Four Insights Gained from the 2025 Jeddah F2 Race – Feeder Series

The third round of the 2025 Formula 2 season unfolded in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, marking a significant weekend with the emergence of the youngest victor in the series’ history during the sprint race, while the feature race saw a seasoned driver take the top spot. Here’s an overview of key observations from the action-packed F2 weekend.

Victor Martins showcased impressive skills during practice, setting the fastest lap, and carried that momentum into qualifying. However, Jak Crawford snatched the pole position from him right before the end of the session. On Saturday, the spotlight was on Arvid Lindblad, who made a remarkable leap from sixth on the grid to triumph in the sprint race. This victory came after Richard Verschoor faced a penalty for pushing Pepe Martí off the track. In the feature race, Verschoor redeemed himself and managed to fend off Crawford during the final lap.

Verschoor’s Championship Ambitions

Richard Verschoor had a standout weekend, marking the best performance of his five-year F2 career in Jeddah. Starting from ninth on the grid, he surged to victory in the feature race. His chances in the sprint race were hindered by a five-second penalty for forcing Pepe Martí off the track, which dropped him to fourth place.

In the feature race, Verschoor demonstrated remarkable speed on medium tires, being the only competitor in that strategy who could keep pace with the top eight, all of whom began the race on soft tires. After an impressive stint in clean air, he dove into the pits on lap 23. Following his pit stop, only Crawford remained ahead of him among those who chose the medium tire strategy. Verschoor quickly closed a four-second gap to Crawford, overtaking him at the start of the final lap.

With this victory, Verschoor became the championship leader for the second time in his F2 career, previously leading after the season opener in Bahrain in 2022. Though only three rounds into the 14-round season, he currently sits 12 points ahead of Martí in the standings, boasting a consistent performance with a best finish of sixth across five races. The question now is whether Verschoor can maintain this momentum throughout the season or if it’s just a fleeting spell of strong form.

Consistent Top Performers

The consecutive rounds in Sakhir and Jeddah featured the first feature races of the season, leading to a clearer hierarchy among the competitors. The top 10 drivers displayed an impressively consistent performance, with eight of them finishing in the top 10 across both events, and five drivers securing top-six finishes in both races.

Leonardo Fornaroli, Luke Browning, and Pepe Martí all exhibited strong performances, finishing in the top four in Sakhir. While they couldn’t quite match the pace of Verschoor and Crawford in Jeddah, all three managed solid top-six finishes. Notably, Browning was the only one among them not to score points in the sprint races.

Alex Dunne, the feature race winner from Sakhir, also performed admirably in Jeddah, accumulating 10 points over the weekend. Meanwhile, Victor Martins achieved his second consecutive podium finish in the feature race, reinforcing his status as a key contender. Though it’s still early in the season, the top six drivers have shown they can consistently score points, making them potential title challengers.

Prema’s Ongoing Struggles

Prema Racing entered the 2025 season with high hopes for a turnaround after a difficult 2024 season. Despite featuring a strong lineup that includes current F1 drivers Ollie Bearman and Andrea Kimi Antonelli, the Italian team has continued to struggle, currently sitting in eighth place in the team standings after three rounds.

Gabriele Minì, who moved up to F2 from Prema’s F3 team, began the sprint race in second place but found himself defending against faster competitors throughout the race. He faced multiple challenges, including a safety car incident caused by Crawford’s spin. Ultimately, Minì managed a commendable sixth-place finish, especially given the evident pace disadvantage. In the feature race, he finished ninth.

Teammate Sebastián Montoya faced a more challenging weekend, finishing 13th in the sprint and retiring from the feature race due to technical issues while running outside the top 10. So far, Prema has only managed to score minimal points this season, with Minì’s pole position in Melbourne appearing to be an outlier. The team will need to address their performance issues swiftly to avoid another season without championship contention.

Arvid Lindblad Shines

Arvid Lindblad made headlines by winning the sprint race, becoming the youngest winner in F2 history at just 17 years of age. Starting from sixth place, Lindblad displayed an impressive drive, outpacing both his more experienced teammate Martí and fellow rookie Dunne. He followed this up with a solid seventh-place finish in the feature race, showcasing his potential as a rising star.

Lindblad executed a flawless sprint race; he capitalized on Martí’s momentary mistake at Turn 8 on lap eight, which allowed him to secure his position. After a late safety car restart due to Crawford’s spin, Lindblad maintained his composure, demonstrating why he is highly regarded within the Red Bull program.

In 2024, Lindblad won four races in F3, the highest of any driver, but his inconsistent scoring led to a fourth-place finish in the championship. His performance in Jeddah marked a significant step in his F2 career, showing his capability to contend with established drivers. His challenge now is to maintain this level of performance and consistently score points to strengthen his title bid.

Results and Standings After Round 3 in Saudi Arabia

The results from the third round are as follows:

Qualifying:

1. Jak Crawford: 1:43.579
2. Victor Martins: +0.022s
3. Leonardo Fornaroli: +0.092s

Sprint Race (20 laps):

1. Arvid Lindblad: 38:16.059
2. Pepe Martí: +0.578s
3. Alex Dunne: +2.087s

Feature Race (28 laps):

1. Richard Verschoor: 51:33.929
2. Jak Crawford: +1.701s
3. Victor Martins: +5.852s

Current Standings:

1. Richard Verschoor: 53 points (Campos Racing)
2. Pepe Martí: 41 points (MP Motorsport)
3. Leonardo Fornaroli: 40 points (Invicta Racing)
4. Alex Dunne: 35 points (Hitech)
5. Luke Browning: 33 points (Rodin Motorsport)
6. Victor Martins: 28 points (ART Grand Prix)
7. Arvid Lindblad: 24 points (DAMS)
8. Jak Crawford: 20 points (Prema Racing)
9. Dino Beganovic: 12 points (AIX Racing)
10. Gabriele Minì: 12 points (Van Amersfoort Racing)

This thrilling round has set the stage for an exciting season ahead as teams and drivers compete for the championship.