Rafael Câmara has seized the top spot in the Drivers' Championship in Baku, but the Invicta Racing driver knows the battle is far from settled with just two rounds left on the calendar. An impressive weekend in Azerbaijan allowed Câmara to completely overturn a seven-point deficit to Nikola Tsolov, turning it into a seven-point advantage of his own following a victory in Feature Race 2.
It is the continuation of a stellar campaign for Câmara. The Brazilian has stacked up three victories, five pole positions, and seven podium finishes so far. Reflecting on his season, he keeps his eyes firmly on the prize. "I feel good," Câmara said. "It has been quite a good season so far. We have always been in the fight, always strong, and always in a position to fight every weekend."
Maximizing every session has been the core philosophy. "I've been quite confident, just doing better every day, and we really just try to maximise what we can, focus on ourselves and then be prepared for these two rounds," he noted. The strategy going forward is straightforward: grab the maximum points available and outscore the opposition. With the tables turned on Tsolov, Câmara points out that whoever finishes ahead will likely come out on front, though the fundamental approach inside the garage remains unchanged.
Dealing with the pressure of a title chase requires absolute calm, something preparation provides in abundance. "I think the focus is really on what we can maximise, and also to prepare the best ways we can, because for sure the preparation helps you a lot after to be confident and to be calm when it matters," Câmara explained, acknowledging the fierce competition of the F2 grid.
While the fight currently sits between the top two, the chasing pack is never far away. Alexander Dunne sits 18 points behind Câmara in third place, while Gabriele Minì dropped further back in Baku but maintains an outside mathematical chance. Because of the talent of his rivals, Câmara refuses to let his guard down as the championship heads toward Lusail and Yas Marina.
"For sure it's still very open," he concluded. "For sure they are close, but it’s easier knowing that I need to have a bad weekend for them to come up, but also, we know everything can happen in racing. You can never, until it's finished, relax. So I just keep focusing on myself and always do our best. So we need to make sure that we're always gaining points."
