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Formula 2 heads to Jeddah: Can Bahrain’s toppers adapt or fall behind?

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1 year ago

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Formula 2 heads to Jeddah: Can Bahrain’s toppers adapt or fall behind?

Formula 2 heads to the fastest street circuit on the calendar for round 2 of the championship. Zane Maloney and Rodin secured victories in both races in Round 1, can they continue their form? Or will someone else join the winners’ circle?
Here’s Desi Racing Co’s guide ahead of the Round 2 of the 2024 Formula 2 season.

Round 1 Preview – Back to Bahrain

Before we begin to walk through the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, here’s a quick recap of how Round 1 at the Bahrain Grand Prix went:

  • The 20-year-old young man from Barbados, Zane Maloney of Rodin Motorsports drove away as a winner of both the Sprint and the Feature race
  • The highly anticipated duo of Oliver Bearman and Andrea Kimi Antonelli only took away 1 point from the entire weekend for PREMA Racing
  • Kush Maini, the Indian driver from Invicta Racing, jumped from a P22 to P7 in the feature race after being disqualified from the Qualifying session due to a technical infringement
  • The rookie from Campos Racing Josep María Martí, scored a double podium and started his debut season the right way

Jeddah Corniche Circuit: A Daunting Challenge

Formula 2 heads to Jeddah: Can Bahrain’s toppers adapt or fall behind?

The Jeddah Corniche Circuit is a temporary street circuit and also the second longest Formula 1 circuit on the calendar, being 6.174 kilometres in length. It has 27 corners and is also one of the fastest street circuits in the world with speeds going up to 334.6km/h.

The circuit is long, has multiple corners, and is an exciting street circuit. But there are many things the teams and drivers will need to look out for:

Teams will need to balance – high downforce for slow corners vs. speed for straights

  • Warmer temperatures & high grip will demand careful tyre management by the drivers
  • Heavy fuel usage will occur due to the track layout
  • Hard braking zones – Turns 1, 2 & final corner will test the drivers

Tyre Strategy: Balancing Speed and Endurance

Pirelli has allocated Mediums (yellow) & Supersofts (purple) – the same as in 2023

  • Potential Risk/Reward: Starting on Supersofts

– Pros: Quicker warmup, better initial grip for early gains

– Example: 2023 winner Frederic Vesti (started P6, finished P4)

  • Alternative Strategy: Starting on Mediums

– Slower warmup but better tyre life for late-race battles. It will also be suited for hot Jeddah temperatures.

Formula 2 heads to Jeddah: Can Bahrain’s toppers adapt or fall behind?

Drivers to Watch: Championship Contenders and Rising Stars

  • Zane Maloney, the championship leader after Round 1 is heading to the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix as a favourite. Rodin Motorsports and Maloney dominated in Bahrain, but it wasn’t a surprise since pre-season testing was held there too. The real test: replicating that win on a new track with a different car setup. Can they translate their Bahrain form and prove their car works across circuits? That’s crucial for title hopes.
  • The Invicta Racing drivers Kush Maini and Gabriel Bortoletto showed might pace during the Bahrain Grand Prix. They qualified P1 and P2 and secured a P7 and P5 in the feature race respectively. 
  • Rookies ruled Bahrain! 4 of the top 5 point-scorers were newcomers, with Martí and Aron leading the pack on the podium. But can they adapt? Unlike Bahrain (where many raced F3 previously and tested in F2 machinery), Jeddah is a whole new challenge. The tight, fast street circuit will be their first big test, showing if they can adjust and push their limits in qualifying.
  • Rough weekend for PREMA racing. Both drivers missed the top 10 in qualifying, though Andrea Kimi Antonelli salvaged a P10 in the Feature Race. They’ve struggled in Bahrain before, so Jeddah will be a big test: are they adapting poorly to the new car, or are these Bahrain-specific issues?
  • Isack Hadjar impressed with a P4 in the Sprint Race and front-row in qualifying, but a first-lap crash in the Feature Race halted his momentum. The team hopes his pace translates to future races for a shot at the title.

Fun Fact: Anybody’s Game

None of the drivers on the current grid in Formula 2 has won in Jeddah before. Victor Martins, however, has secured a pole in qualifying in 2023.

Prediction Time: Who Will Conquer the Corniche?

The Jeddah Corniche Circuit being a fast-paced street circuit also means there might be higher chances of Turn 1 chaos, DNFs, and Safety Cars. Who do you think will come out on top?

Schedule and where to watch:

The F2 weekend starts on Thursday 7th March with free practice at 3:25 PM IST. A detailed schedule is given below.
You can watch all the sessions live on F1TV or Fancode in India.

