Strategy gambles and a costly collision reshape the leading pack

The track action resumed three laps later with a highly cautious restart, as teams chose to bypass the pit lane in anticipation of heavier downpours later in the afternoon.

However, the respite was short-lived. On lap 9, Emerson Fittipaldi Jr. spun off into the barriers, prompting a second Safety Car phase.

With a clearing overhead window suggesting the track would dry, the vast majority of the field dived into the pits for fresh rubber, leaving only Roman Bilinski, Nico Varrone, Colton Herta, Kush Maini, and Mari Boya out on track on alternative strategies.

Tsolov retained his virtual lead in sixth place on the road, closely shadowed by Stenshorne, Rafael Villagómez, Minì, Câmara, and Dino Beganovic.

The lap 13 restart immediately unleashed total chaos. As Tsolov aggressively attempted to clear the non-pitting Boya, Stenshorne seized the opportunity, pulling off a brilliant dive on the Bulgarian to snatch the net race leadership.

Desperate to reclaim the position, Tsolov made a high-risk move on Maini heading into the final chicane on lap 15; the two cars banged wheels heavily, dropping the championship leader down to a distant 16th and completely destroying his victory hopes.

A late downpour sets up a dramatic sprint to the flag

With Stenshorne inherits the net lead, a spectacular battle ignited behind him as Beganovic mounted a furious charge, clearing both Câmara and Minì in quick succession to pressure the leading Rodin car just as the rain returned.

Lap 22 delivered an absolute nightmare for Câmara, that spun unassisted at Turn 1 to fall to the back of the field, while seconds later, Beganovic’s engine expired in a cloud of smoke while running in a comfortable second place.

The stranded DAMS forced a lengthy Safety Car period on lap 26, leaving Stenshorne, Dunne, and Minì at the head of the field.

The green flag finally waved on lap 34 for a grandstand finish. Stenshorne nailed his restart, comfortably covering off a late lunging attempt from Dunne into the opening sector.

Behind them, Minì protected his podium place against a charging Dürksen, while Tsolov completed an unbelievable recovery drive through the debris to haul himself back into the top five.

The racing was cut short on the penultimate lap when Oliver Goethe and Ritomo Miyata collided heavily on the casino straight, bringing out the final Safety Car to freeze the order.

Stenshorne took a fully deserved victory ahead of Dunne and Minì, whose third-place finish officially propels him to the top of the world championship standings.