The FIA Formula 2 2025 Championship held its first Feature Race of the season this past weekend. With Joshua Dürksen from AIX Racing disqualified from the provisional pole position, Invicta Racing’s Leonardo Fornaroli moved up to take the position. Teams had the option of hard or soft tyres for this 32-lap race with one compulsory pit stop.

Race Start
As the lights went out at the Bahrain International Circuit, it was Invicta Racings’ Leonardo Fornaroli who surged into the lead, capitalizing on a strong launch off the line. Right behind him, Alex Dunne from Rodin Motorsports made an impressive start to jump into second position, immediately staking his claim as a frontrunner for the win.

The opening moments weren’t without their challenges—Richard Verschoor endured a disastrous getaway, tumbling down the order and losing seven positions by the end of the first sector. Meanwhile, MP Motorsports’ Victor Martins had a heart-stopping moment at Turn 1, almost spinning after an aggressive throttle application resulted in excessive tyre spin. Fortunately, he managed to gather the car back up without incident.

Van Amersfoort Racing’s John Bennett also ran into early trouble, going wide and conceding several places in the process. Despite these individual errors, the field managed a remarkably clean start overall, avoiding any major collisions or safety car interventions. An intense mid-race battle was about to begin.

Mid Race

The battle for positions intensified shortly after the opening laps. Luke Browning from Hitech TGR, who had been racing as high as second place early on, began to struggle and dropped back to ninth place. By Lap 6, a noticeable split had formed—both Fornaroli and Dunne had created a three-second gap over the chasing pack.

However, Fornaroli’s lead became vulnerable. By Lap 6, signs of tyre wear started to show in his car, leaving him exposed. On Lap 7, Dunne capitalized, using DRS into Turn 1 to take the lead with a clean, decisive move.

Further down the field, Rafael Villagómez, a driver for Van Amersfoort Racing, slipped back from third to fifth place as the race settled in. Meanwhile, a fierce battle for seventh place erupted between Jak Crawford from DAMS Lucas Oil and Sami Meguetonif from Trident Motorsports. Crawford eventually claimed the position on Lap 9 with a well-timed move, highlighting the depth of competition throughout the field.

Strategy began to play its part soon after. Bennett was the first to pit on Lap 11, setting off a wave of stops for the hard tyre starters. These early stoppers experienced average pit stop times of around seven seconds, adding urgency to those still out on track.

The team initially told Dunne to pit on Lap 14, but then instructed him to stay out another lap instead; this decision would prove beneficial as the race progressed. A 5-second penalty for speeding in the pit lane hurt Sebastián Montoya’s race, removing the Prema Racing driver from points contention.

Lap 17 brought a thrilling wheel-to-wheel scrap for the lead between Arvid Lindblad from Campos Racing, Victor Martins driving for Art Grand Prix, and Dunne. Lindblad briefly held the top spot before being forced to pit on Lap 18. That opened the door for Dunne to retake control of the race while Browning mounted a comeback drive of his own, climbing to fourth by Lap 18 and eventually up to second on Lap 23.

The midfield action remained relentless, with a dramatic four-way tussle for ninth place on Lap 24 involving Oliver Goethe from MP Motorsports, Joshua Dürksen of AIX Racing, Invicta Racing’s Roman Stanek, and Bennett. That battle culminated in an incident between Goethe and Bennett, later noted by the stewards for potentially causing a collision.

Race Ending

As the race reached its closing stages, the final battles played out across the grid. Browning, who had earlier dropped down the order, capped off a brilliant recovery drive by setting the fastest lap of the race and solidifying his second-place finish. Despite his late-race heroics, he finished over eight seconds behind the unstoppable Dunne, who had managed his tyres, pace, and strategy to perfection en route to a dominant victory.

Further back, Crawford managed a late overtake on Bennett for 18th place on Lap 30, showing that there was no shortage of grit, even outside the points.

The fight for the final podium spot lit up in the last few laps as Fornaroli and Josep Martí of Campos Racing went wheel-to-wheel on Laps 31 and 32. After leading early, Fornaroli was desperate to salvage a strong finish, but Martí was equally determined. Their battle added a dramatic flourish to the race’s conclusion and underscored the depth of talent in this year’s grid.

Alex Dunne’s Bahrain victory shows composure under pressure, clean overtakes, and strategic pit timing earned him a commanding first Feature Race win of the 2025 season. Luke Browning’s fastest lap and gritty comeback showcased his resilience, while the battles throughout the midfield highlighted the championship’s competitive edge.

With high drama, standout performances, and a race that ebbed and flowed from lights to flag, the 2025 Formula 2 season is off to a thrilling start. If Bahrain is anything to go by, we’re in for one unforgettable year of racing.

Image: FML