F2 | Feature Race | Belgian GP | Dunne regains Championship lead after wet race in Spa - Motorsport

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Spa-Francorchamps delivered another chaotic chapter in the 2025 F2 championship as torrential rain, bold overtakes, and late-race drama defined a gripping Feature Race on Sunday at the Belgian GP. Rodin Motorsport’s Alexander Dunne rose above the chaos to take a crucial victory, converting a dominant Qualifying performance into his second Feature Race win of the season. The Irishman kept a cool head amid fluctuating conditions, strategic gambles, and persistent pressure from ART Grand Prix’s Ritomo Miyata and Hitech Pulse-Eight’s Arvid Lindblad.

The race followed the abandoned FIA F3 Feature Race, which was called off due to unsafe weather. Although conditions remained challenging, F2 proceeded under the Safety Car with all 22 drivers starting on wet tyres. With the title fight tightening and only four rounds remaining after Belgium, the Spa Feature Race proved decisive — not just for Dunne’s campaign, but for several key contenders who found themselves battling both the weather and each other.

From early pit strategies to dramatic spins and a fiery late retirement that brought out the red flag, the 25-lap contest was anything but straightforward. Here’s how the action unfolded at the legendary 7.004 km circuit in the Ardennes.

Dunne leads the grid after dominant Qualifying

Rodin Motorsport’s Alexander Dunne lined up on pole position at Spa-Francorchamps on Sunday, looking to convert a commanding Qualifying into a vital win in the 2025 F2 title fight. The Irishman had dominated Friday’s sessions, topping Free Practice before storming to his second pole of the season with a blistering 1:57.151—seven tenths clear of the next best time. Starting alongside him on the front row was ART Grand Prix’s Ritomo Miyata, who narrowly edged Invicta Racing’s Roman Staněk in a tightly contested session.

Behind them, Victor Martins and Arvid Lindblad lined up fourth and fifth, the latter hoping to rebound after a frustrating Sprint Race that saw him penalised for contact with Dino Beganovic. Campos teammate Pepe Martí joined Lindblad on row three, followed by Sprint Race winner Leonardo Fornaroli, who also inherited the fastest lap point after Lindblad’s demotion. Fornaroli’s Saturday triumph moved him to third in the standings, capitalising on the retirements of rivals Richard Verschoor and Luke Browning.

Further down the grid, Cordeel and Goethe—who had started Saturday’s reverse-grid Sprint from the front row—occupied ninth and tenth, while title contender Verschoor found himself back in 11th, still reeling from his Sprint DNF. Browning started alongside him in 12th, also needing to recover after his early exit on Saturday.

As the field prepared for 25 laps around Spa’s 7.004 km of iconic elevation and high-speed corners, the stakes were high. With the championship battle tightening and only four rounds remaining after Belgium, the Feature Race promised another pivotal chapter in an already fiercely contested 2025 F2 season.

Wet conditions persist after F3 abandonment

After torrential rain forced the abandonment of the FIA F3 Feature Race earlier in the day, the F2 grid cautiously lined up behind the Safety Car for a formation lap on full wet tyres. Though the rain had eased, the circuit remained soaked and visibility was a major concern. All 22 drivers completed the formation lap without incident, a stark contrast to the chaos seen in F3.

Prema Racing informed Gabriele Minì of imminent rainfall as teams braced for more wet-weather running. Race Control initially called for a rolling start but then instructed a second formation lap. As the Safety Car peeled into the pits, Alexander Dunne led the field to green flag conditions, slightly overcooking the final chicane but maintaining P1. Behind him, Roman Staněk dove down the inside of Ritomo Miyata at La Source for P2 but suffered a huge snap of oversteer through Eau Rouge and Les Combes, ultimately surrendering the position back. Dunne immediately began to build a lead, stretching a 1.8s gap from the chasing pack.

Midfield fights and changing conditions

As rainfall returned, Luke Browning surged to P11 by passing Amaury Cordeel into Les Combes. Minì locked into a battle for P7 with Josep María Martí but couldn’t find a way past into La Source. Martí, however, got the better of Leonardo Fornaroli down the Kemmel Straight to claim P6.

