2025 F2 Championship Standings after the Qatar Sprint Race

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The 2025 FIA F2 title fight tightened dramatically after a fiercely contested Qatar GP Sprint Race, which reshuffled the championship order once again. Although Leonardo Fornaroli still leads, the evening in Lusail allowed several rivals to close in, while others faltered at a crucial moment.

Before the Sprint, the Baku Feature Race standings placed Fornaroli on 188 points, just ahead of Jak Crawford on 169, with Luke Browning and Richard Verschoor close behind. However, after a chaotic reverse-grid Sprint in Qatar, the updated order now reads: Fornaroli 191, Crawford 170, Verschoor 162, Browning 161, and Dunne 134. Consequently, with only a handful of points separating the top four, the battle remains wide open.

Grid setbacks and strong starts

Because Oliver Goethe received a three-place grid penalty for impeding Martinius Stenshorne in Qualifying, he started P13. Therefore, Richard Verschoor inherited pole alongside Joshua Dürksen, with Rafael Villagómez and debutant Nikola Tsolov just behind. Meanwhile, Fornaroli lined up P9, while main title rivals Crawford and Browning started far down the order in P15 and P18 respectively.

As the lights went out, Dürksen immediately surged into the lead, while Tsolov impressed by sweeping past Villagómez. Moreover, Crawford made a crucial recovery, climbing to 11th on the opening lap. Conversely, Browning remained trapped in the lower midfield, unable to make early progress.

Intense mid-race battles

Verschoor reclaimed the lead on Lap 4 and began pulling away as the race settled. Meanwhile, Villagómez fought Tsolov relentlessly, Fornaroli closed on team-mate Roman Staněk, and Goethe drifted into the gravel during a duel with Arvid Lindblad. Furthermore, James Wharton’s off-track excursion—after a clash with Laurens van Hoepen—triggered the first safety car, which encouraged several drivers, including Browning, to pit for soft tyres.

The restart proved only a brief calm. Soon after, Kush Maini pulled off with a technical issue, and later Cian Shields spun into the gravel, causing yet another safety car. As a result, a three-lap shootout to the flag awaited the field.

A chaotic closing Sprint Race

Although Verschoor hesitated at the restart, he maintained control. Behind him, Villagómez and Tsolov clashed twice in an increasingly aggressive podium fight. First Tsolov pushed Villagómez wide; then Villagómez retaliated, forcing the Bulgarian into the gravel and dropping him to tenth after a promising debut.

Verschoor held firm to take a vital victory, followed by Dürksen and Villagómez. Meanwhile, Fornaroli’s sixth place kept his title hopes intact, Crawford’s eighth gave him modest gains, and Browning’s seventeenth dealt the Briton a heavy blow. Furthermore, Alex Dunne’s strong fifth-place finish helped him consolidate his position in the upper midfield.

Updated standings and what comes next

With the Sprint points counted, Fornaroli stays in the lead on 191, although his margin over Crawford has grown to 21. Moreover, Verschoor’s win elevates him to 162, firmly re-establishing him as a contender, though Fornaroli could seal the title in Sunday’s Feature Race. Browning drops to fourth with 161 after a difficult race, while Dunne sits securely in fifth on 134. Further down the order, Villagómez jumps to 35 points, and Stenshorne finally opens his tally with two.

As the paddock prepares for the decisive Feature Race, the championship looks more volatile than ever. Indeed, with multiple drivers still within reach of the crown, every point gained—or lost—now carries enormous weight. Furthermore, with rookies shining, tempers flaring, and strategies evolving, the Qatar weekend promises even more twists before the title fight reaches its climax.