Formula 2

Fittipaldi’s first feature race win and Maini’s first pole: DRC’s review of Formula 2’s Round 2 in Jeddah.

Creating history in Jeddah, Fittipaldi took his first feature race win while Maini became the first Indian on Pole in Formula 2.

Published

1 year ago

March 11, 2024

Anuj Tripathi

Fittipaldi's first feature race win and Maini's first pole: DRC's review of Formula 2's Round 2 in Jeddah.

Not long ago in Bahrain we saw Kush Maini lose his pole position due to a technical infringement, something out of his control. One week later in Jeddah, we see him getting his (and this country’s) first pole position in an eventful weekend. Here’s DRC’s Formula 2 Jeddah review.

Friday

The weekend kicked off with Dennis Hauger topping the Free Practice session, closely followed by Kush Maini in second, just 0.103s behind. The top 12 drivers were separated by a mere 0.775s, setting the stage for a highly competitive qualifying session where anyone could vie for pole position. In the challenging context of street circuits like Jeddah, luck becomes a crucial factor during qualifying, as drivers on fast laps might face disruptions from yellow flags, preventing them from completing their laps.

Oliver Bearman aimed for a comeback following a disappointing weekend in Bahrain, where he finished 16th and 15th in the sprint and feature races, respectively, without scoring any points. After securing P4 in practice, Bearman rebounded by setting the fastest time in qualifying, claiming pole for the feature race on Sunday. Kush Maini trailed closely, only 0.025s behind the British driver. Jak Crawford secured the third spot, while Victor Martins and Enzo Fittipaldi improved late in the session to secure the fourth and fifth positions, respectively.

Bearman would later be called up by Scuderia Ferrari to fill in for Carlos Sainz, resulting in Kush Maini inheriting the pole position for the feature race. Kush Maini earned 2 points as he would start the race on Sunday from the front spot.

Sprint Race

With the top 10 from qualifying reversed for the sprint race, Paul Aron started on pole with Richard Verschoor alongside him in the front row. Aron maintained his lead after a swift start, but the appearance of the Safety Car, caused by ART Grand Prix driver Victor Martins ending up in the wall at the exit of Turn 2, disrupted the flow. The safety car was called in on lap 4, and by lap 8, the top four were separated by 1.5s. Verschoor executed a lunge down the inside of Aron at Turn 1, taking the lead from the Estonian.

The race saw incidents, overtakes, and a Virtual Safety Car period, but Verschoor emerged triumphant, securing the victory on the podium alongside Hauger and Aron.

However, following the sprint race, both Trident cars were disqualified after a technical breach. As a result, Verschoor lost his victory, while Stanek lost 10th place. The MP Motorsport driver Dennis Hauger inherited the race win, Hitech Pulse-Eight’s Paul Aron was promoted to second, while Van Amersfoort Racing’s Enzo Fittipaldi moved up to third.

Invicta Racing’s Kush Maini moved up to eighth and into the final points-paying position.

Feature Race

Kush Maini was on pole with Jack Crawford alongside him on the front row. Maini got the perfect launch to keep the lead into Turn 1. Before the second lap could begin, the safety car was called out to recover the stranded cars of Josep María Martí and Roman Stanek. Out of the opening chicane, Josep María Martí spun and was left with damage, while Trident’s Roman Stanek couldn’t avoid the Campos Racing car. Back to green flag conditions, Maini retained the lead comfortably as he opened up the gap on his supersofts to Jak Crawford behind.

After the first round of pitstops, Maini retained the net race lead. Meanwhile, Fittipaldi, who had started in 4th, tracked down the Invicta driver. On Lap 13, he dove to the inside of the Indian driver, securing the fourth position and the net race lead.

Over the next laps, both Fittipaldi and Maini gained positions, climbing up to P1 and P2, respectively. Towards the end of the race, Maini started to drop back from the race leader and into the DRS window of the drivers behind. On the final lap, Maini led a DRS train down to fifth.

Maini held onto P2 for Invicta, but a three-wide drag race for the final podium position went the way of Hauger, who finished just 0.031s ahead of Crawford in fourth and Cordeel, who dropped to fifth by 0.127s.

