29 June 2025 – Spielberg, Austria
Richard Verschoor is the new Formula 2 championship leader. The Dutchman delivered a statement drive in Sunday’s Feature Race, climbing from third on the grid to claim his third win of the season. With it, he takes over at the top of the standings.
It was a performance of experience, patience, and pinpoint race craft. The kind of drive that doesn’t just win races. It was the kind that shifts a championship.
Fornaroli had lined up on pole and got the getaway he needed into Turn 1. But Verschoor was immediately aggressive, launching alongside the Invicta driver into Turn 3. The initial move didn’t stick, but the intent was clear. He wasn’t there to settle.
Behind them, Victor Martins, who started on the front row, lost second at the start and opted for an early stop. He boxed on Lap 7 for soft tyres. Verschoor followed him in a lap later. The undercut was powerful. Both rejoined ahead of Fornaroli when the Italian pitted on Lap 9.
From there, the real fight began.
Martins briefly held a net lead, but Verschoor was reeling him in with fastest laps and, on Lap 15, made the decisive move. Around the outside at Turn 4, he swept past and never looked back.
At the front of the pit cycle, Sebastián Montoya and Kush Maini were yet to stop, running long on their opening soft stints. Once Maini finally came in for his mandatory stop, Verschoor resumed control of the race at the front.
Alexander Dunne had started seventh and mounted a strong recovery, crossing the line second. But after the race, his Rodin car failed a plank wear inspection. He was disqualified for violating Article 3.2.2, wiping out his result and points haul. The decision handed Jak Crawford a career-best second place and elevated Fornaroli to the final step of the podium. Dunne, meanwhile, remains on 108 points — now six behind Verschoor, who takes over as championship leader.
Further back, the podium battle came alive in the final ten laps.
Leonardo Fornaroli, having been shuffled down the order after his stop, found late rhythm. He pressured Martins for third and eventually forced a mistake out of the Frenchman at Turn 1. What followed was a wild three-way dice that included Martí as well. Contact between the pair let Fornaroli jump them both at Turn 4 to reclaim position.
Martí was later handed a 10-second time penalty for causing the collision, dropping him to seventh in the final classification.
That opened the door for Crawford, who had been steadily progressing through the pack. The American inherited second place after a late overtake on Martins and solid race management on the softs. Montoya’s late charge included the fastest lap of the race, a 1:18.160 on Lap 33. Behind him, Luke Browning battled up from 17th and briefly took sixth with a strong move on Martins, but lost the place again in the final few laps.
Browning couldn’t hold position and slipped behind Montoya before the flag. Martins, meanwhile, faded late and ended up classified in eighth. Roman Stanek and Dino Beganovic rounded out the top ten.
Verschoor didn’t need to say much. The win spoke for itself.
“Super happy to have the biggest trophy today. Amazing race, good start, good pace and a good strategy, so a massive thank you to MP Motorsport and I’m looking forward to Silverstone.”
Championship Picture
Richard Verschoor’s win doesn’t just hand him another trophy. It marks a power shift at the top of the standings. The Dutchman arrived in Austria one point behind Alex Dunne, who had been leading the Drivers’ Championship after seven consistent rounds.
But with Dunne’s disqualification and Verschoor taking maximum points in the Feature Race, the momentum swung. Verschoor now leads the standings on 114 points. Dunne stays on 108.
Crawford’s consistency moves him up to third on 91, just ahead of Fornaroli (86) and Browning (83).
In the Teams’ Championship, Campos still lead with 144 points. MP Motorsport close in with 126. Hitech, Rodin, and DAMS are locked in a tight scrap behind, separated by just five points.
Looking Ahead
There’s no break in the action. Next stop: Silverstone. The second half of the 2025 season gets underway next weekend, and the championship is tighter than ever. Verschoor’s rivals have one goal — stop the charge before it builds into something unstoppable.
Post-Race Updates – Spielberg Feature Race
John Bennett Penalised: Separately, John Bennett received a 10-second time penalty after contact with Sebastián Montoya at Turn 3. The Stewards determined the Van Amersfoort driver was predominantly at fault. He drops from 13th to 14th in the final classification.
Alexander Dunne Disqualified: Following the race, Dunne’s Rodin car was found to have excessive front plank wear, measuring 3.37mm and 3.27mm at two designated holes — below the 4.0mm minimum required by Article 3.2.2 of the FIA Formula 2 Technical Regulations. With no satisfactory explanation provided by the team, the Stewards ruled for exclusion.