Joshua Dürksen wins the F2 Sprint race in Australia after an eventful race
The first Sprint race of the F2 season lived up to all its promises! In Australia, Joshua Dürksen took a commanding victory after a chaotic race. Three safety cars brought the race to life, while Fornaroli and Browning shone behind the winner.
Here we go, the Formula 2 season is officially underway, and it’s off to a flying start! Joshua Dürksen, the Paraguayan driver for team AIX Racing, made a big impact by winning the Sprint race at the 2025 Australian Grand Prix. Starting from second place on the reverse grid, he executed a perfect start, immediately overtaking Leonardo Fornaroli (Invicta Racing) to take the lead.
But this first victory of the season wasn’t a simple walk in the park. Three safety cars punctuated the race, causing numerous twists and repeatedly interrupting the drivers’ momentum. Dürksen, however, remained unfazed, skillfully managing each restart and maintaining control until the checkered flag.
Here’s how Duerksen got the better of Fornaroli at the start of the Sprint ⚔️#F2 #AusGP pic.twitter.com/y4z7dtSy13
— Formula 2 (@Formula2) March 15, 2025
An explosive podium
Behind the winner, Leonardo Fornaroli impressed. For his very first F2 race, the reigning F3 champion held off Luke Browning (Hitech TGR) to maintain his second place and secure a podium finish in his debut weekend. A remarkable start for the Italian, who shows he will be a contender this season.
Luke Browning, for his part, gave it his all to try to overtake Fornaroli, but the Williams Driver Academy driver had to settle for third place, not without delivering a superb battle until the last lap. A great performance for him and his Hitech TGR team, starting the year on a positive note.
Behind the leading trio, it was utter chaos! The race was marked by three safety car interventions caused by several off-track excursions. In just the first few laps, Victor Martins hit the wall at turn 5, prematurely ending his race. Max Esterson, a few laps later, found himself stuck in the gravel trap at turn 6, triggering another neutralization.
The chaos continued with the retirement of Meguetounif and Jak Crawford, who were also victims of this tumultuous start to the season. The race struggled to find a regular rhythm, partly due to the numerous incidents. You couldn’t blink without missing a crash.
Minì on recovery mode and Invicta Racing solid
Outside the podium, several drivers scored important points. Richard Verschoor (MP Motorsport) secured a nice 4th place, while Roman Stanek (Invicta Racing) completed the top 5, allowing his team to place two cars at the front. An excellent start for Invicta Racing, confirming its status as the reigning champion team.
The spectacle also came from Gabriele Minì (PREMA Racing), who made a rapid climb from 13th to 7th place while setting the fastest lap of the race at 1:32.767. An impressive feat for the Italian, proving he has the pace to aim higher.
Next step: the Grand Prix, Sunday at 1:30 AM!
Final standings of the Sprint race
Here’s who bagged points in the first Sprint of the season 🏃#F2 #AusGP pic.twitter.com/3hlSpgGy9T
— Formula 2 (@Formula2) March 15, 2025
