Joshua Dürksen’s 2025 Formula 2 season was defined by inconsistency until a decisive late surge showcased a driver capable of championship-level performances.
This season marked the Paraguayan drivers’ second campaign with AIX Racing in F2. Uniquely, Dürksen jumped from FRECA to F2, skipping the usual Formula 3 stop. However, in 2024, he finished 10th in the Drivers’ Standings with 87 points, including a Baku Sprint win and a Yas Island Feature Race victory.
Heading into 2025, Dürksen hoped to continue his progress, building on the confidence he gained from finishing the previous season with a win.
From victory to frustration
The 2025 F2 season opener in Melbourne saw a promising start for Dürksen. Qualifying P9, he claimed reverse-grid P2 for the Sprint and immediately surged into the lead off the line, cruising to victory with a 2.198-second lead. With this win, he led the Drivers’ Championship heading into Round 2, with the Melbourne Feature Race cancelled.
Bahrain, however, brought disappointment. Despite securing the Sprint Race pole, Dürksen struggled to match the pace of his rivals, falling back to a P3 finish. Unfortunately, post-race, he was disqualified after the Stewards found his car to be in breach of Article 3.4.1a of the F2 Technical Regulations. In particular, the Diffuser Stratek 1 measured 2mm below the permitted limit.
He later started and finished the feature Race in P10, losing the Championship lead and dropping down to eighth in the 2025 F2 Drivers’ Standings.
Lost momentum
The following rounds in Jeddah, Imola, Monaco, and Barcelona proved even more challenging as Dürksen faced a points drought. In Jeddah, a P18 qualifying result turned into P12 and P11 in the Sprint and Feature Races as he gained positions early but ultimately fell short of the points.
Round 5 in Monaco began on a high as Dürksen secured P6 in Group A qualifying, putting him P12 on the grid. However, the weekend soon turned into one of Dürksen’s worst 2025 F2 rounds. On Lap 6 of the Sprint, Dürksen collided with Oliver Goether at Mirabeau, triggering a safety car and a retirement. While in the Feature Race, he managed to avoid the first-lap chaos only to make contact with the wall at La Rascasse two laps later, resulting in his second DNF of the weekend.
Barcelona offered another point-scoring opportunity as Dürksen qualified P9 and started P2 in the Sprint. Unfortunately, technical issues with his AIX Racing car forced an unscheduled pit stop, leaving him four laps down when he rejoined in P20. The Feature Race saw further struggle as he finished in P17.
With the mid-season mark, Dürksen was left in P15 in the 2025 F2 Drivers’ Standings.
Glimpses of potential amid chaos
Spielberg offered a glimmer of hope as Dürksen qualified P8 and started P2 in the Sprint, taking the lead from John Bennett at light out. However, as the race progressed, he struggled for pace and eventually settled for P2 after Pepe Martí overtook him on Lap 18. He wasn’t able to challenge for points in the Feature Race either, as a puncture limited him to a P13 race result.
The following 2025 F2 round in Silverstone brought a minor improvement, with a Sprint P5 points finish, before a wet-race mistake led to a Feature DNF. Dürksen was running smoothly in P4 on Lap 28 until he spun on the Hamilton Straight after a safety car restart, and he was unable to get going again, leaving him with another retirement.
Spa and Budapest continued his no-points trend. In Belgium, Dürksen recorded his worst qualifying of the season in P21, and in Hungary, despite a strong P5 start, poor race executions dropped him to P11 and P12, respectively.
Finding form
Notably, the turning point of his 2025 F2 season came in Monza as Dürksen’s P7 qualifying led to a double podium weekend. In the Sprint, he recovered from a mediocre start that dropped him from P4 to P7, ultimately crossing the line in P4, but being promoted to P3 as the driver ahead served their time penalty. He continued his recovery form in the Feature Race, where he claimed P2.
The Baku Feature Race was arguably Dürksen’s best race of the 2025 F2 season, as he gained 12 positions, showcasing his true pace and racecraft. He originally started the race in P14 before climbing up to P10 by Lap 2 and continuing on to eventually challenge for the lead on Lap 25. Although the race leader, Jak Crawford, was able to hold off the on-the-charge Dürksen in a drag race to the line, the Paraguayan driver ultimately finished just 0.216 seconds behind Crawford.
These performances marked a significant shift in his confidence, consistency, and strategy.
Late-season surge
Dürksen’s late-season momentum carried through Lusail and Yas Island. In Lusail, he qualified P9 and claimed a Sprint podium with a strong P2 finish, briefly leading the race before Richard Verschoor claimed the top spot. While the Feature ended in P14, reflecting his still-growing competitiveness.
The 2025 F2 Yas Island season finale was the perfect ending to Dürksen’s campaign. After another P2 Sprint podium, Dürksen started P8 in the Feature before surging to P3 on Lap 1 and using a smart alternative pit strategy that saw him inherit the lead on the penultimate lap to secure victory.
With this, Dürksen claimed back-to-back Feature wins at the same track, one year apart, highlighting his driver development, particularly after having struggled earlier in the season.
Looking ahead to 2026
Joshua Dürksen placed 9th in the 2025 F2 Drivers’ Standings with 107 points. While the season was dominated by early inconsistency and setbacks, his end-of-season charge demonstrated both resilience and championship-level potential.
For the 2026 F2 season, Dürksen has parted ways with AIX racing, having received a promotion to Invicta Racing, alongside 2025 F3 Champion Rafael Câmara. Additionally, the Paraguayan driver will also step into a Mercedes F1 Development Driver role.
Therefore, without a doubt, Joshua Dürksen enters 2026 as a serious F2 Drivers’ Championship contender.
