Noel Leon delivered his first FIA Formula 2 victory with a composed comeback in Montreal's Sprint Race on May 23, 2026. Starting third for Campos Racing, the Mexican overcame early contact and seized control after the field was twice bunched by Safety Cars.
At the launch, Leon attempted to slot into second at Turn 1 but made contact with Joshua Duerksen, which put him back to P3. He regrouped quickly, avoiding further risk in the early laps. Soon after, he re-passed Invicta Racing's Duerksen to resume the chase of polesitter Gabriele Mini.
Polesitter Gabriele Mini initially controlled the pace, but a mid-race Safety Car wiped out his advantage. The neutralisation brought Leon into striking distance and shifted momentum. One lap after the restart, Leon used the slipstream and DRS to complete a decisive move into Turn 12 for the lead.
From there, the Campos driver focused on executing clean laps as the pack jostled behind. A second Safety Car created more jeopardy, compressing the field once again. Leon aced the restart and immediately opened daylight to avoid gifting rivals a DRS opportunity.
The late-lap drama unfolded behind. Alexander Dunne's last-gasp pass pushed Mini to third on the road at the flag. But a 10-second penalty for the Irishman, issued for an earlier incident and contact at Turn 10, dropped him out of the points and restored Mini to second place.
Martinius Stenshorne completed the podium for Rodin Motorsport with a resilient drive. He survived his own brush at the hairpin with Nikola Tsolov and John Bennett and kept his car clear in the closing laps. The reward was a solid P3.
For Campos Racing, Leon's win was the team's third of the 2026 season, strengthening its grip on the Teams' standings. The Mexican's haul also propelled him to fourth in the Drivers' Championship. It marked another high point in a campaign that has increasingly tilted in the Spanish squad's favour.
Mini's runner-up finish, his second podium in as many races, moved him to the top of the standings. He now leads the championship from Rafael Camara, with Tsolov slipping to third and Leon close behind in fourth.
With the field closely matched and Safety Cars already playing a role, composure at restarts could again prove decisive on Sunday. Any repeat of Leon's precision when the race goes green could swing momentum in the opening laps. Equally, the battle among Mini, Camara and Tsolov for the points lead remains finely poised.
Next up is Sunday's Feature Race in Montreal, with van Hoepen on pole and Mini now leading the standings. Leon and Campos, buoyed by their Sprint success, will aim to keep the pressure on. The championship picture could shift again before the paddock departs Canada.
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*Originally published on [Formula 1 News](https://newsformula.one/article/noel-leon-claims-maiden-f2-win-with-montreal-sprint-fightback). Visit for full coverage.*
