Verschoor “Really happy the team is trusting my feedback” after season-best qualifying in Austria

Written by Vyas Ponnuri

MP Motorsport’s Richard Verschoor netted his best qualifying finish of the year, in third, just 24 milliseconds shy of pole-sitter Leonardo Fornaroli’s lap time in Austria. The Dutchman highlights improved communication and extracting more qualifying pace as key to his season’s progress. 

Verschoor secured his best qualifying performance of 2025 in third | Credit: Formula 2 via X

The Dutchman put in a series of good laps to net himself third on the grid. While his second flying lap proved good enough for a top three finish, a final flying lap in the session with three minutes to go saw him veer into the gravel at turn 9, his used soft tyres past their peak grip and performance at the end of two fast laps. 

On a day when several contenders, including the likes of DAMS’ Jak Crawford, Hitech TGR’s Luke Browning and Campos’ Arvid Lindblad wound up outside the top ten, Verschoor ensured he utilised his years of experience to qualify up in third. Championship leader Alex Dunne too qualified down in seventh, marking a golden opportunity for the MP Motorsport driver to gain the championship lead. 

Starting third for Sunday’s race may open up strategy options, and the trio of straights allow for overtaking, giving Verschoor a chance to dream about a potential race victory to shore up his championship campaign. 

When asked if he was targeting a race victory or just looking to bank the valuable points and finish ahead, Verschoor hinted at going all in and grabbing a victory. 

“I will always go for the win. It's too early to think about the championship, of course,” Verschoor mentioned. 

“I shouldn’t be taking too much risk, but I'm not thinking about it too much. I know that in the races I'm always strong, in terms of overtaking as well. So, yeah, I'm looking forward,” he continued. 

A major proponent of Verschoor’s 2025 season has banked on his strong pace in the races, down to MP Motorsport delivering on the Sundays. The Dutchman has managed to recover from poor starting positions to pull off big results, such as his victory from ninth on the grid in Jeddah or his run from fifth to the podium in Barcelona. 

“The team has always given me a good car in the races, so far. If we're looking at FP (Free Practice), we're struggling a bit more with the degradation, but yeah, they always manage to turn some things around. So, uh, I'll trust them and go for it,” Verschoor concluded, speaking volumes about the preparation the team put in every race weekend. 

Communication and trust aid Verschoor’s F2 progress into Austria

Verschoor has been spending plenty of time with MP Motorsport behind the scenes | Credit: Formula 2

A large part of Verschoor’s success in 2025 has come down to open and transparent communication with his crew down at MP Motorsport. The Dutchman praised his team ahead of the Austrian weekend, expressing he was on a good base when it came to maintaining steady communication on race weekends. 

That, coupled with the team’s trust in Verschoor’s years of experience, has paid rich dividends in 2025. It’s even more essential, considering the short time frame between Free Practice and qualifying. 

“Communication, especially since the gaps are so less, is very important,” Verschoor mentioned.  “After Free Practice, you just say what you think about the car, about the car's handling and what you would like to improve. And then it's kind of up to them, of course.” 

“Of course, you do it speaking together, but it's up to them as to what they want to do with the car, because there are many things you can change on an F2 car, more than many people think. 

“Usually they ask me, ‘Oh, you have the same car, the same engine and gearbox, so it should be all the same.’ But there is a lot you can change, and any change you make has a positive and a negative. So that's why communication is very important,” Verschoor expressed. 

“It’s because I know from my experience certain things to change on the car, the changes I like, and those I don't like. 

“So, yeah, that's why I like the fact that the team is trusting my feedback, and I think that helps us move forward much quicker. And yeah, I'm really happy with that,” the Dutchman concluded. 

Qualifying hasn’t been Verschoor’s strongest suit in Formula 2 history. Four seasons into his F2 career, he has started from pole only twice, his races often centred around recovery drives from the rear of the field on alternate strategies. 

Verschoor qualified in the top ten for every race bar one, in 2025 | Credit: MP Motorsport

However, this improved trust and communication between team and driver has helped Verschoor turn a page in his qualifying form this year. The Dutchman’s qualification record in 2025 turns out to be stronger than ever, as he qualified outside the top ten only once, when he finished a torrid 19th at the end of qualifying in Imola. 

“To be honest, yes. I've been feeling very confident this year with the team, with the car, but in qualifying, not always so confident,” Verschoor expressed. 

“We have been speaking a lot over the last few weeks when we had some time off, about how I can extract a bit more from the car, because I always feel slightly uncomfortable moment in the car where the last tenth or two are missing. 

“We've been working on it, and I hope this is the first moment where we showed that, and showed myself that I can take out those just a couple of things,” Verschoor said, speaking of the progress the team had made during the breaks in F2’s calendar. 

For the third time in 2025, the top three were separated by less than one-tenth of a second. This time, it was all of 24 milliseconds between Fornaroli in pole and Verschoor in third.   

The gaps are certainly no surprise around a short circuit like Austria, but it reinforces the general trend of qualifying sessions in 2025. Verschoor felt he had left time out on his best lap, and could have been higher on the grid. 

“Well, a bit too excited, of course, very happy to be in the top three,” Verschoor mentioned, having taken his first top three start of the year. “

The team once again gave me a very good car. There was a bit more on the table also for me.

“Somehow, not being able to improve on the second lap, like, for now, I was doing it the whole day.  It's definitely something we will look at. But yeah, the car has been very good, so I'm very pleased with the results,” a delighted Verschoor said. 

The Dutchman will have his task cut out on Saturday, though, starting eighth in the sprint. With the Red Bull Ring aiding overtaking, he will certainly be itching to make moves, in true Verschoor spirit, and ensure he minimises his points loss to championship leader Dunne in the standings.