In a nail-biting season opener of Formula 2 in Melbourne, AIX Racing’s Joshua Dürksen emerged as the top contender. The Paraguayan ace skillfully maneuvered his way to victory at the Australian Albert Park circuit, leaving his rivals Leonardo Fornaroli of Invicta Racing and Hitech’s Luke Browning biting the dust.
The race was not short of drama, with multiple incidents leading to two safety car interventions. The culprit? Trident drivers Max Esterson and Sami Meguetounif, both of whom crashed out, creating a chaotic scene on the track. Adding to the upheaval, Jak Crawford and Victor Martins bowed out in a disappointing debut for the 2025 season.
Dürksen, showing no sign of relenting, kickstarted his F2 season just as he concluded his previous one – with back-to-back victories spanning two campaigns. Despite starting alongside reigning Formula 3 World Champion Fornaroli, who had the pole position, Dürksen masterfully took the lead at Turn 1.
Gabriele Mini, who initially secured pole in qualifying, was penalized with a three-place demotion for impeding Crawford. Consequently, he was relegated to 13th on the Sprint grid. Meanwhile, Alpine academy driver Kush Maini experienced a dip in his position after going wide at Turn 10 on the first lap.
The ART Grand Prix machine of Martins retired early on Lap 2 following an unfortunate tumble into the barriers at Turn 5, leading to the deployment of the Virtual Safety Car. Crawford followed suit, retiring on Lap 4, marking a rough start for last year’s front-runners.
Dino Beganovic showcased his driving prowess by overtaking Roman Stanek at Turn 11, temporarily securing fifth place. However, a massive spin at Turn 9 saw him drop to 15th place later in the race. A similar fate befell Meguetounif, who spun out at Turn 9 and 10, crashed into the barriers, and brought out a second Safety Car on Lap 15.
Dürksen, who had secured a two-second lead, saw his advantage evaporate but managed to pull off a solid restart. He swiftly built a one-second gap from Fornaroli, effectively breaking the DRS train.
Mini managed to clock the fastest lap on Lap 21, while in hot pursuit of his Prema teammate Sebastian Montoya. However, his efforts were in vain. Alexandre Dunne made a significant leap from 16th place, overtaking Arvid Lindblad to seize the ninth position.
In the final laps, Dürksen showcased his dominance by cruising to victory, leaving Fornaroli and Browning to claim their maiden F2 podiums. Fornaroli’s Invicta teammate Roman Stanek rounded out the top five, with MP’s Richard Verschoor settling for fourth.
Sebastian Montoya and Gabriele Mini landed sixth and seventh place respectively, while Red Bull junior Pepe Marti clenched the final point by finishing in eighth place. Dunne and Lindblad held on to round out the top-10.
This thrilling race was a testament to Dürksen’s skills and determination, setting the tone for an exciting Formula 2 season. The motorsport world now eagerly awaits the next exhilarating chapter of this adrenaline-fueled saga.