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Formula 2

Formula 2 Round 7: Austria Chaos Roundup

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2 days ago

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July 4, 2025

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Formula 2 Round 7: Austria Chaos Roundup
Image Credit - Formula 2

In the Styrian hills, the Red Bull Ring delivered a stunning weekend of racing as Formula 2 entered Round 7 of the 2025 season. The circuit is known for its high-speed nature and overtaking hotspots, and it played host to one of the most dramatic and eventful rounds yet. The stakes were high with the championship fight tightening, and by the end of the weekend, the landscape of the standings had shifted in a significant way.

Fornaroli Stuns Late in Qualifying

Qualifying saw Leonardo Fornaroli steal the spotlight. The Invicta Racing driver clinched his second pole of the season with a last-lap masterclass, delivering a 1:15.229 that edged ART’s Victor Martins by a mere 0.014s. The top three were separated by just 0.024s, with MP Motorsport’s Richard Verschoor in third.

It was a closely contested session from the start, with the top 10 separated by just three-tenths of a second. Prema’s Gabriele Mini set the early benchmark but was quickly beaten by Fornaroli. Martins came agonizingly close with a purple middle sector but was pipped at the very end by 0.014s. Verschoor, too, looked threatening but ran wide on his final attempt. Behind the top three, Mini slotted into fourth, ahead of Rodin’s Amaury Cordeel and Invicta’s Roman Stanek. Championship leader Alexander Dunne salvaged seventh late on after languishing in 18th for much of the session.

With the top 10 reversed for the Sprint, it was Van Amersfoort Racing’s John Bennett who inherited the reverse-grid pole for Saturday’s dash.

Sprint Race: Marti Returns to the Top Step

The Sprint Race was a statement drive from Josep Maria Marti, who claimed his second win of the season in style for Campos Racing. Starting fifth, the Spaniard launched aggressively and showcased tactical brilliance to dispatch rivals one by one, ultimately wrestling the lead from AIX Racing’s Joshua Duerksen.

Duerksen had made a clean getaway to lead from the pole, followed by Stanek and Marti. The race was quickly red-flagged following a dramatic multi-car incident at Turn 3, involving Luke Browning, Arvid Lindblad, and Sami Meguetounif. Thankfully, all emerged unscathed.

After the rolling restart, Duerksen led away confidently again, but Marti was relentless. With DRS enabled, the Campos driver pounced, attacking at Turn 3 and taking the lead on Lap 17. Duerksen briefly fought back, reclaiming P1 at Turn 6, but Marti wasn’t to be denied. The Spaniard launched another attack into Turn 3 on the next lap and, this time, made the move stick.

Behind the leading trio, chaos and position changes defined the midfield. Richard Verschoor muscled past Bennett to climb into the top five, while Mini executed a brave outside move at Turn 7 to secure sixth. Alexander Dunne endured a difficult race marred by a five-second time penalty for jumping the start. He slipped to 11th at one stage but recovered to sixth.

The final lap brought the drama as Cordell spun and was collected by Mini, Fornaroli, and Bennett, causing a late reshuffle. Marti crossed the line nearly three seconds clear of Duerksen, with Stanek holding onto third after fending off multiple challenges. Verschoor was classified fourth, followed by Sebastian Montoya, Dunne, Martins, and Ritomo Miyata, who rounded out the points.

Marti was thrilled post-race: “One step better than last year so very, very happy about it. Even with the three-place grid drop, we managed to get the win.”

Feature Race: Verschoor Strikes Gold Again

Sunday’s Feature Race belonged to Richard Verschoor, who executed a strategic masterclass to claim his third win of the season and, with it, the lead of the Drivers’ Championship. Starting third, the Dutchman played the long game, timing his pit stop perfectly and pulling off key overtakes to take control. Polesitter Fornaroli led the early stages, defending hard against a fast-starting Verschoor into Turn 3. While the Invicta driver held firm, he soon found himself under pressure as Verschoor and others began the undercut strategy. Martin pitted first, on Lap 7, followed closely by Verschoor. When Fornaroli responded on Lap 9, he rejoined behind both.

Meanwhile, Marti, starting from 12th, had charged up to fifth on the opening lap and was back in the thick of it, battling Dunne once again. Their duel intensified post-pit stop, with both overtaking Fornaroli in quick succession before Dunne muscled his way past Marti at Turn 4. While battles raged behind him, Verschoor caught and passed Martins with a sublime outside move at Turn 4 on Lap 15 to take the net lead. From there, he managed his pace expertly, pulling clear of his nearest challengers and retaking the on-track lead once pit stops cycled through.

