Feeder Series Preview: Spielberg

Written by Jasmin Low and Trisha Lynnette, Edited by Vyas Ponnuri

Formula 2 and Formula 3 return after a four-week hiatus to kick off the second part of their European leg. While the F2 season gets into its second half, the F3 season hits its peak, as drivers begin to shore up their championship ambitions. DIVEBOMB takes you through the previews for the weekend ahead. 

Formula 2

Austria’s Red Bull Ring is well-known for its dramatic elevation changes | Credit: Formula 2 

Finally, the time has come for Formula 2 to return to racing action after nearly a month’s break since their last time in Barcelona. This weekend’s proceedings mark the official halfway point of the season, consisting of a 28-lap Sprint and 40-lap Feature Race around the Red Bull Ring. 

Nestled amidst the Styrian foothills, the circuit features a dramatic elevation change, amounting to 63.5 metres over a lap, second only to Belgium’s Spa-Francorchamps. The undulating nature of the track will influence the setup decisions made over the weekend and requires precision from the drivers. Despite having hosted Formula 1 since 2017, drivers are yet to beat Charles Leclerc’s lap record of 1:13.396 set that year. 

At 2.683 miles (4.318km) long, drivers will encounter three DRS zones through the long straights, alongside 10 unique corners. Turn 1 will play host to significant racing action, as the drivers blaze down the main straight toward the uphill right-hander. The tight hairpin at Turn 3 serves as a prime overtaking location, situated between the circuit’s two other DRS zones. 

Last year, Dennis Hauger narrowly grabbed pole position for MP Motorsport, a mere 0.008s ahead of Joshua Dürksen. Eventual Formula 2 champion Gabriel Bortoleto rounded out the top three. As the only driver from last year’s top seven in qualifying to have returned to the grid in 2025, Dürksen will be looking to do one better this time around, and replicate his strong performances earlier, at the circuit. 

Oliver Bearman executed a measured drive to take his first victory of the year during the Sprint Race, holding off Pepe Martí in the Campos after launching off the line to take the lead at the race start. 

Gabriel Bortoleto took a commanding Feature Race victory with Invicta Racing | Credit: Formula 2

It wasn’t to be for Feature Race pole-sitter Hauger, who stalled as the grid set off on the formation lap and was forced to start from the pit lane. Whilst Dürksen’s AIX was left as the leading car, Bortoleto took the race lead on the fourth tour of the circuit, before stretching out a convincing lead over the chasing pack by the end of the race. 

The Spielberg weekend proved pivotal in Bortoleto’s title charge, as the Brazilian picked up his maiden victory, the first of two for the season. 

Franco Colapinto was the luckier of the MP drivers, making a unique strategic decision stick and finishing in the runner-up spot. The Argentine was the only driver from the top five qualifiers to have elected to start on the slower soft-compound tyres, choosing to capitalise on the combination of supersoft rubber and low fuel during the closing stages of the race. 

The Championship

Alex Dunne holds the championship lead after managing to score in Barcelona, despite being hit with two significant penalties. The Irishman’s efforts over the course of the season have merited a Free Practice One (FP1) outing with McLaren on Friday. 

Dino Beganovic will also pilot Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari in FP1. The Swede will be looking to bounce back after two consecutive scoreless weekends. 

Richard Verschoor’s efforts in Barcelona have promoted him to P2 in the standings | Credit: Formula 2

Richard Verschoor capitalised on a successful weekend in Barcelona, just three points shy of Dunne in second. The 24-year-old will look to take advantage of his experience in the series yet again this weekend. 

After winning the Feature Race last time out, Arvid Lindblad occupies third in the standings. The Red Bull Junior was recently awarded his FIA Super Licence and will hope to continue to impress his sponsor team at their home race. 

On the Teams’ front, Campos Racing have pulled a 26-point gap over Hitech in the Teams’ standings, whilst MP Motorsport sit just six points further behind in third. 

Formula 3

Credit: Formula 3 via X

Located in the Styrian Mountains of Austria, the Red Bull Ring is more than 2.683 miles (4.318 km) in length and is famous for providing fast racing despite its comparative brevity. Its configuration features three long straights with aggressive braking points, and a combination of fast turns as well as uphill right-handers. All this combined makes one of the finest tracks on the Formula 3 schedule.

Tyre management will also be critical, as the circuit's fast nature can lead to early degradation and graining, forcing drivers to carefully preserve their Pirelli rubber to maintain performance throughout the races.

F3 took to the track last time at Barcelona, with Ivan Domingues claiming his first sprint victory of the series, moving Van Amersfoort Racing closer to third-placed MP Motorsport in the table. Rafael Câmara won the feature race and is now leading the championship on 105 points. Bulgarian driver Nikola Tsolov trails behind him on 79 points.

Credit: Formula 3 via X

Everyone will be itching to see if Câmara can add to his championship advantage. Tsolov will look to redeem himself following an unimpressive beginning in Barcelona. Trident leads the Teams' classification with 176 points, Campos Racing on 130 and MP Motorsport on 126, so every point scored in Spielberg is critical to the championship process.

Last season, the series witnessed Tsolov emerge victorious in the Sprint Race, demonstrating his familiarity with the circuit and putting everyone's eyes on him, too. Yet, the Feature Race was won by F3 graduate Luke Browning, who currently competes for FIA Formula 2 with Hitech TGR.

Credit: Formula 3 via X

Nikita Johnson steps in to replace Nicola Lacorte at DAMS racing for this round, following Lacorte’s suspension from the Austrian weekend. The Italian driver was given a suspension after attaining 15 penalty points on his license, the limit being 12. 

The American driver has previously competed in GB3 with VRD racing and will be competing in his first full GB3 season with Hitech TGR in 2025.

In other news, Mari Boya has officially signed with the newly established Aston Martin junior program. The 21-year-old Spaniard has shown great promise over the years and is the first driver to be signed with this academy. The Aston Martin Driver Academy’s mission is to identify, support and develop exceptional driving talent from the feeder series. 

As the 2025 FIA Formula 3 season reaches its halfway stage with Round 6, the historic Red Bull Ring might hold the key in determining the title battle.

Will Câmara press on and increase his championship advantage? Will Nikola Tsolov finally get his revenge at a track where he has already thrived?

With the quick, sweeping layout of the Red Bull Ring and its established track record of producing high-intensity on-track confrontations and dramatic plot turns, fans are in for a thrilling weekend of Formula 3 racing. The tension is extremely high in Formula 3 this round, and fans are about to see another heart-stopping installment of the 2025 title saga.

Qualifying takes place on Friday, at 15:00 CEST (12:00 GMT), setting the pace for the rest of the weekend. While qualifying has consistently played a pivotal role in the race weekends, Barcelona could prove an exception as the drivers are highly familiar with the circuit. 

The Sprint Race takes place on Saturday at 10:05 CEST (08:05 GMT) and the Feature Race takes place on Sunday at 08:30 CEST (6:30 GMT).

Make sure to catch this exciting race weekend live. If not, head back to DIVEBOMB for all the action you might have missed!