Joshua Dürksen began the 2026 F2 season with a statement performance in the Sprint Race at the Australian GP in Melbourne. The Invicta Racing driver delivered a controlled and confident display, combining decisive overtaking with strong tyre management to secure the first victory of the campaign.
Starting from the front row of the reverse grid, Dürksen immediately placed himself in contention for the lead. While the opening laps featured several battles throughout the field, the Paraguayan driver executed a key overtake that allowed him to take control of the race. From that point forward, he focused on managing his tyres and maintaining a consistent pace at the front.
Despite a late Safety Car that briefly reset the field, Dürksen handled the restart calmly and maintained his advantage to cross the line first. After the race, he reflected on the decisive moments that shaped his victory in the post-race press conference attended by Pit Debrief.
Bold overtake proves decisive in early laps as Dürksen claims F2 Sprint Race victory at 2026 Australian GP
One of the defining moments of the F2 Sprint Race at the Australian GP came during the early laps when Dürksen executed a brave move around the outside at Turn 9. The manoeuvre allowed him to break free from the pack and avoid becoming trapped in the DRS train forming behind the leading cars.
Reflecting on that moment, Dürksen explained that he recognised the opportunity immediately and decided to take the risk before the race settled into a more strategic phase.
“For sure it was a very good race, very nice move actually around the outside in T9, a bit risky because of course T9 is not the best corner to overtake, but it was my only chance to make the move before I get stuck on the DRS train, so I just made sure to overtake as quickly as possible.”
After successfully completing the overtake, the Invicta driver could focus on building rhythm and controlling the race rather than constantly defending his position. With clean air ahead of him, he managed the gap to the chasing pack and ensured that his tyres remained in good condition for the remainder of the race.
“It worked pretty well, so from that point onwards I could just manage my tyres, manage the pace and just bring it home, generally it was a very good race.”
Managing tyre degradation in Melbourne
Tyre management played a crucial role throughout the Sprint Race, particularly as the weekend marked the first time that the Soft compound served as the Prime tyre at Albert Park. Although Melbourne traditionally places less stress on tyres than some other circuits, the softer compound still required careful handling.
Dürksen acknowledged that rear tyre degradation became noticeable during the race, especially compared with previous seasons when the Medium compound was used as the primary race tyre.
“No, for sure you had some rear degradation, because this is actually the first time we raced with a Soft tyre as a Prime tyre, last year was with the Medium, the Medium was holding quite well during the race, but with the Soft, for sure you feel that there’s more degradation, so you need to be careful.”
Nevertheless, he pointed out that the characteristics of the Albert Park circuit helped mitigate some of the tyre wear challenges. The relatively smooth surface and flowing layout allowed drivers to preserve their tyres more effectively than on more abrasive tracks.
“Luckily, Melbourne is not a track which is so aggressive on the tyres anyway, so it’s a bit easier to drive, but still with the softer compound, you still need to be careful because you can destroy them quite easily if you don’t do it well, so yeah.”
As a result, maintaining balance between pace and tyre preservation became a key factor in securing the win.
Composed restart after Safety Car intervention sees Dürksen claim F2 Sprint Race win at 2026 Australian GP
While Dürksen had built a comfortable gap during the middle phase of the Sprint Race at the 2026 Australian GP, a late Safety Car intervention brought the field back together and forced him to defend his position once again. Restarts often present opportunities for challengers, particularly when the leading driver must immediately protect against the threat of DRS.
However, Dürksen delivered a well-judged restart that allowed him to maintain control and avoid immediate pressure from the cars behind.
“Yes I had to, luckily I managed to have a good Safety Car restart, I think I broke the one second gap just before T1 already, so that was very important, very good, because I know that once the guy is inside the DRS it will be difficult to just go away of it.”
By creating that crucial margin before the first corner, he ensured that the chasing drivers could not immediately close in with DRS assistance.
“So it was very important to have this one-second gap before T1 and then just creating the bigger gap, so yeah, luckily the Safety Car restart went well.”
This decisive moment allowed Dürksen to re-establish his rhythm and control the final laps of the race.
A perfect start to life with Invicta Racing
The F2 Sprint Race victory at the Australian GP also carried added significance as it came during Dürksen’s first race weekend with Invicta Racing. After switching teams during the winter, the driver immediately demonstrated that the partnership could deliver strong results.
Although the win came in the Sprint Race rather than the Feature Race, Dürksen still viewed the result as an excellent way to begin the season with his new team.
“For sure I can’t complain with a victory, I mean I’m very happy that I got the first victory of the season and with Invicta, for sure it’s the Sprint Race, the main goal is to have this kind of victory spot on the Feature Race, that’s the target and I think we will have to pace for it.”
At the same time, he emphasised the importance of maximising every opportunity available during the weekend, including the Sprint Race points on offer.
