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Minì claims Hungary Sprint victory as Tsolov and Montoya crash out
Gabriele Minì took his second Formula 2 win of the season at the Hungaroring after championship leader Nikola Tsolov collided with Sebastian Montoya in a late battle for second position.
By Nadia van Leeuwen - 2026-07-25T13:28:23.000Z - 2 min read
Gabriele Minì scored a major victory in the Hungaroring Sprint Race on Saturday, capitalising on a late collision that eliminated championship leader Nikola Tsolov and long-time race leader Sebastian Montoya. The Sicilian driver delivered a measured performance for MP Motorsport to secure his second win of the 2026 campaign, sweeping past his rivals after a dramatic final stint in Budapest.
Starting from tenth following Friday’s qualifying session, Montoya utilized reverse-grid pole position to hold the lead through Turn 1. Behind him, Tsolov made the only forward move among the front two rows at the start, launching past Dino Beganovic to claim third. Minì slotted into second, quickly latching onto the rear of the leading Prema and maintaining constant pressure through the opening phase of the 28-lap encounter.
With 11 laps remaining, the Sicilian made his move. As Montoya began to struggle with fading pace, Minì closed the gap and swept past into the lead. Once out front, the MP Motorsport driver pulled clear of the battle behind, leaving Montoya to defend against an increasingly eager Tsolov.
That chase ended in disaster in the closing stages. Attempting an aggressive move down the inside of Turn 1 to snatch second position, Tsolov collided heavily with Montoya’s Prema. The impact broke the front suspension on both cars, forcing both drivers into immediate retirement and ending their races on the spot.
The late clash drastically altered the podium order. Beganovic inherited second place for DAMS, crossing the line 3.787 seconds behind Minì, while Trident’s Laurens van Hoepen swept into third to complete the podium. Rafael Camara finished fourth for Invicta, ahead of ART Grand Prix duo Kush Maini and Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak.
For Minì, the victory marks his first podium since finishing runner-up in the Silverstone Sprint and adds to his Feature Race triumph in Miami earlier this year. In title terms, the result slashes Tsolov’s championship advantage down to 16 points ahead of Sunday’s main event, reversing Minì's recent setback at Spa-Francorchamps where his car caught fire.
Tsolov’s troubles extended beyond his race-ending error. Stewards subsequently handed the Bulgarian a five-place grid penalty for Sunday’s Feature Race after deeming him responsible for the Turn 1 incident. Having qualified seventh on Friday, where Maini took pole position ahead of Camara, Tsolov now faces a heavy setback on Sunday's grid, while Minì prepares to start from ninth.