The closing stages saw a fierce battle for third place. Fornaroli, having regained composure, reeled in Martins and dived down the inside at Turn 3. Martins responded with a late braking move around the outside to reclaim the place. Their fight allowed Marti to catch up and pounce, only for a three-car scuffle to unfold. At Turn 4, Fornaroli ultimately got through on both Martins and Marti, who made slight contact, resulting in a 10-second time penalty for the Campos driver. This skirmish demoted both down the order, with Fornaroli holding onto the final podium spot.

Further back, Luke Browning and Jak Crawford produced stellar drives. Browning surged from 17th on the grid to P6 on the road, passing multiple rivals with clinical efficiency. Crawford, too, has impressed with late moves on Martins and Browning to snatch fourth. Montoya’s alternative strategy paid dividends as he stormed through the field late on to finish fifth, while Martins ended up eighth after a final-lap off-track moment at Turn 1. Dino Beganovic and Stanek rounded out the top ten.

Verschoor was jubilant after the race: “Super happy to have the biggest trophy today. Amazing race, good start, good pace and a good strategy, so a massive thank you to MP Motorsport and I’m looking forward to Silverstone.”

Formula 2

Post-Race Drama: Dunne Disqualified, Bennett Penalised

Just when things seemed to have settled, the Stewards surprised us with the announcement that Alexander Dunne, who had initially finished second, was disqualified due to excessive front plank wear on his Rodin Motorsport car. The disqualification came after post-race checks revealed the plank thickness was below the legal limit, in violation of FIA Technical Regulations.

As a result, every driver behind Dunne was promoted one place, gifting Crawford third and Montoya fourth. Marti fell to sixth after serving his penalty, and John Bennett received a 10-second penalty for causing a collision, dropping him to 14th.

The Standings Shake-Up

Verschoor’s victory and Dunne’s misfortune saw the Dutchman leap to the top of the Drivers’ Championship with 114 points. Dunne slips to second on 90, while Crawford moves up to third on 88. Fornaroli and Browning are close behind with 86 and 83 points respectively.

In the Teams’ Championship, Campos Racing retained their lead with 146 points. MP Motorsport move into second with 126, leapfrogging Hitech TGR. DAMS Lucas Oil and Invicta are tied in points with 109 each, remaining in fourth and fifth.

FP1 Opportunities: Dunne and Beganovic Impress

Outside the Formula 2 action, two familiar names made waves in Formula 1. Alexander Dunne stepped into McLaren machinery for the FP1 session at Spielberg, replacing Lando Norris and finishing an impressive fourth. Ferrari also handed a debut to Dino Beganovic, who took over Charles Leclerc’s seat for the session, gathering vital experience.

Looking Ahead: Silverstone Awaits

With a reshuffled leaderboard and momentum swinging toward MP Motorsport and Verschoor, all eyes turn to Silverstone for Round 8. The British track promises another thrilling chapter in this fiercely contested championship.

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.

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Formula 2

Formula 2 Barcelona: Lindblad Shows His Worth, Blazing Verschoor & Unlucky Maini

Arvid Lindblad converts Pole to a win while Verschoor’s pit stop gamble works to perfection in Formula 2 Round 6 at Barcelona.

Published

3 weeks ago

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June 13, 2025

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Arvid Lindblad celebrates after taking the feature race win in Round 6 of Formula 2 in Barcelona.

Formula 2 made a stop at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya for the final leg of the triple header. The weekend saw Richard Verschoor take his second win of the season after gambling to change tyres during a late safety car in the sprint race. The gamble saw him go from the back of the grid to leading the race in just a few laps. On Sunday, it was Arvid Lindblad’s time to shine as he converted pole to a win to get his maiden Feature Race win in Formula 2.

Verschoor Storms The Sprint Race

Verschoor qualified P6 on Friday, placing him P5 for the sprint. He was P9 on Lap 7. However, a few good overtakes and a lucky late-race Safety Car prompted him to bolt on the Soft compound tires.

Compared to the top 5 ahead who decided to stay out on new tires, Verschoor was able to make an easy pass on the bunch of them, going from P10 to P1 in just four laps. Even though he was challenged by Alex Dunne till the finish line, he kept his cool and brought it over the finish line to take his second win of the season.

Other Notable Performances From The Sprint

Rookie Alex Dunne qualified P5, but was demoted to P19 after a series of penalties were served. However, the Irishman made the most of the opportunities that presented themselves in the Sprint, including a well-timed Safety Car. He followed the same strategy as Verschoor and charged through the grid for a blazing P2 finish.


Rafael Villagómez started the Sprint dead last, in P22. However, following the trend of the drivers who were on Softs, he too was able to make up good time, putting him P3 for his maiden podium in F2.


The names of Jak Crawford, Sebastian Montoya, Victor Martins, Luke Browning, and finally polesitter for the Sprint, Leo Fornaroli, rounded out the point scorers.