”Really happy with the podium in the end. The Sprint Race was a bit difficult for us but we put our heads together and sorted the car out for the Feature and it seemed to move in the right direction, which I’m really happy about. We seem really competitive and I’,m happy to leave with a good amount of points.” – Kush Maini

Upfront, Fittipaldi comfortably took his first F2 Feature Race win, a result that elevated him to second in the championship standings.

“It was a really good race. Everyone from Van Amersfoort gave me an amazing car. We were absolutely flying out there. Even after the Virtual and normal Safety Car, we still won by almost eight seconds, so we were flying. I’m just so happy to get the win in just the second round and to be in the fight for the Championship.” Enzo Fittipaldi

UP NEXT

Formula 2 heads down under for Round 3 from 22-24 March, visiting Melbourne for the second time in the Championship’s history. Keep an eye on our channels for a detailed schedule in IST. You can catch all the F2 action live in India on F1TV Pro or Fancode’s Annual Subscription.

Formula 2

Formula 2 Round 4: Crawford and Dunne Shine Around Imola

Formula 2 delivered an action-packed weekend at Imola, with Alex Dunne and Jack Crawford taking victories as the title battle begins to intensify.

Published

8 hours ago

May 19, 2025

Anuj Tripathi

Alex Dunne wins the Formula 2 Feature Race in Imola.

Image Credits: Formula Motorsports Limited

Formula 2 stopped at the historic Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari in Imola for the first leg of a gruelling triple-header. With Jack Crawford and Alex Dunne taking the victories, the championship battle is beginning to heat up as momentum swings and rivalries take shape.

Sprint Race: Crawford in Control from the Start

After qualifying P9, Jack Crawford lined up on the front row for Saturday’s reverse-grid Sprint Race. At lights out, the Williams Academy driver made a perfect start, overtaking pole-sitter Ritomo Miyata into Turn 1 and never looked back.

Formula 2 Round 4: Crawford and Dunne Shine Around Imola — Jack Crawford fighting Ritomo Miyata for the Sprint Race lead at Imola. Photo: Formula Motorsports Limited.

Once Crawford pulled out of DRS range, Miyata quickly came under pressure from Arvid Lindblad, who had climbed up to third after starting fifth. On Lap 12, the Red Bull Junior made a decisive move to take second place, helping him get his second Sprint podium in a row.

“It was quite an easy race I’d say out front. I had a great start and was able to take the lead. From then on it was just about managing the gap, making sure nobody got in my DRS and that’s kind of what I did and just managed the tyres. It was a great race, great points to take away and I’m looking forward to tomorrow.” – Jack Crawford.

Behind them, Luke Browning secured third after a tight battle with Victor Martins and Alex Dunne, while Miyata, who had started on pole, eventually dropped to sixth.

Feature Race: Alex Dunne Takes the Win and the Championship Lead

Not many would have predicted Alex Dunne to take the Feature Race win at Imola, especially with the Irishman starting from P5 on the grid. But the Rodin Motorsport driver executed a well-timed and clinical race to take his second Feature Race victory of the season, and with it, the championship lead.

Running the traditional strategy, Dunne made a decisive impact after the first round of pit stops. He quickly split the Hitech TGR pair ahead of him and soon launched a successful move on Luke Browning into Turn 2 to grab the effective race lead.

From there, Dunne made clean work of the cars ahead who had yet to stop, tactically putting traffic between himself and Browning to prevent any retaliation. His pace remained consistent throughout the closing laps, and he crossed the line six seconds clear of Browning.

“Very, very happy. Of course, to do two out of three this year is a pretty good start. It’s important to try and do more and more throughout the year. Both times I’ve won, Luke has been right there next to me. So he seems quite close to me at the minute, so it’s about continuing to perform and being consistent. But I’m really, really happy.” – Alexander Dunne

The Hitech TGR duo of Luke Browning and Dino Beganovic rounded out the podium, bringing home a solid haul of points for the team. This helped Hitech TGR go to the top of the Teams’ Championship, a point clear of Campos Racing in Second.

Flashes of Pace, but Overall a Disappointing Weekend for Kush Maini

It was another frustrating weekend for Kush Maini in Formula 2, one that showed flashes of pace but ultimately ended in disappointment.

