Here is the thing about Baku: it punishes hesitation, and it rewards the brave who dance right on the limit of concrete walls. Martinius Stenshorne mastered that dance better than anyone during the FIA Formula 2 Qualifying 2 session at the Baku City Circuit, securing his first pole position of 2026.
Driving for Rodin Motorsport, Stenshorne put together a stellar run that sealed a team one-two on the grid. Smart strategy from the pit wall allowed him to box for a final set of tires and capitalize on a well-timed tow, maximizing every inch of the machine when it mattered most. Carrying over lessons from the first qualifying session—where the limits were found and the grip ramped up—he left nothing out there.
Sharing the front row is his Rodin Motorsport teammate Alexander Dunne, who grabbed second place despite admitting to some mistakes on his final push. Dunne noted that he was perhaps a bit too far back in the slipstream for that final sector, but starting on the front row is hardly a disaster on a track he clearly relishes. The high-speed approaches into heavy braking zones present a unique challenge compared to typical street circuits, and Dunne leaned into that danger with absolute enjoyment.
Meanwhile, Rafael Câmara locked down third place for Invicta Racing. While feeling more comfortable in the car with a solid base from the opening session, Câmara felt his team left a bit on the table with their strategy after opting to pit rather than chase a final improvement. Still, starting from third puts him right in the mix for the races.
That positioning is crucial with the title race heating up. Câmara sits seven points behind Tsolov in the standings, but outqualifying his rival gives him a vital upper hand for the battles ahead. With plenty of action guaranteed on these streets, the championship fight is far from decided.
