Photo: Formula Motorsport Ltd
Rafael Villagomez will remain with Van Amersfoort Racing in Formula 2 for a third season, completing the 2026 grid.
The 24-year-old Mexican has been racing for the Dutch team since 2021, when he was part of its Euroformula line-up. He came eighth in that championship with five podiums, then moved across to VAR’s FIA Formula 3 Championship line-up.
Villagomez already had experience on the Formula 1 support bill, having raced for HWA Racelab in FIA F3’s 2021 season and failing to score. In both of the following campaigns with VAR, he scored two points and came 25th in the standings.
The step up to F2 led to improved form, with 13 points scored and a best finish of seventh achieved in Villagomez’s rookie season. That put him 24th in the standings, and he climbed 10 places in 2025 by making the podium in two sprint races and finishing fourth in a feature race.
“I’m extremely excited and grateful to be staying another year in F2 with VAR,” said Villagomez. “Together with the team, we finished the season strongly which gives me great confidence heading into the new year. I can’t wait to get back on track, and work with the team to achieve even stronger results in the upcoming season.”
This year he will be team-mate to single-seater returnee Nico Varrone, who has raced in sportscars’ top Hypercar prototype class.
“We’re very happy to continue with Rafael for 2026. Over the past seasons, he’s shown strong commitment and a clear step forward in performance,” said VAR’s team principal Brad Joyce.
“The podiums in Barcelona and Qatar were defining moments, but more importantly, they reflect the progress we’ve made together. We’re looking forward to building on that momentum and fighting for the top steps of the podium together.”