Topping the timesheets on the first day of Formula 2 (F2) pre-season testing in Barcelona was a promising sign for Noel León’s 2026 season, but the Campos Racing driver insists the result only tells part of the story. For the young Mexican, the more meaningful takeaway from the winter test was the feeling of genuine readiness as he prepares to tackle F2 for the first time.
Returning to basics over the winter
After a gruelling 2025 campaign in Formula 3, León made a conscious decision to decompress during the off-season rather than push through without a break. He headed home to Mexico, swapped the pressures of single-seater racing for karts, and spent time reconnecting with the sport he loves alongside the people closest to him.
“It’s been really good. I spent a lot of time in Mexico, doing a lot of karting with my family, with friends, so it was a really good one,” León explained.
Far from treating it as downtime, he found that karting served a genuine physical purpose, keeping the specific muscles and reactions that racing demands ticking over through the quieter months.
“I tried to keep the fitness on target, but obviously having a little bit more of a relaxed period. I think it’s pretty good to do a lot of karting, especially in the winter, because it keeps your neck, your reflexes and everything in shape.”
“So I think it was a great off-season, to be honest. You try to do a little bit of gym to keep all the muscles that you don’t train in the kart. But overall, I think it was a pretty good one and it’s important for me to keep driving, especially in winter.”
Finding his feet at Barcelona testing
When León eventually got back behind the wheel of an F2 car at the 2026 Barcelona test, the benefits of that preparation were immediately apparent. The team worked through their programme without significant disruption, and León found himself at ease with the circuit and the car sooner than one might expect of a driver adapting to unfamiliar machinery and a new team.
“Since the first day, I felt pretty good, pretty decent and the test was also quite good. I like the track, I like the car and the test was pretty productive. There are some things that we need to keep working for the season, I will try to figure them out. But overall, it was a decent first test.”
Turning a difficult year into fuel for 2026
León is candid about the toll last season took on him. Rather than glossing over it, he acknowledges it directly and frames it as a turning point in his development as a driver. That honesty, and the clarity it has given him about what he wants from racing, underpins his outlook going into this year.
“I think last year I didn’t enjoy it, so it was a very tough season to be honest. The main goal is to enjoy it, take it step-by-step. Obviously, we want to be P1 every session, but the important thing is to make a good progression beyond just points every race and that way it will come automatically.”
Why Campos was the right move
Signing with Campos Racing was not simply a matter of finding a seat. León sees the Spanish outfit as a team capable of genuinely competing for honours, and their track record over the past two seasons convinced him that a strong championship challenge is a realistic prospect rather than a distant hope.
“It’s very motivating also to represent Campos in F2. They have been such a great team in the past couple of years. They’ve been really strong in F3 and F2, so I’m really looking forward and grateful for the opportunity.”
Daring to dream of the title
León is measured but ambitious when he speaks about what the F2 2026 season could deliver. He is not getting carried away, but he refuses to undersell what is possible either, pointing to Campos’s recent results as evidence that the infrastructure for a title challenge already exists around him.
“I have the chance to be able to fight for wins, fight for poles, and fight for a championship. It doesn’t mean that right now I don’t need to worry about it, but there are a lot of statistics and a lot of results of the team from the last two years that, if you see, it is possible. I’m very excited to have a good year and to be able to count on all the things that I learned in the past.”