Kush Maini had lined up P8 for the Sprint, and after a phenomenal start to the race, he was sitting in the top 5 comfortably. Unfortunately, the unlucky timing of the Safety Car saw him tumble down the grid, ultimately crossing the line in P16 for the Sprint race.

Lindblad Makes It Two

Arvid Lindblad set the fastest lap time in Friday’s qualifying session. He also got his maiden pole for F2, which put him at the front of the grid for Sunday’s Feature Race. The young Redbull junior kept his nose clean and maintained his cool at the front, landing him his second F2 win. This also gave Campos racing their first ever win on home soil.

Notably, after the weekend, Red Bull requested the FIA to grant Arvid Lindblad a superlicense, which would allow him to participate in Formula 1 sessions. This gives Arvid the oppurtunity to appear in his first-ever Formula 1 Grand Prix; now that Max Verstappen has 11 penalty points on his superlicense, and 1 more may result in a race ban.

Other Notable Performances From The Feature Race

Sebastian Montoya scored his second Feature Race podium on the trot, after the Colombian started from P2 following a solid qualifying performance on Friday. He attempted to challenge Arvid for his position, but a late-race Safety Car neutralised the race, dismissing his attempts.

After winning the Sprint race on Saturday, Richard Verschoor rounded out the podium on Sunday, marking the most points scored throughout the weekend. He started the race in P5, and gained two vital positions in the race, leading him to finish P3.



Jak Crawford and rookie Alex Dunne rounded out the top 5 on Sunday, scoring some valuable points for themselves and their team.

Although Kush Maini started in the top 3, he failed to hold positions after a disastrous start dropped him outside of the top 10. A strong recovery — gaining position after position— got him back into the points, eventually finishing P7. Luck was not on Maini’s side this weekend.



Weekend Results



Standings



Next Round In Austria

Formula 2 has a long break before their next outing in Austria, which runs from 27th through 29th June.
Alex Dunne now has only a 3-point lead in the WDC, with Richard Verschoor trailing close behind. Arvid Lindbald closes the gap to the top and lines up P3 in the standings, 8 points behind Dunne.

As for the WCC, Campos racing now hold a commanding 26-point lead over Hitech TGR, who are closely followed by MP Motorsport, DAMS Lucas Oil and Rodin Motorsport who are in a tight fight for P2.

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.

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Formula 2

Formula 2: Final Stop of The Triple Header in Barcelona

After 2 back to back racing weekends in Imola and Monaco, Formula 2 now heads to Barcelona for the final stop of the triple header.

Published

1 month ago

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May 30, 2025

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Start of Formula 2 Feature Race in Barcelona 2024

The Formula 2 paddock makes its final stop of the triple header at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya for another weekend of intense racing action. The last 2 weekends at Imola and Monaco have given us unpredictable races, let’s see what Barcelona has to offer this weekend.

Championship Battle Tight as Ever

The championship battle is tight as ever in Formula 2, the top 3 are separated by only 6 points. Luke Browning leads the championship after a good haul of points in Monaco saw him replace Alex Dunne at the top. The Williams Academy driver is yet to win a race, but he has been consistently stacking up points to emerge as a championship contender.

Alex Dunne was leading the championship coming into Monaco and even got the pole position for the Feature Race. A win in the feature race would have meant that he would have extended the lead in the championship. But, an impatient move into Turn 1 to keep his lead resulted in him going into the side of Victor Martins, eventually leading to a pile-up which saw a total of 7 cars retire. He is still second in the championship, 3 points behind Browning.

Kush Riding On a Wave of Confidence

After making history in Monaco, becoming the first indian to win on the streets of the principality, Kush Maini is full of confidence heading into Barcelona, a circuit where he had good success last time around. Last year, Kush got a Sprint race podium and a solid P6 in the feature race at Barcelona. Full of confidence and heading to a circuit he likes, Kush will be looking to get some solid results before the short break.

We’ve had a very rocky start, with a lot of things going wrong. Some things were in our control, some things not, but our season starts today and there’s still a long way to go for us, so this is a positive note to take forwards. – Kush Maini after his win in Monaco.

Hitech TGR vs Campos

The top 2 teams in the standings are separated by just 7 points. Both Hitech and Campos this year have been very consistent in their performances. Hitech, courtesy of Luke Browning, who has been on the podium every single race weekend this season, leads Campos narrowly. But these teams have been in Formula 2 long enough to understand the season is still very long and it all can change in just a couple of weekends.

Formula 2: Final Stop of The Triple Header in Barcelona
Luke Browning leads the championship, having been on the podium every weekend this season. Photo: Formula Motorsports Limited.

Where to watch Formula 2 in India

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

Formula 2: Final Stop of The Triple Header in Barcelona

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.

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