Durksen Secures Victory in Opening F2 Sprint Race, Leads Championship Standings

The 2025 Formula 2 season kicked off in Australia with a dramatic Sprint Race won by Joshua Dürksen of AIX Racing, who overtook polesitter Leonardo Fornaroli at the start and maintained his lead throughout. The race was marred by multiple incidents, resulting in retirements from key competitors including Victor Martins, Jak Crawford, and Trident's Max Esterson. Dürksen's victory was followed by Fornaroli in second and Luke Browning in third, demonstrating a strong performance from the Italian drivers. Qualifying saw Gabriele Minì initially take pole but receive a penalty for impeding another driver, starting him 13th in the Sprint. Six drivers were penalized before the race for illegal modifications during testing, impacting their grid positions. The weekend concluded with excitement as teams prepared for the upcoming Feature Race, highlighting both the challenges and competitiveness of the new season.