Richard Verschoor brought the curtain down on Formula 2’s in-season test in Sakhir by setting the fastest lap of Day 3. The Dutchman fired MP Motorsport to the top of the timesheets with a 1:43.273 during the afternoon session, narrowly edging out AIX Racing’s Joshua Dürksen.
Morning – Bennett Leads Van Amersfoort 1-2
The morning session began in lively fashion with both Van Amersfoort Racing drivers taking turns at the top. Ultimately it was John Bennett who claimed P1 with a 1:47.228, leading teammate Rafael Villagómez by 0.271s to secure a one-two for the Dutch team.
AIX Racing also impressed as Cian Shields and Dürksen slotted into third and fourth respectively, separated by just 0.012s. With most teams prioritising long runs, few late changes occurred, though Arvid Lindblad improved late on to sneak into eighth.
PREMA’s Sebastián Montoya and Gabriele Minì hovered just outside the top five, while Leonardo Fornaroli logged 50 laps – the most of any driver in the session.
Morning Top 3:
1. John Bennett – Van Amersfoort Racing – 1:47.228
2. Rafael Villagómez – Van Amersfoort Racing – 1:47.499
3. Cian Shields – AIX Racing – 1:47.750
Afternoon – Verschoor Seals the Test with P1
The final session of the test saw early pace from Kush Maini, before Dürksen went on a charge – setting three successive improvements to lead with a 1:46.042 and later improving to a 1:43.394.
A red flag for a stopped Oliver Goethe momentarily paused the session, but once green flag running resumed, Verschoor went quickest with just over 30 minutes left on the clock.
His 1:43.273 proved unbeatable, as MP Motorsport ended the test where they had spent much of it – right at the sharp end.
Sami Meguetounif was a late riser into third for TRIDENT, while Goethe bounced back from his earlier issue to take fourth. AIX’s Shields rounded out the top five.
Afternoon Top 3:
1. Richard Verschoor – MP Motorsport – 1:43.273
2. Joshua Dürksen – AIX Racing – 1:43.394
3. Sami Meguetounif – TRIDENT – 1:43.698
What We Learned Over the Testing Week?
Three days of dry running gave teams a wealth of data ahead of the Bahrain race weekend in April. Minì’s Day 2 effort of 1:42.488 remained the fastest of the test, but strong showings from ART, Invicta, Campos, MP and AIX underline how competitive the 2025 season is shaping up to be.
Stay with InsideF2 as the road to Round 2 continues.
Image: FML
