Tsolov Beats Van Hoepen and Dunne to the Line at the F2 Miami Sprint Race 2026

Nikola Tsolov claimed his second victory of the 2026 Formula 2 season at the Miami Sprint Race, winning a three-way drag race to the line that went down to the final corner. The Campos Racing driver led for much of the afternoon, lost the lead twice to Laurens van Hoepen and took it back both times, the final time at Turn 17 on the last lap, with Dunne alongside. Van Hoepen held on for second for Trident. Alexander Dunne completed the podium for Rodin Motorsport, his third top-three finish of the season. Nico Varrone took fourth after a late move on Duerksen. Four DNFs in the closing laps, including Maini and Inthraphuvasak, shaped the final order as much as the racing at the front.

Key Points – F2 Miami Sprint Race 2026

• Tsolov wins from pole, second victory of the season. Now leads the Drivers’ Championship on 35 points
• Van Hoepen P2 for Trident, second podium of the year. Led the race twice and was denied both times at Turn 17
• Dunne P3 for Rodin, third podium finish of 2026. Gained third with a dive on Duerksen at Turn 17 on Lap 18
• Varrone P4 with a late move on Duerksen. Duerksen P5, drops to fourth in the championship on 15 points
• Maini and Inthraphuvasak both DNF in the closing stages, removing two ART cars from the results

Start and Early Laps

Tsolov nailed the start from pole and held van Hoepen into Turn 1. It looked clean at the front. Further back it wasn’t. Goethe’s getaway was poor, dropping from P3 to P9 in the opening sector and removing one of the early pace threats from the equation. Herta made his presence felt immediately, diving to the inside of Bennett at Turn 16 to jump to P13 on the first lap.

The top four of Tsolov, van Hoepen, Duerksen and Varrone pulled away quickly. By the end of Lap 2 they had a gap and were already managing within it. Dunne was fifth and closing on Varrone, within seven-tenths by the start of Lap 4. Van Hoepen was feeling pressure from Duerksen for second and went defensive at Turn 17. The race at the front was already tighter than the gaps suggested.

Duerksen Moves, Van Hoepen Responds

Duerksen was the first to attack. He went to the inside of van Hoepen at Turn 17 on Lap 5 and made it stick. Van Hoepen was back in second before the next corner, capitalising on Duerksen running too deep at Turn 15. The lead changed hands for the first time on Lap 9 when Tsolov had a moment at the Turn 14 chicane and van Hoepen closed right onto his gearbox, but the Campos driver held firm at Turn 17 again.

The resistance broke on Lap 13. Van Hoepen went around the outside of Tsolov to take the lead, the pair were two seconds clear by Lap 15. Tsolov retook it at Turn 17 on the same lap. Van Hoepen used DRS to lead again into Turn 11. A few corners later, Tsolov was back in front. Neither driver could hold it for more than a handful of corners and the battle was burning through both of them.

Dunne Closes, the DRS Train Forms

Dunne had been working through the field while the front two traded paint. He made his move on Duerksen at Turn 1 on Lap 18, dived to the inside, ran too deep, and Duerksen took it back. Both dropped 2.6 seconds to the leaders immediately. The consequence was immediate. A DRS train formed with Duerksen at the head, Dunne behind him, then Varrone, Stenshorne, Minì, Beganovic and León. Dunne found the cleaner way through, going to the inside of Duerksen at Turn 17 to take third and disengage from the fight behind him.

Tsolov and van Hoepen traded the lead again across Laps 19 to 21, the TRIDENT radio pushing van Hoepen to attack harder. He dove inside at Turn 17 on Lap 21. Tsolov held on. Dunne had now gained a second on the pair of them and was coming back into the picture.

Final Lap: Three-Wide at Turn 17

Van Hoepen was 0.2 seconds behind Tsolov at the start of the final lap with Dunne inside DRS range behind him. Van Hoepen went around the outside at Turn 11 to lead. Tsolov had DRS on the back straight and drove to the inside at Turn 17. Dunne arrived alongside them both. Three cars. One corner. One lap left. Tsolov got the better exit, crossed the line first, and took his second win of the season.

Van Hoepen held off Dunne for second by the width of a car. Varrone made a late move on Duerksen to take fourth. Stenshorne was sixth, Minì seventh, Beganovic eighth for the final point. León ninth, Câmara tenth.

Sprint Race Result

Championship Picture

Tsolov leads the Drivers’ Championship on 35 points, nine clear of van Hoepen in second. Câmara is third on 18, Duerksen fourth on 15, Miyata fifth on 14. In the Teams’ Championship, Campos lead on 43 points. Invicta are second on 33, Trident third on 26, MP Motorsport fourth on 21, Hitech fifth on 20.

Coffee Corner Take

Tsolov won that race twice. He lost it twice as well. Van Hoepen had the pace to beat him on any given lap. What he did not have was the exit at Turn 17 when it mattered most. One corner, final lap, three cars side by side. Tsolov got it right. That is what championship-leading drives look like at this stage of a season.

Van Hoepen will look at this one hard. He led twice, attacked relentlessly, and finished second. He was told to push harder. He did. He still lost it at the last corner. His pace is real. The win will come if he keeps putting himself in that position.

Dunne is quietly building something. Third here, podium finishes stacking up across the season. His move to get third on Lap 18 was decisive. When the front two pulled clear he stayed calm, held the position, and came home with the points. Rodin are giving him the car and he is using it properly.

Duerksen’s afternoon told a different story to Melbourne. He was in the fight but never controlling it the way he did in round one. Varrone taking fourth from him late summed up a day where the Invicta driver was always present but never dominant. The championship gap to Tsolov is now twenty points. That is not a crisis yet, but it is a number that will need addressing in the Feature Race.

The Feature Race is next. Tsolov leads by nine over van Hoepen. The pair just spent twenty-one laps proving they cannot be separated by much. Sunday will be a longer version of the same argument.