Fornaroli, struggling in worsening conditions, called the track “undrivable” on team radio before running wide at Eau Rouge. Miyata closed the gap to Dunne from 2.3s to 1.4s as Dunne reported his tyres were “dead”—a widespread issue across the grid.

Arvid Lindblad, keeping a clean run, edged into striking range of Victor Martins for P4, staying within half a second. Meanwhile, the battle for P11 intensified, with Dino Beganovic holding off Richard Verschoor on Lap 6. Down the Kemmel Straight, Minì finally dispatched Fornaroli for P7 as Sebastián Montoya slipped back to P15. Beganovic continued his charge by passing Goethe for P10 at Turn 14.

Early pit strategies and pressure at the front

Lap 7 saw Meguetounif, Maini, and Montoya dive into the pits for fresh wets, fulfilling the mandatory stop early as the rain persisted. On Lap 8, Dunne came under serious pressure from Miyata. The Japanese driver closed to within three-tenths at La Source and launched a move down the Kemmel Straight, but Dunne defended well to hold the lead.

Brief yellow flags flew as both Jak Crawford and Montoya went off-track but rejoined safely. Browning passed Fornaroli for P9 into La Source while Miyata resumed his attack on Dunne. Race Control issued Victor Martins a black and white flag for repeated track limit violations. Meanwhile, Lindblad continued harassing the Frenchman, staying glued to his gearbox.

As Fornaroli fell back, he came under pressure from Beganovic, eventually conceding P9. Minì received a black and white flag, and the Stewards escalated Martins’ warnings into a five-second time penalty, complicating ART’s race as Lindblad pressed harder.

Pit stops shuffle the order

Lap 11 triggered another pit window, with Minì, Beganovic, Fornaroli, and Verschoor swapping to new wets. Martins received an additional five-second penalty and served both during his stop on the next lap. Staněk, Martí, and Browning followed him into the pit lane as Maini and Montoya also picked up track limits warnings.

On warmer tyres, Beganovic overtook Martí for P10. The leaders responded to the rain and pitted shortly after. Dunne rejoined in P4, retaining the net lead, with Staněk hot on his heels in P5. Browning spun on pit exit, losing several places, while Staněk attempted a move into Les Combes. Dunne resisted the challenge as Miyata slotted in behind, just ahead of Lindblad.

Despite not having stopped yet, Dunne reclaimed the on-track lead after a clean pass around the outside of Goethe at Puhon. Goethe, preparing to pit, slowed dramatically, inadvertently bunching up the field. Staněk, caught off guard, lost P2 to Miyata, and Lindblad capitalised at Turn 1 to snatch P3. However, Lindblad was noted for a pit lane infringement.

Goethe returned to the circuit in P17 but gained a place when Villagómez went wide. On Lap 17, Miyata spun on corner exit at Pouhon, dropping to P4 and promoting Lindblad and Staněk to P2 and P3 respectively. Meanwhile, Fornaroli muscled past Beganovic through Eau Rouge in a bold, high-speed move for P7.

Late Safety Car shakes up finale as Goethe brings out red flag

As Lap 18 began, Browning recovered further by diving up the inside of Martí for P5. Montoya, enduring a nightmare race, spun and stalled, prompting a yellow flag and the deployment of the Safety Car. Though he avoided the barriers, his race ended prematurely.

The Safety Car neutralised Dunne’s four-second lead, and with only five laps left, the possibility of the race finishing under caution loomed. Verschoor, Shields, and Maini used the Safety Car to make a second stop, gambling on any further developments to move up from the back. Any chance of ending the race under green flag conditions was destroyed as Goethe’s race went up in smoke. With smoke bellowing from his car, he came to a halt down the Kemmel Straight. With Goethe’s car on fire, Race Control red-flagged the race with three laps to spare. However, having completed the required distance, the finishers were awarded full points, with Dunne claiming victory, ahead of Lindblad and Staněk.