The Indian driver looked quick right from the start, setting the third-fastest time in practice, just a tenth off the leader. His qualifying pace, too, was strong, easily good enough for a top-five result, or at worst a spot inside the top 10. However, a late mistake in the final moments of qualifying saw him crash and bring out a red flag.

Kush crashes in Quali 💥

Proving how easy it is to find the barriers around Imola, Kush Maini's moment brought Qualifying to an early end 😕

As a result, he also loses his fastest lap time, but at least he has two races to look forward to 👊#F2 #ImolaGP pic.twitter.com/WTgqFl7Qaf
— Formula 2 (@Formula2) May 16, 2025

At the time of the red flag, Maini was sitting P9, enough to give him a front row start for the Sprint Race due to the reverse grid. But under Formula 2 regulations, any driver who causes a red flag in qualifying has their fastest lap deleted. His second-best time was only good enough for 13th on the grid.

In the Sprint Race, Maini made early progress, climbing positions, but faded in the closing stages and ultimately finished back in 13th. For the Feature Race, he opted for the alternate strategy and showed decent race pace early on. However, an untimely safety car disrupted his plan, forcing him to pit far earlier than scheduled. On worn soft tyres, he had to make a second stop, and eventually crossed the line in 21st, capping off another difficult weekend.

Up Next: Formula 2 Heads to Monaco

The Formula 2 Paddock moves to the streets of Monaco from 22nd to 25th May. With the Championship Battle intensified and no room for error on the streets of the Principality, it will be interesting to see who comes out on top. You can watch all the action live in India on Fancode or on F1TV.

Desi Racing Co. is dedicated to bringing the latest updates and insights from the world of motorsport. Whether it’s Formula 1, Formula 2, WEC, MotoGP, Indian motorsports, or other racing series, we’ve got you covered! Stay connected with us for in-depth motorsport coverage. Follow us on Twitter/X, Instagram, and LinkedIn to keep up with the latest motorsport news and updates.

Formula 2

Formula 2 Heads to Imola for the First Leg of a Crucial Triple Header

Formula 2 returns to the legendary Imola circuit for the start of a crucial triple header that could define the title fight.

Published

4 days ago

May 16, 2025

Anuj Tripathi

Credits: Formula Motorsports Limited

The top tier of the feeder series, Formula 2, returns this weekend at the historic Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari, commonly known as Imola, for the first of three back-to-back race weekends. With 108 points up for grabs over the next three rounds, a strong run here could make or break a driver’s championship campaign.

Richard Verschoor Leads the Pack into the Triple Header

Fresh off a commanding weekend on the streets of Jeddah, Richard Verschoor arrives in Imola as the Drivers’ Championship leader. The Dutchman, now in his fifth season of the championship, is aiming for a sustained title challenge with MP Motorsport.

Formula 2 Heads to Imola for the First Leg of a Crucial Triple Header — Richard Verschoor in the pits in Jeddah. Credits: Formula Motorsports Limited

Verschoor took a Feature Race win in Saudi Arabia, along with fastest laps in both races, underlining his form and consistency. He’ll be looking to build on that momentum through this crucial stretch and retain his place at the top when the dust settles after three intense weekends of racing.

Leonardo Fornaroli Making Waves in Formula 2

With just 3 weekends of racing done, rookie Leo Fornaroli has impressed everyone in the paddock. The rookie is currently 3rd in the standings, just 12 points adrift of the top spot. Fornaroli has shown maturity and consistency, collecting two Sprint Race podiums, including a win. With the pack so tightly bunched, one strong weekend could catapult him to the top, and there’s no better place for that than his home race in Italy.

Kush Maini Looking to Turn Things Around

Expectations were high for Kush Maini as he entered his third year in the championship, but the start to his 2025 campaign has been underwhelming. With only one point scored across the opening three rounds, the Indian driver finds himself on the back foot.

It’s not a question of pace, when he’s on form, Maini is one of the fiercest competitors on the grid. The challenge has been consistency. Fortunately, the season is still young, and with a maximum of 108 points available across the next three races, Maini has the opportunity to reset his season and insert himself back into the title conversation.

Pole position

Imola is a classic driver’s circuit, with tight corners, minimal run-off areas, and very few overtaking spots, making track position critical. The main overtaking opportunity comes into Turn 2, often with the help of DRS.

