The Formula 2 round in Baku was a strong representation of Joshua Duerksen’s talent. After Qualifying P15 on Friday due to consistent red flag interruptions, he revived his weekend on Saturday, and moreso on Sunday. He reflected on his weekend in Baku during a post-race Press Conference, attended by Pit Debrief.
While Saturday’s Sprint Race saw Duerksen climbing to P9, the AIX driver went further in the Feature Race to drive from P15 to P2. This sees him heading into the final to rounds P12 in the Driver’s Championship Standings with 66 points under his belt.
A well-fought podium after a P15 start
The Baku City Circuit is a track that Duerksen seems to continuously perform well at. In 2024, the F2 Sprint Race in Baku is where he saw his maiden win. Once again, Duerksen had major pace around the circuit. The Paraguayan put this pace down to nailing the car setup in relation to track conditions.
Despite his speed in 2024, he acknowledged that even then his Qualifying wasn’t strong enough. With high expectations for this year, a red flag interrupted Qualifying session halted his expectations. Even with the challenge of starting 15th, Duerksen proved the talent he has. He noted that with a mega start, and a strong car, he quickly made his way up through the field.
“You know, I think we just hit it right with the setup, with the track conditions and everything. I mean, we were a quick last year. We just didn’t get it right on Qualifying. We expected something that at the end wasn’t like that on Qualifying, especially with the red flags, everything just got very tricky. So we didn’t really manage to make a lap. So this of course put us on P15.
“But today I think we nailed it with the car. I felt really great with the car, I had a mega start. I don’t know how many cars I overtook on the first lap, but I think I went from 15 to P9 maybe after the first lap, something like this. Then just the pace was just good. You know, I felt comfortable with the car. I felt confident. As I said to you, last year we were quick here as well. So I have good memories in Baku and I know I have the speed. I know the car has the speed. So I think today we just got everything together and it went perfect.”
When asked what it is about the Baku circuit that allows him to perform well, he was not certain. He mentioned that he liked the layout. Further to this, he believes the car fits his driving style, and the track suits both those factors. Although he wasn’t certain why, he was certain that this track suits him well.
“I really don’t know, to be honest, I think I just feel confident with this track. I think I just like the layout. And I think what’s also the most important is that the car fits to my driving style. And I think the car and my driving style fit quite well to this track. So I think, I really don’t know why I like that much Baku, but somehow it fits me.”
Grip affecting his ability to take the lead
Despite his strong climb from P15 to P2, the win was just out of his reach. A key factor to his inability to secure the win comes down to the lack of grip. Duerksen reflected on his attempts to get past Jak Crawford, noting many times the grip stopped him.
Duerksen also payed grace to the ability to defend displayed by Crawford, which firmly kept the Paraguayan at bay. He mentioned that the track seemed damp a mere hour before the race, leaving the team and himself questioning their expectations. Despite this, he remained incredibly happy for his time, and acknowledged how well they performed in these conditions.
“Yeah, I tried around the outside in T1, but the grip was not feeling great. So I decided to maybe back off a bit there and then just try again in T3. Because there are a lot of cases where people try to overtake around the outside and they just go into the wall. You know, and the grip was really poor there. So I was like, it’s not going to work. So I just tried to then get him back in T3.
“And Jak [Crawford], he defended really well the last laps. I was trying to catch him. He had also a good pace. And just I wish we had one or two more laps. Then I think I may could have got him. But he did a really great race and just really happy for the team, to be honest, especially with these conditions, you know, because it rained in the morning.
“One hour before, it was still kind of damp, wettish. So we didn’t really know what to expect for the race, especially with the car balance and the behaviour of the tyres. But as I told you, I think we nailed it today.”
Windy conditions posing a challenge
The conditions across the weekend remained fairly windy, which contributed to the challenging conditions. In reflection on the effects of the wind, Duerksen noted that it was mainly down the main straight, and into turn three. Between slower speed corners, and parts of the track wrapped in infrastructure, the winds were manageable for Duerksen.
The Paraguayan also noted that in certain laps, his car suddenly jolted left or right. After retrieving the data, he added that while using DRS, the wind gusts would drop his speed greatly.
While the tailwind remained quite unpredictable, he remained thankful that it wasn’t headwind. He acknowledged the chaos this would’ve ensued into turn one. While the tailwind remained consistent, Duerksen noted the feeling it gave to the car, adding the extra challenge.
“Yeah, for me, it’s pretty much the same as Jak [Crawford]. I felt it mainly in the main straight and also in the straight into T3. Luckily, in the corners, I couldn’t feel it that much because, of course, we’re going a lot slower speeds. And as Jak said, we’re a bit more in the hidden side, you know, between the buildings, everything. So, of course, the wind is a bit less strong there. But on the straights, it was exactly like Jak said.
“I mean, in some laps, suddenly in the middle of the straight, the car was going right or suddenly to the left. And even yesterday, I checked the data. I was going once with DRS open and then suddenly on the data, I just saw how the speed suddenly just dropped like 10k just because of the wind gusts.
“So, the wind was quite unpredictable. Luckily, I think for all of us drivers, it’s good that we had headwind instead of tailwind for T1 because I think then we would have a big chaos into T1 braking. Luckily, at least this was quite consistent. It was consistently being tailwind but, of course, side to side as well and tricky to manage. Mainly, if you have many cars in front because you’re in the tow, you have already very low downforce because you have less air and then DRS open and all this stuff. So, then with every movement of the wind, you definitely feel it a lot in the car.”
A reminder of the enjoyment in racing
In a question asked by Pit Debrief, Duerksen reflected on why he started racing—races like this being a reminder. While he acknowledged the love for the sport, he added that the waiting game and pressure adds enjoyment.
The Baku circuit offers him a mix of “fun, adrenaline, and pressure”, due to the tight and technical nature of the circuit. Duerksen further noted that racing is his favourite part in life, and remained happy that he is able to do what he loves.
“Yeah, I mean, for sure, it reminds me why I started racing. It’s just the love for the sport, you know, and especially races like this. It just makes it a lot more enjoyable just to have the feeling that you just have to pay to kind of overtake. And I think that’s the most fun we as drivers can have.
“For sure, there is pressure because Baku is a track that forgives very little. So one late braking and then, well, your race can be over, you know. And of course, it’s a street circuit, so every little mistake can cost you a lot. But just I love it, you know, I just love this mix of having fun, adrenaline and pressure.
“I don’t know, I feel like that’s my, it’s like the favourite part of my life, you know, just racing, just being in the car and just enjoying what I do.”
