Italian Gabriele Minì claimed his very first Formula 2 victory after a chaotic main race in Miami, marked by four safety car periods on a soaking wet track.
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After an already thrilling sprint race, the main event plunged spectators into an even higher intensity.
The forecasted storm hit Miami early in the morning, leaving a wet and tricky track. Despite a few minutes of waiting, the drivers started in delicate conditions, prone to mistakes in a discipline where learning is constant.
Tsolov sidelined
Chaos quickly set in. At the first corner, Nikola Tsolov (Campos), sprint winner and championship leader, was hit by Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak (ART) and forced to retire. A first safety car was immediately deployed, quickly followed by a virtual safety car phase after Oliver Goethe retired due to a suspension problem following a minor collision.
Incidents then followed one after another. On lap 10, Alex Dunne (Rodin) went off track after a missed braking, causing another safety car intervention. Shortly after, Nicolás Varrone (VAR) clipped Martinius Stenshorne (Rodin) at the same spot, triggering a third neutralization. A stop-start race, punctuated by interruptions.
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Leading at that moment, Rafael Câmara (Invicta) seemed poised to claim his first Formula 2 win after gaining the advantage during pit stops. But a spin by Cian Shields (AIX) ten minutes from the finish caused a fourth safety car deployment, completely restarting the race.
A thrilling finish
During the final sprint, Câmara quickly came under pressure from Dino Beganovic (DAMS), who took the lead after a mistake by the Brazilian. The duel intensified, with a strong counterattack attempt by Câmara that nearly resulted in contact. In this tense context, Minì managed to slip between the two rivals.
The Italian struck in the penultimate lap by capitalizing on a mistake by Beganovic in turn 17. Solid until the end, Minì resisted the last attacks to give MP Motorsport its first win of the season and secure his first personal success in Formula 2, after a difficult 2025.
This result completely reshuffles the championship: Minì climbs to second place, just one point behind Nikola Tsolov (34 to 35), while Rafael Câmara completes the provisional podium, tied with the Italian. The next F2 round is in two weeks in Montreal.
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