Formula 2 preview: Lusail

Written by Jasmin Low, Edited by Vyas Ponnuri

With just two rounds remaining, Formula 2 is set to round out the year in the Middle East, beginning this weekend in Qatar. With five drivers still mathematically in contention for the title, those successful in the Qatari desert will head into the final round at Yas Marina with one hand on the coveted F2 crown. 

Formula 2 heads to Qatar for round 13 of 14 | Credit: Formula 2

Formula 2 will join Formula One at the Qatar Grand Prix, two months on from the series’ most recent round in Baku. With just two rounds remaining in the 2025 season, the title fight is going down to the wire, with 27 points covering the top three drivers in the championship. 

The Lusail International Circuit is notorious for its taxing nature, appearing on the F2 calendar for the first time in 2024. The circuit has faced stark criticism regarding the extreme temperatures F1 drivers experienced in the cockpit during the 2023 edition of the event, causing the race weekend to be moved toward the tail end of the season. 

At 3.367 mi (5.419 km), the high-speed track features a long main straight and 16 technical, twisting corners. The lap record of 1:35.115 is held by Paul Aron, who competed in the championship with Hitech in 2024. 

Three teams have also announced changes to their driver lineups for this week in Qatar and the season finale in Abu Dhabi. Nikola Tsolov will make his F2 debut with Campos following Pepe Martí’s departure to Formula E’s Cupra Kiro outfit. 

Laurens van Hoepen will remain with Trident after competing with the team last time out in Baku, whilst Martinius Stenshorne, who made his F2 debut alongside van Hoepen, will move to Rodin Motorsport, replacing Amaury Cordeel. 

Last time out in Lusail

Last year’s weekend belonged to Paul Aron, who dominated multiple sessions | Credit: Formula 2

In 2024, it was Paul Aron who put on a dominant display during qualifying, topping the timesheets with his first flying lap. The Estonian remained unconquerable as he continually improved on his lap times as the session went on. 

Gabriel Bortoleto made his way onto the front row of the grid 0.335 seconds behind Aron, while Victor Martins rounded out the top three. Martins remains the only driver in the championship this year to have qualified within the top three, while the trio of Dino Beganovic, Verschoor and Crawford qualified fourth, fifth and sixth respectively. 

The Saturday Sprint saw Oliver Bearman convert reverse grid pole into the race win, making a late move on Isack Hadjar to reclaim the top spot. After holding the race lead for the majority of the race, Hadjar crossed the line in fourth following a spin, allowing Crawford and Verschoor to complete the podium. 

Come Sunday, the Feature Race was a dramatic affair, as two Safety Car periods saw the race run to time. Bortoleto, who had taken the lead from Aron at the race start, was handed a 5-second time penalty for crossing the line at pit entry. 

The Brazilian was unable to create a sufficient gap over his rivals, dropping to third as a result and promoting Aron and Hadjar to first and second, respectively. While the weekend saw Aron score his maiden F2 win, the proceedings also saw the gap between title contenders Hadjar and Bortoleto shrink to just 0.5 points heading into the final round. 

The F2 championship picture in 2025

A 23-lap Sprint and 32-lap Feature Race is all that stands between the 22-car grid and the final round in Yas Marina, with five drivers still left in the title fight, led by rookie Leonardo Fornaroli. Jak Crawford occupies second, 19 points behind Fornaroli, but only eight points ahead of Luke Browning in third. Verschoor sits a further 10 points back in fourth, while Alex Dunne lies in fifth with 130 points.

Invicta Racing lead the way in the Teams’ Championship with a total of 269 points, while Hitech closed the gap to the yellow-liveried team to just 12 points in Baku. Campos Racing sit in third on 221 points, a further 36 points behind Hitech.