Following a turbulent 2024 campaign, Joshua Dürksen returned to the FIA Formula 2 Championship in 2025, joining forces with rookie Cian Shields. Although he began the season on a strong note, building on the momentum from a solid conclusion to the previous year, his form soon deteriorated. As the season progressed, his performances became increasingly inconsistent. Now, with six rounds completed, the Paraguayan driver finds himself languishing in 15th place in the Drivers’ Championship, having accumulated a modest total of eleven points.
A marvellous start in Melbourne
After securing victory in the 2024 Yas Island F2 Feature Race, Joshua Dürksen carried his strong form into the opening round of the 2025 season. Despite qualifying in tenth, he earned a front-row start for the Sprint Race and made the most of the opportunity. Although not considered the favourite, Dürksen drew on his experience to make an excellent start, overtaking Invicta Racing’s Leonardo Fornaroli—the reigning FIA Formula 3 champion.
Despite the challenging nature of the Albert Park Circuit and less-than-ideal weather conditions, Dürksen maintained his composure and defended the lead with determination. He successfully kept Fornaroli at bay throughout the race and crossed the line first, securing his first ten points of the season. With the Feature Race subsequently cancelled due to worsening weather, Dürksen departed Melbourne leading the 2025 F2 Drivers’ Championship.
It marked a highly promising beginning to his second campaign in F2.
A sour turn of fortune in Sakhir
Dürksen’s campaign took a disappointing turn just weeks later at the 2025 Sakhir F2 Round. After delivering an impressive performance in Qualifying, where he secured P10 as the chequered flag fell, he was rewarded with a pole position start for the Sprint Race. However, he struggled to match the pace of his rivals. Campos Racing’s Pepe Martí, who surged through the field from P11, and MP Motorsport’s Richard Verschoor both proved too strong. Dürksen eventually crossed the line in P3, narrowly ahead of Hitech TGR’s Dino Beganovic, who had started alongside him on the front row in P2.
Yet, Dürksen’s disappointment deepened when the Stewards disqualified him for a technical infringement. His car was found to be in breach of Article 3.4.1a of the FIA Formula 2 Technical Regulations, with Diffuser Strake 1 measured at 2mm below the permitted limit.
After such a frustrating end to his Saturday, Dürksen looked to Sunday’s Feature Race for redemption. However, starting once again from P10, he faced a significant challenge. Although several drivers managed to make notable gains—including Campos Racing’s Martí and Arvid Lindblad, who rose to P4 and P8 from P11 and P16 respectively, and Prema Racing’s Gabriele Minì, who climbed from P12 to P9—Dürksen remained stuck in the midfield. He ultimately finished in P10, adding a single point to his total.
As a result, he left Sakhir sitting eighth in the 2025 F2 Championship standings with eleven points.
Jeddah woes continue Dürksen’s downward slide
Unfortunately, the 2025 Jeddah F2 Round offered Dürksen no opportunity for redemption. His weekend began on the back foot with a disappointing Qualifying session, where he could manage no better than P18.
Although he made some progress in the Sprint Race, gaining several positions through the opening laps, he ultimately fell short of the points, crossing the line in P12. The Feature Race followed a similar pattern. Despite showing slightly improved pace and climbing to P11, he once again finished outside the points.
As a result, Dürksen departed Jeddah empty-handed. The lack of progress saw him drop further in the standings, falling to 11th in the 2025 F2 Championship standings.
Pointless in Imola as struggles persist
At the 2025 Imola F2 Round, Joshua Dürksen’s struggles continued. After a difficult Qualifying session, he was only able to secure P14 on the grid. In the Sprint Race, he gained a few positions but ultimately finished in P11, narrowly missing out on the points. The Feature Race brought little improvement. Despite a clean start, Dürksen was unable to mount a meaningful challenge and finished P13.
With no points added to his tally, he left Imola having dropped to 12th in the FIA Formula 2 Drivers’ Championship.
Monte Carlo misfortune amidst an unravelling season
The 2025 Monte Carlo F2 Round presented Dürksen with a chance to reverse his downward trajectory, and he showed early promise with a decent Qualifying performance, securing P6 in Group A. This placed him 12th on the grid for the Sprint Race. However, his hopes were short-lived. On Lap 3, Dürksen collided with Oliver Goethe while exiting Mirabeau, triggering a Safety Car. The incident forced Dürksen into immediate retirement, while John Bennett, who brushed the wall in the aftermath, also retired after returning to the pits.
Starting 12th once again for Sunday’s Feature Race, Dürksen managed to survive a chaotic first-lap incident involving Max Esterson, Pepe Martí, Ritomo Miyata, Gabriele Minì, Richard Verschoor, Victor Martins, and Alex Dunne—the latter responsible for the collision. Yet, just two laps later, Dürksen’s race took another turn for the worse when he made contact with the wall at La Rascasse. The crash prompted another yellow flag, followed shortly by a Virtual Safety Car.
Although both Dürksen and Kush Maini were investigated for causing a collision at Turn 17, the Stewards ultimately took no further action. Nevertheless, Dürksen did not reach the chequered flag.
With zero points scored in Monaco, he slipped further down the order, now sitting 15th in the FIA F2 Drivers’ Championship.
Barcelona brings further frustration
The 2025 Barcelona F2 Round presented Joshua Dürksen with another opportunity to revive his faltering season. A solid Qualifying performance saw him secure P9, placing him on the front row for the Sprint Race under reverse grid conditions. Early signs suggested a potential repeat of his Melbourne success—this time in far more favourable weather.
However, the promise soon evaporated. The Sprint Race took a dramatic twist on Lap 18 when Gabriele Minì and Sebastián Montoya collided. Although Montoya was able to rejoin the race, the incident prompted a major strategic shift throughout the field.
The leading group opted to stay out on heavily worn hard tyres, relying on track position to hold off late challengers. Meanwhile, a group of drivers—including Verschoor, Dunne, Martins, Meguetounif, Coordeel, Villagómez, Montoya, Shields, Lindblad, and Dürksen—dived into the pits for fresh softs, a move that proved decisive for many.
Yet Dürksen was unable to take advantage. His race had already begun to unravel on Lap 13, when a technical issue forced him to slow dramatically and make an unscheduled pit stop. Although he eventually rejoined, he finished four laps down, well adrift of the points.
The Feature Race offered little redemption. Starting once again from P9, Dürksen struggled for pace and steadily slipped down the order, eventually crossing the line in a disappointing 17th place.
Having failed to score in Barcelona, Dürksen remains 15th in the FIA F2 Drivers’ Championship, with a modest total of eleven points from the opening six rounds.
A season of unfulfilled potential?
As the 2025 FIA F2 season unfolds, Joshua Dürksen’s campaign has been marked by flashes of promise overshadowed by a string of setbacks. Despite a strong start in Melbourne that suggested a return to form, a series of technical issues, collisions, and strategic misfortunes have hindered his progress. With no points scored in recent rounds and a fall to 15th in the Drivers’ Championship, Dürksen faces a challenging road ahead. To revive his season, he will need to convert potential into consistent performances and capitalise on opportunities if he hopes to climb the standings and reclaim the momentum he displayed at the outset of the year.
