Following the FIA Formula 2 Championship’s return to European soil in Monaco, Invicta Racing heads to Barcelona for Round 5 of the 2026 season. Drivers, Rafael Câmara and Joshua Dürksen, will be eyeing better fortune in Spain after a bittersweet weekend last time out.
Monaco served as the backdrop for Round 4 of the campaign, and in Qualifying, Rafael secured the first pole position of his FIA Formula 2 career to add three points to his 2026 total.
A lockup on cold tyres forced the Brazilian to retire from the lead of the Feature Race, although he battled from 10th to eighth to score a point in the Sprint.
Grid penalties limited Joshua’s points scoring potential across the weekend, but the Paraguayan still managed to finish fourth in the Sprint, just three-tenths short of the podium.
Invicta Racing heads to Spain fourth in the standings, with Rafael seventh and Joshua 11th in the Drivers’ Championship.
READ MORE: LATE HEARTBREAK FOR INVICTA RACING IN MONACO
Situated north-east of Barcelona, the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya is acclaimed for its technical and at times demanding layout, deliberately designed to test every aspect of car performance and driver skill.
With two DRS zones which afford overtaking opportunities, drivers must balance attacking and defending with the track’s signature abrasive surface which places critical importance on tyre management and therefore, race strategy.
KEY CORNERS
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Turn 1: The heaviest braking event on the circuit, Turn 1 represents a driver’s first and best opportunity to overtake.
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Turn 10: Situated at the end of the second DRS zone, this low-speed left-hander can present a challenge to drivers under braking.
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Turns 12-14: To set up an overtake – or to defend – securing a clean run and exit through this trio of right-hand corners is critical.
TRACK STATS
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Length: 2.89 miles / 4.657km
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Turns: 14
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DRS zones: 2
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Sprint Race laps: 26
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Feature Race laps: 37
As the site of Formula 2 Pre-Season Testing earlier in 2026, the teams and drivers are very well acquainted with the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
Both Invicta Racing drivers have also raced at Barcelona in past seasons and understand its nuances well, with Rafael winning the FIA Formula 3 Feature Race in 2025.
JAMES ROBINSON, TEAM PRINCIPAL
“Montréal and Monaco represented a pair of challenging events for us as a team. Across both weekends, we showed immense potential but ultimately went without a reward that reflected the true nature of our performance and effort. Barcelona is a circuit that we know extremely well and, having tested there earlier this year and finished on the podium in 2024, this is the perfect place for us to strike back. Using our experience to our advantage and remaining consistent in our approach will yield the best opportunities. Now is our time to achieve what we know we’re capable of.”
All local times CEST (UTC +2). Follow Invicta Racing for updates throughout the weekend.
Live timing for all sessions can be found here.
