Formula 2 preview: Abu Dhabi

Written by Jasmin Low, Edited by Vyas Ponnuri

The 2025 Formula 2 season comes to a bittersweet end this week in Abu Dhabi, with the 22-car travelling circus lining up for two final races before the winter break puts an end to racing action for the next three months. With the champion’s crown signed, sealed and delivered to Invicta Racing’s Leonardo Fornaroli, the weekend is set to decide how the remainder of the grid will slot into place behind the man with No.1 already emblazoned on his car. 

Formula 2 will go racing for a final time this weekend at the Yas Marina Circuit | Credit: Formula 2

At 3.281 mi (5.281 km), the Yas Marina Circuit poses a unique challenge for both drivers and their teams. With 16 corners, each of the three sectors is as diverse as they are demanding. 

Sector 1 tests both the medium and top-end speed of the Dallara machines used in F2, taking drivers through the first five turns before they begin the second sector, rocketing down a long straight and into the heavy braking zone at Turn 6. 

The rapid shifts between high and low speed mark the circuit’s prime overtaking opportunities and make brake wear a key player in each driver’s ability to perform this weekend. Sector 3 is dominated by low-speed corners and the need for downforce, meaning a compromise between grip and top speed will generate the optimal car setup. 

Saturday’s Sprint will see drivers take 23 tours of the circuit, followed by a 33-lap Feature Race on Sunday to close out the season. Oscar Piastri holds the fastest lap with a time of 1:35.077, which he achieved in 2021 on his way to the F2 title with PREMA Racing. 

Luke Browning, Jak Crawford, and Cian Shields are all set to add in a Formula One free practice outing to their programmes this weekend. Browning will step into Alexander Albon’s FW47. The latter duo will see both Aston Martin drivers sidelined for FP1, with Crawford jumping in for Lance Stroll, while Shields will make his F1 debut in place of Fernando Alonso. 

Red Bull has confirmed that Arvid Lindblad will complete the road to F1 with his full-time debut in 2026, with the Briton completing FP1 in Yuki Tsunoda’s RB21. 

McLaren has also announced that Fornaroli and Richard Verschoor will join their development programme, as part of a major shakeup to their junior lineup. 

Last time out in Abu Dhabi

The 2024 championship went down to the wire in Abu Dhabi as Gabriel Bortoleto entered the weekend leading his title rival, Isack Hadjar, by a mere 0.5 points. A further 25 points back and still in with a chance was Paul Aron, who had taken his maiden victory at the previous round in Qatar. 

Victor Martins was the only driver to top the championship trio in qualifying, beating Bortoleto to pole by just 0.035s while Aron and Hadjar lined up just behind on the second row of the grid. 

Pepe Martí, who has recently exited the championship after signing with Cupra Kiro in Formula E, put on a dominant display in the Sprint Race, flying from fourth into the race lead by Turn 1 and holding off a charging Bortoleto to take the victory. Aron completed the podium; however, with Hadjar finishing in sixth and the gap to Bortoleto extended by another five points, the championship was whittled down to the final two. 

The final race victory was claimed by AIX Racing’s Joshua Dürksen, who snagged the race lead from Bortoleto early in the race. Hadjar was left out of the running almost immediately after stalling on the grid, as Bortoleto’s second place finish saw him crowned champion. Verschoor also took a trip to the rostrum after crossing the line in third. 

The championship

Although Leonardo Fornaroli has followed in the footsteps of last year’s champion by winning  back-to-back titles in F3 and F2, the remainder of the field are anything but untouchable in their fight for the remaining championship positions. 

Crawford and Verschoor head into the season finale tied on 170 points apiece, with the American currently occupying second in the standings ahead of his opponent. Browning also lies toward the top of the order, trailing Verschoor by eight points. Alex Dunne rounds out the top five, having closed in on Browning after outscoring him in Lusail.

The Teams’ championship also remains very much up for grabs, with Invicta Racing leading Hitech by 35 points, with a maximum of 65 points up for grabs across the race weekend, should they extract maximum performance across the board. 

Campos Racing also remain mathematically within a chance of taking home the Teams’ honours, but with a 57-point gap to Invicta, the battle is poised to be between Invicta and Hitech come Sunday.