With the 2026 Formula 2 grid confirmed and preparations fully underway for the new season, one constant stands out: not a single driver pairing remains the same. Graduations to higher categories, promotions from F3 and strategic team switches have reshuffled the paddock entirely, setting up a season that will be defined by unpredictability and fresh internal rivalries.

By August Bamford

In F2, a driver’s closest rival is rarely the driver alongside them on the track; it is the one across from them in the garage. Teammates share data, simulator preparation and development feedback throughout the year, yet they also serve as the clearest benchmark for performance. Success in the category is often measured first internally before it is judged by championship standings.

That balance becomes particularly delicate during the off-season as drivers train together, compare approaches on the simulator, and exchange information intended to elevate the team as a whole, all while knowing that only one ultimately emerges in front. For rookies especially, absorbing as much information as possible from a more experienced teammate can dramatically accelerate the learning curve.

Martinius Stenshorne is an example of how circumstances can change. After scoring 89 out of Hitech’s 90 total points in F3 and operating as the team’s undisputed reference point, the Norwegian now steps into F2 with Rodin Motorsport alongside Alex Dunne, widely considered one of the early title favourites. Stenshorne enters an environment where performance margins are expected to be razor-thin between teammates.

A similar battle awaits Joshua Dürksen as he begins his third full F2 season. In 2025, he made a significant step forward, overcoming early struggles to end the year as one of the category’s standout performers, punctuated by a superb victory at Yas Marina as he fought through the pack from eighth on the grid. His evident potential, highlighted by a ninth-place championship finish while with AIX Racing, helped secure him a move to reigning teams’ champions Invicta Racing for 2026.

Joining him is reigning F3 champion Rafael Câmara, whose promotion to F2 places two drivers with clear title ambitions within the same garage. Dürksen’s experience in F2 could prove decisive early in the season, but he acknowledged that the teammate dynamic works both ways. While his familiarity with the car brings confidence, a rookie teammate can also introduce fresh ideas and new approaches.

“We will integrate our good stuff together,” Dürksen told Feeder Series. “Rafa has been a really fast teammate and I really enjoy working with him. For sure I will learn a lot from him. Of course I have the experience, so on setup changes, maybe I try more stuff than him on the car, but it’s normal because I have the experience, so I know better what the car will do.

“Rafa is very quick. I learned a lot from him. His strengths and my strengths combined will make the team very good.”

While Dürksen enters his season as the more experienced driver in his partnership, Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak faces the opposite challenge. The Thai driver graduates from F3 following an impressive campaign in which he finished seventh in the standings, securing his maiden victory in the Silverstone sprint race before adding his first feature race win in Monza. At ART Grand Prix, he now partners one of the most seasoned competitors on the F2 grid, Kush Maini, who begins his fourth year in the category.

For rookies, teammates often represent the most accessible source of education, not only in driving technique but also in understanding the finer details that lead to success in F2. Tyre management, race preparation and communication with engineers are lessons often learned most quickly from drivers sharing the same data.

“Kush has a lot of experience in this championship,” he said. “He’s been with top teams in the past, so I’m pretty sure he can share that knowledge with ART now to help the team grow. I think we’ve worked very well together in testing so far. I think we have a good relationship, so [we’re] just trying to push each other forward and hopefully get some good results for the team together.”

Nikola Tsolov arrives in F2 with momentum of his own. The Bulgarian was not only part of Campos Racing’s title-winning trio in F3 last year, alongside Inthraphuvasak and Mari Boya, but also the team’s leading points scorer, finishing runner-up in the championship with 124 points across the season. Campos’ success was built as much on strong internal cooperation as it was on the outright speed of its drivers.

This year, Tsolov continues his relationship with Campos by stepping up to the team’s F2 outfit, beginning a new chapter alongside fellow F3 graduate Noel León. Together they join a squad that carried strong momentum of its own after finishing third in the F2 team standings last season. While elements of the environment change with the promotion to F2, the foundations that defined Campos’ success in F3 remain central to Tsolov’s approach in 2026. Tsolov emphasized the importance of communication and collective progress, even within a competitive setting.

“I’m looking forward to it,” he said. “I’ve always said Campos is a team but also a family to me, so we’re working very well together, although it’s a different team, engineer, mechanics, et cetera. […] It’s very important to have someone like Noel because he’s really fast, he’s really dedicated, so he’s pushing me to do better as well. And that’s quite important to me, especially in the preparation of the year and then pushing myself to perform throughout the season.”

All preparation now gives way to reality, as the F2 field finally returns to the track this Friday, when the 2026 season officially begins in Melbourne.

Additional reporting by Martin Lloyd

Header photo credit: Dutch Photo Agency