This would make you think that having Pole Position would make it easier for the driver to win. No driver who has started from pole position has won a Formula 2 race at Imola, whether Sprint or Feature. Interestingly, no pole-sitter has won a race in this season’s championship either. This highlights the unpredictable and ultra-competitive nature of Formula 2, where no single session defines a weekend.

Formula 2 Schedule and Where to Watch Formula 2 in India

You can watch all the sessions of Formula 2 live in India either on Fancode or on F1TV. The schedule in IST for the weekend is given below.

Formula 2

Verschoor finally keeps his win as Lindblad writes history: Formula 2 Round 3

Arvid Lindblad becomes the youngest-ever winner and Richard Verschoor takes the championship lead in a thrilling Formula 2 weekend in Jeddah.

Published

4 weeks ago

April 21, 2025

Anuj Tripathi

JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA - APRIL 20: Richard Verschoor of Netherlands and MP Motorsport (6) leads Jak Crawford of United States and DAMS Lucas Oil (11) on track during the Round 3 Jeddah Feature race of the Formula 2 Championship at Jeddah Corniche Circuit on April 20, 2025 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)

Credits: Formula Motorsports Limited

As Formula 2 wrapped up Round 3 of the 2025 season under the lights of Jeddah, the championship delivered yet another action-packed weekend. Richard Verschoor finally secured a win that wasn’t taken away by penalties or post-race investigations, while Arvid Lindblad made headlines by becoming the youngest race winner in Formula 2 history. Here’s everything you need to know from the action-packed weekend in Jeddah

Martins Sets the Early Pace on Friday

Victor Martins wasted no time showing his speed, topping the timing sheets in the sole free practice session on Friday. The session began with Joshua Dürksen setting the early benchmark at 1:49.034, before Martins responded with a 1:47.735—a time that would continue to drop as the session unfolded.

Kush Maini then jumped to the top with a 1:46.437, putting himself three-tenths clear of the field. However, his DAMS teammate Jack Crawford closed that gap down to just 0.013s moments later. Martins wasn’t done yet, reclaiming the top spot with a 1:46.432. Maini soon returned to the pits and would remain there for the rest of the session, suggesting a possible issue with the car.

Verschoor finally keeps his win as Lindblad writes history: Formula 2 Round 3 — Kush Maini in the pitlane with the engine cover off his car. Credits: F1TV

Dürksen briefly returned to P1 before the session entered its final minutes, but Martins once again delivered, posting a 1:45.671, the fastest time of the session. Sebastian Montoya also had a noteworthy session, finishing sixth fastest before coming to a halt on track as the session concluded.

Montoya comes to a halt off-track as the session draws to a close, having finished sixth fastesthttps://t.co/qLgyAl7LUL #F2 #SaudiArabianGP pic.twitter.com/xp33vN4uhX
— Formula 2 (@Formula2) April 18, 2025

Jack Crawford Snatches Pole in the Dying Minutes at Jeddah

Jack Crawford left it late but delivered when it mattered most, snatching pole position in the final moments of qualifying.

It was Victor Martins who initially set the benchmark, going fastest on the first round of flying laps with a 1:44.559—three tenths clear of the rest of the field. But the pace quickly ramped up on the second push laps, as Arvid Lindblad jumped to the top with a 1:44.250.

With just over 10 minutes remaining, the field returned to the track for a final push. Gabriele Minì briefly took the top spot before being displaced by Luke Browning. The session was then interrupted by a red flag after John Bennett found the barriers at Turn 17.

With only five minutes left on the clock, the session resumed, and tensions were high. Martins looked poised to reclaim pole, but it was Jack Crawford who delivered a blistering lap to edge him out by just 0.022s, securing his second career pole in Formula 2 and the first for DAMS since 2023.

Leonardo Fornaroli rounded out the top three, with Browning in fourth and Lindblad settling for fifth. Alex Dunne and his Campos teammate Josep María Martí locked out the third row in sixth and seventh, respectively, while Minì, Verschoor, and Roman Stanek completed the top 10.

Kush Maini qualified 12th and will line up from P12 for both the Sprint and Feature Races this weekend.

