With F2 going into the winter break, Van Amersfoort Racing’s (VAR) Team Principal, Bradley Joyce, had the chance to review the team’s 2025 performance. In a year where the outcomes were overall positive for the Dutch team, late-season improvements brought home some valuable points.
While VAR finished 10th in the Formula 2 Teams’ Championship, Rafael Villagómez had a great show of pace and skill in the last four rounds. The Mexican driver graduated to F2 in 2024, and his development so far highlights growth. Earning a total of 43 points, Villagómez finished his season in P14. However, his teammate, John Bennett, had a harder time finding his footing in the series.
The 2025 season progression
During the F2 post-season testing, Joyce reviewed Van Amersfoort Racing‘s efforts throughout the hectic 2025 season. Satisfied with the results they have managed to collect, Joyce took the time to praise their star driver, Villagómez:
“I think over the course of 2025, we made quite a lot of progress with the team and the car. And with Rafa [Villagómez] especially,” he explained after the F2 Yas Marina finale.
“He scored points in the last four events. If we can continue that into 2026, we’d be in quite a strong position. So I think we’ve definitely made some progress compared to the very beginning of the year.”
Furthermore, Joyce went on to highlight the benefits of the post-season test in Abu Dhabi: “Testing here helps us to continue to understand and develop the car, the setup and helps the team itself as well.”
Rafael Villagómez’s development
Joyce brought attention to the betterment of Villagómez’s driving in his second season with Van Amersfoort Racing. Ever since he adapted to his VAR car, the Mexican showed incredible promise.
Highlighting the work Villagómez put into getting himself into competitive positions, Joyce commended the 24-year-old’s developing form:
“Compared to the beginning, Rafa’s improved quite a lot. He’s really improved in many aspects. He’s now developed a lot more confidence as well. You could see that in Monza, where he was running at the front in the Feature Race. He got himself there.
“He was running at the pace of the leaders in the Sprint Race in Qatar. And the move he did at the end was very confident and strong. So he’s developed really well in terms of both ability to race and fight. His general pace has improved. So I think we’ve got a good basis to improve there some more as well.”
Taking on another season
Since joining the F2 grid in 2022, VAR as a team has gone through a tough learning process. Nevertheless, their incredibly promising 2025 season made Joyce feel even more optimistic for the F2 seasons ahead.
Focusing on growth, Joyce emphasised the difference in the team’s stability heading into 2026. Considering this aspect detrimental, the VAR Team Principal looked forward to their newfound competitiveness:
“We’re continuing with the same group of people in 2026. Whereas at the start of 2025, we had a completely new group of people together. It takes everyone time to gel. For example, our pitstops have been getting better and better. And we’re now pretty quick on the pit stops in the last few events.
“In general, I think we’re on a good trajectory. There’s still a lot of work to do, but everyone here is trying their hardest. But I think we’re making a lot of progress, so we’re mildly confident.”
High hopes for 2026
The key to showcasing competitiveness across the rounds in 2026 lies in a balance in the team. Aiming to improve on their 2023 P7 team finish, Joyce underlined the importance of evolving in all aspects at VAR. Following their 2025 season successes and mistakes, Joyce hopes to optimise Van Amersfoort Racing’s results in F2 next year.
“We’re focusing on everything from the way the team operates to how the engineering structure works. How the interactions with the drivers are, communication, car setup. Just incrementally improving in all these areas.
“There’s never one magic bullet, everyone’s got the same car in the beginning. So it’s about how you optimise that performance over the course of the season.”