“But we have to maximise every opportunity, this time I had the opportunity to win the Sprint Race. So we did it, we got some good points, but for sure we will keep working to get more points, which is in the Feature Race.”
2026 marks second consecutive Australian GP F2 Sprint Race win for Dürksen
Interestingly, Dürksen’s triumph also marked his second consecutive Sprint Race victory at the Australian GP. The Albert Park circuit appears to suit his driving style, and the result once again demonstrated his ability to perform strongly at the venue.
The driver admitted that starting the season with a victory provides an immediate boost in motivation and confidence.
“For sure, it’s very important. It’s just the best way to start the season. It gives, of course, a big boost in confidence and, of course, very good moments.”
Furthermore, he highlighted the encouraging early signs from his collaboration with Invicta Racing, noting that both sides have worked effectively together since the start of the season.
“And I think with Invicta, we know that we have the pace and I think I’m adapting quite well to them. The work has been very good until now. So, for sure, this victory is a very big push and a big motivation to keep going like this.”
Looking ahead to the remainder of the Melbourne weekend, Dürksen expressed hope that the strong pace would continue in the Feature Race.
“I think last year I had also very good pace in Australia already, so I think Melbourne kind of fits me. I hope I can still be quick tomorrow and get more points.”
Handling expectations at a front-running team
Moving from AIX Racing to Invicta naturally increased expectations around Dürksen’s performances. Invicta Racing has established itself as one of the leading teams in the F2 paddock, meaning strong results are often anticipated. Nevertheless, Dürksen explained that he does not feel additional pressure from the change in circumstances.
“Not necessarily,” he replied when asked if he had been under additional pressure in the Sprint Race.
Instead, he emphasised that the key to championship success lies in maintaining consistent results throughout the season rather than focusing solely on individual victories. He also highlighted the advantage of having a competitive car capable of regularly fighting at the front.
“For sure, with Invicta, you are expected to win or at least have more consistent results and be all the time more in the front, which is also my target for myself because I know that in order to be a championship contender, what matters is to score points every single race and weekend. The guy that’s the most consistent is at the end the guy that wins. I think Invicta gives me this car, which allows me to be very consistent and on a good pace.”
Reflecting on his previous experience with AIX Racing, Dürksen noted that results were sometimes less predictable.
“With AIX, it was always a bit more up and down. Of course, when the victory was coming, we were extremely happy. With Invicta, as you said, people expect it to come, so it’s nothing new or something unexpected.”
Ultimately, however, his approach inside the cockpit remains unchanged.
“My approach is the same. I will just focus on doing my best, extract everything I can from the car and then the result is the result. At the end of the day, my job in the car is the same.”
Testing results offer limited insight
Despite strong performances during pre-season testing, Dürksen cautioned against reading too much into those results. Testing programmes often vary significantly between teams, which makes direct comparisons unreliable. Because of this, he believes that testing should mainly serve as preparation rather than a clear indicator of competitive order.
“Yeah, I think all the results from the pre-season testing are not really something you can measure or you can have as an official statistic, because of course every team does a different plan and strategies, and you don’t know if they are sandbagging or not, if they’re with a lot more fuel or weight than the others. So pre-season testing, for me, is not really a reference.”
Once the season begins, however, the true pace of each team becomes clearer as everyone pushes for points during qualifying and races. Even so, Dürksen stressed that different circuits can produce different competitive patterns throughout the year.
“I think in Melbourne, yes, of course, everybody’s showing everything they have on qualifying on the races, because of course now points are on the game. And how this can help to see how the teams will be on the next races, let’s see. I mean, at the end it depends on each track, because every track is different and every track may fit better a team, or maybe it’s a bit worse for another one.”
Therefore, he expects the competitive picture to evolve as the championship progresses.
“So it’s going to be difficult to judge, but I think over the year we will see, let’s say, a clearer tendency of who’s the fastest and who’s maybe struggling a bit more.”
Dürksen expecting Championship fight expected to be wide open
Although Dürksen has already taken an early victory, he remains cautious when discussing the championship battle. The F2 grid is highly competitive, and many drivers have the potential to challenge for the title over the course of the season.
“I mean, I think at least half of the grid can win the championship.”
At the same time, he expressed confidence in his own ability to fight for the crown while recognising the strength of his rivals.
“So you know, for sure I see that, I believe in myself that I can win the championship, but I know also that there are other drivers, like the ones that are sitting with me now, that also have the potential to win.”
Ultimately, Dürksen believes the title fight will come down to small margins and consistent execution across the entire season.
“So I think everybody can win it. It’s just going to be on the little details, but for sure I know that I have the potential to win the championship as well.”
With a victory already secured in Melbourne, the Invicta Racing driver has made an early statement as the 2026 F2 season gets underway.
