Following a three-week break, Formula 2 returned to action at the historic Imola circuit, marking the start of the European leg of the 2025 season. For the 22 drivers, the 2025 Imola F2 Round marked an exciting return to racing, with many eager to return to racing after so many weeks away
Free Practice – 2025 F2 Imola Round
Opening moments and early pace setters
As the Free Practice session began on schedule, drivers immediately headed onto the track to maximise the 45-minute window. AIX Racing’s Joshua Dürksen initially set the pace with a 1:51.438, closely followed by Montoya and Bennett. However, ART Grand Prix’s Victor Martins soon surpassed Dürksen’s time, only for PREMA’s Gabriele Minì to drop it further to 1:30.416.
Subsequently, Campos Racing’s Arvid Lindblad emerged as a key contender, setting a clean and confident 1:29.031 as tyre temperatures reached the optimal range. Meanwhile, Dürksen briefly ventured into the gravel but recovered without damage. Soon after, Minì reclaimed top position with a 1:28.526, much to the delight of Italian fans.
Momentum builds in the middle phase
Despite leading the championship, Richard Verschoor struggled throughout the session. He failed to complete several push laps and lacked pace on a circuit that punished every minor mistake. Rodin Motorsport’s Alexander Dunne continued to show promise, climbing to third with a time just +0.056 off Minì. Nevertheless, Dunne lost control shortly after and briefly ran into the gravel, though he rejoined safely.
As the session progressed, Martins returned to the top with a composed and well-balanced lap, only to be dethroned by Hitech’s Luke Browning, who produced a 1:28.461. Meanwhile, Amaury Cordeel experienced a major lock-up, highlighting the challenges of the Imola layout.
Final push and battle for the top
With 15 minutes remaining, Kush Maini produced a commanding lap for DAMS Lucas Oil, registering two purple sectors and setting a 1:28.022. Shortly thereafter, Oliver Goethe experienced a dramatic moment when his MP Motorsport car bounced significantly over a kerb. His teammate Verschoor continued to falter, unable to find the rhythm to challenge the leaders.
Arvid Lindblad returned to the top with a swift 1:27.916, eclipsing both Maini and Martí. However, traffic began to affect several laps, particularly impacting Dunne, who was forced to abandon a strong attempt. This traffic issue may persist throughout the weekend due to the circuit’s narrow and flowing nature.
Dunne prevails as session concludes
In the closing minutes, Leonardo Fornaroli suffered another off-track excursion, cutting short his final push. Meanwhile, Dunne returned to the track and delivered a blistering lap of 1:27.907, narrowly surpassing Lindblad by just 0.009 seconds. Although Dunne encountered the gravel again shortly after, he maintained control, as did Dino Beganovic, who also ran wide.
Ultimately, no one managed to dislodge Dunne from the top. He finished P1 ahead of Lindblad, with Maini completing the top three, +0.115 seconds off the lead.
Qualifying – 2025 F2 Imola Round
A delayed start and early push laps
Qualifying began three minutes later than scheduled, starting at 14:03 local time. Once the green light illuminated, all 22 drivers filtered out of the pit lane, warming up their Supersoft tyres during their outlaps. The session featured a single 30-minute segment, demanding immediate pace from the drivers.
Arvid Lindblad became the first to set a flying lap, establishing a benchmark of 1:28.175. Shortly after, Alexander Dunne continued his strong form by going fastest in Sector 2 and setting personal bests in the first and final sectors. Consequently, he jumped to the top of the timing screens with a 1:27.827.
Richard Verschoor soon began his flying effort; however, multiple mistakes prevented him from breaking into the top ten. His lap placed him a lowly P17, compounding the pressure on the Dutch driver as others improved.
Victor Martins delivered a commanding performance early on, topping the charts with a 1:27.424. His lap placed him over three-tenths clear of Dunne. Italian rookie Leonardo Fornaroli delighted the home fans by moving into P2, only 0.278 seconds behind Martins.
Strategic pitting and mid-session activity
As the first wave of flying laps concluded, several drivers including Montoya, Goethe, Verschoor, and Martí returned to the pits for fresh tyres. Meanwhile, others remained on track to complete additional push laps. However, Dunne appeared to struggle during his subsequent runs and eventually aborted one of his laps after weak sector times, choosing instead to return to the pit lane.
Luke Browning mounted a strong effort to climb the order, reaching P4 and closing within four-tenths of Martins’ provisional pole. Nevertheless, the margins remained razor-thin across the top ten.
With just under 15 minutes remaining, all drivers pitted to prepare for their final runs. The reverse grid format for the Sprint Race added another layer of complexity, as drivers outside the top ten aimed to break in, while those already in the top ten pushed to improve further without risking their Sprint Race starting positions.
Traffic and errors shape the final attempts
Montoya attempted a flying lap after the tyre change but encountered heavy traffic exiting the pit lane. This forced him to abort the lap despite setting the fastest Sector 1. Determined to make up ground, he launched another attempt. This time, Montoya went fastest in both Sector 1 and Sector 3, along with a personal best in Sector 2. As a result, he vaulted into provisional pole, putting pressure on the rest of the field.
However, several drivers struggled to respond. Luke Browning ran wide onto the grass at Turn 4, while Josep María Martí missed the apex of a corner and slid into the gravel. Race control subsequently deleted Martí’s lap time due to track limits.
Red flag disrupts final minutes
With 5 minutes and 59 seconds remaining, disaster struck for DAMS driver Kush Maini. The Indian lost control of his car at the Tamburello chicane and crashed heavily into the barriers. Despite the forceful impact, Maini immediately confirmed he was unharmed over team radio. Marshals safely extracted him from the car, and red flags halted the session.
All drivers returned to the pit lane while marshals assessed the damage and cleared the track. However, race control soon announced that the session would not resume, citing time constraints and extensive track recovery efforts.
Pole for Beganovic and Sprint Shake-Up
As a result of the red flag, Hitech Pulse-Eight driver Dino Beganovic secured his first-ever pole position in Formula 2. His earlier effort had gone under the radar but proved unbeatable once the session ended prematurely. He became the first driver to receive the new Aramco Pole Position trophy. Montoya completed the front row in P2, with Victor Martins settling for P3 after dominating much of the session.
Championship leader Richard Verschoor endured a disastrous outing, finishing in P19. A combination of errors and lack of pace left him far outside the reverse-grid benefit and deep in the field for both races.
With the top ten reversed for Saturday’s Sprint Race, Ritomo Miyata will start from pole position. The tightly packed grid and unforgiving nature of Imola promise a dramatic weekend ahead in Formula 2.
Full results of the 2025 Imola F2 Round Qualifying
- Dino Beganovic
- Sebastián Montoya
- Victor Martins
- Leonardo Fornaroli
- Alexander Dunne
- Arvid Lindblad
- Luke Browning
- Oliver Goethe
- Jak Crawford
- Ritomo Miyata
- Josep Maria Martí
- Kush Maini
- Roman Stanek
- Joshua Dürksen
- Gabriele Minì
- Sami Meguetounif
- Rafael Villagómez
- Max Esterson
- Richard Verschoor
- Amaury Cordeel
- John Bennett
- Cian Shields