Arvid Lindblad Becomes the Youngest Race Winner in Formula 2

History was made in Jeddah on Saturday as 17-year-old Arvid Lindblad became the youngest race winner in Formula 2 history, delivering a composed and mature drive to victory in the Sprint Race.

The reverse grid format initially placed Roman Staněk on pole, but the Czech driver was handed a three-place grid penalty for both races after impeding Alexander Dunne during qualifying. This handed Richard Verschoor the pole position for the Sprint.

Verschoor made a clean getaway and held the lead into Turn 1. However, the action behind was immediately disrupted as Cian Shields of AIX Racing clipped the barrier at Turn 1 and came to a stop on track, bringing out a Virtual Safety Car (VSC).

Once racing resumed on Lap 3, the Campos Racing duo wasted no time. Josep María Martí quickly moved up the order and passed Verschoor to take the lead, but the Dutchman came back just a lap later, reclaiming the position with an aggressive move that ultimately earned him a 5-second time penalty for forcing Martí off the track.

Moments later, Lindblad made his move on Martí to climb into second place, setting the stage for a tense final stint.

The race was neutralised again after Jack Crawford collided with Gabriele Minì, spinning out at Turn 1. Following a brief safety car period, racing resumed on Lap 18, with Verschoor still leading on the road, followed closely by Lindblad and Martí.

Verschoor crossed the finish line first, but his time penalty dropped him to P4, handing the win to Arvid Lindblad, who etched his name into the record books with a historic performance. Alex Dunne was promoted to P3, joining Lindblad and Martí on the podium.

“Really happy with the result today, youngest ever F2 race winner. A huge thank you to the team, a really good race coming from P6 to P1. A shame to Richard for the penalty, but super happy to win and looking forward to tomorrow now.” – Arvid Lindblad.

Richard Verschoor keeps a win he earned

Richard Verschoor would not get his win taken away this time around as the MP Motorsport driver makes the alternate strategy work to perfection to win the Feature Race on the streets of Jeddah.

Jack Crawford got the perfect start off the line to keep his lead going into turn 1 ahead of Victor Martins, both starting on the traditional supersofts. Further back, Richard Verschoor, who started the race from 9th position, would gamble his race on the alternative strategy.

The first round of pit stops came around lap 7 when those on the supersofts came into the pits to get rid of them and put on a fresh set of mediums. This put Richard Verschoor in the clean air, and gave him a chance to push on the mediums he started his race on. Meanwhile, after the pit stops, Jack Crawford and Victor Martins duelled it out to keep the track position for the net race lead, with Crawford staying ahead of the Frenchman.

On Lap 24, Verschoor finally came into the pits to put on a set of Supersofts and start his hunt for the race win. Verschoor would come out in 4th, slotting in ahead of Martins and just behind Crawford, with the top two yet to pit. At the start of Lap 28, the final lap, Richard Verschoor would drive past Jack Crawford with the help of DRS on the main straight and take the lead of the race, having started all the way back at 9th on the grid.

The chequered flag would drop and Richard Verschoor would win the Feature Race, making him the fifth different winner in 5 different races. Jack Crawford would follow in second with Victor Martins rounding out the podium.

“To be honest, when the race started, I wasn’t happy with the balance. But the more the race went on, the car came alive. I think we were the fastest car on track even though we were on the opposite strategy.” said Richard Verschoor

Josep María Martí finished fifth for Campos, followed by Luke Browning, Arvid Lindblad, Alex Dunne, Gabriele Minì, and Kush Maini, who rounded out the points in tenth.

Championship Standings

Richard Verschoor takes the lead of the Drivers’ Championship thanks to his win in the feature race, while a strong weekend from both Campos drivers helps them take the lead in the Teams’ Championship.

Straight to the 🔝

Verschoor's Feature Race victory sends him to the summit of the Driver Standings 👊

And Crawford's exploits see him surge into the top 10 🚀#F2 #SaudiArabianGP pic.twitter.com/UrjRlRQN3V
— Formula 2 (@Formula2) April 20, 2025

Campos keep their lead…

…but MP Motorsport are now their nearest challengers 💥#F2 #SaudiArabianGP pic.twitter.com/I6KfsZZsgA
— Formula 2 (@Formula2) April 20, 2025