Victor Martins stormed to pole position for the 2025 FIA Formula 2 Feature Race at Silverstone, edging out home hero Alexander Dunne by just 0.065s in a tense and closely fought Friday session.
The ART Grand Prix driver had topped Free Practice earlier in the day and made good on that promise when it mattered most. His final run, a 1:39.731, was enough to deny Rodin Motorsport’s Dunne and claim a second pole of the season.
Strong early pace and a tight pack
The session started with PREMA’s Sebastián Montoya setting the first competitive time, a 1:41.225. That didn’t last long. Luke Browning briefly took over before MP Motorsport’s Richard Verschoor fired in a 1:40.777 to go fastest.
Then came Martins. His first lap pushed ART to the top with a 1:40.710. But drama followed. Rodin’s Amaury Cordeel spun into the final corner and brought out the red flags, halting the session with 18 minutes remaining.
Dunne sets the tone after the restart
Once the track went green again, most drivers stayed in the pits. But Dunne returned to action early, hoping to improve on his earlier effort. He did just that. A stunning middle sector helped him jump to third, just 0.098s off Martins’ provisional best.
Soon after, the entire field returned with fresh soft tyres. The track ramped up quickly, and lap times began to tumble.
Late shuffle at the top
Jak Crawford looked like the man to beat when he punched in a 1:39.971. That lap briefly put DAMS Lucas Oil on top. But his time was quickly eclipsed. Martins delivered a brilliant lap to snatch back P1. Dunne followed, also improving, but missed out on pole by just a fraction.
Behind them, Roman Stanek continued his impressive form with fourth for Invicta Racing. Montoya slotted into fifth after a solid session, losing some time in Sector 2.
AIX Racing’s Joshua Dürksen ended up sixth. Verschoor, the current championship leader, had to settle for seventh after a quiet final run. Dino Beganovic took eighth ahead of Kush Maini. Leonardo Fornaroli completed the top ten and will start on reverse grid pole for the Sprint.
Local hopes and midfield stories
Arvid Lindblad narrowly missed the top ten, placing 11th for Campos. Fellow Brit Luke Browning followed in 12th for Hitech TGR. Both drivers had been expected to challenge for more at their home race.
TRIDENT teammates Sami Meguetounif and Max Esterson were next in line. Rafael Villagómez split the pair of PREMAs after outqualifying Gabriele Minì, who struggled to match Montoya’s pace. Cordeel ended up 17th after his earlier off.
Josep María Martí, fresh off a Sprint win in Austria, finished only 20th. ART’s Ritomo Miyata did not set a time due to a mechanical issue.
🏁 Full Top 20 – Provisional Classification (Qualifying)
- Victor Martins – ART Grand Prix – 1:39.731
- Alexander Dunne – Rodin Motorsport – 1:39.796
- Jak Crawford – DAMS Lucas Oil – 1:39.971
- Roman Stanek – Invicta Racing – 1:40.065
- Sebastián Montoya – PREMA Racing – 1:40.138
- Joshua Dürksen – AIX Racing – 1:40.169
- Richard Verschoor – MP Motorsport – 1:40.326
- Dino Beganovic – Hitech TGR – 1:40.337
- Kush Maini – DAMS Lucas Oil – 1:40.38
- Leonardo Fornaroli – Invicta Racing – 1:40.428 (Sprint Race Pole)
- Arvid Lindblad – Campos Racing – 1:40.500
- Luke Browning – Hitech TGR – 1:40.735
- Sami Meguetounif – TRIDENT – 1:40.835
- Max Esterson – TRIDENT – 1:40.942
- Rafael Villagómez – Van Amersfoort Racing – 1:40.996
- Gabriele Minì – PREMA Racing – 1:41.068
- Amaury Cordeel – Rodin Motorsport – 1:41.069
- John Bennett – Van Amersfoort Racing – 1:41.180
- Oliver Goethe – MP Motorsport – 1:41.211
- Josep María Martí – Campos Racing – 1:41.333
NC. Ritomo Miyata – ART Grand Prix – No Time
Fornaroli will start Saturday’s Sprint from reverse grid pole when the lights go out at 13:15 local time. With the British weather still looking unpredictable and tyre strategy likely to play a part, Silverstone is set for another twist in this wide-open 2025 title fight.