The 2025 F2 championship arrives at the Hungarian GP this weekend for Round 10, marking the final race before the summer break. Leonardo Fornaroli and Invicta Racing hold the lead in both the Drivers’ and Teams’ Championships. However, the tight points battle ensures rivals will push hard to challenge their advantage as the title fight intensifies.
Weekend schedule and key sessions
The Hungarian GP weekend begins on Friday with a crucial 45-minute Free Practice session at 11:05 local time. This session provides teams and drivers their first opportunity to adapt to the demanding Hungaroring and refine car setups ahead of qualifying.
Qualifying takes place later on Friday at 15:55. It is a pivotal session that determines the grid for both the Sprint and Feature Races, setting the stage for the weekend’s drama.
The Sprint Race will be held on Saturday at 14:15, a shorter and more aggressive contest offering vital points and track position. Sunday’s Feature Race begins at 10:00, carrying the most championship points and potentially decisive for the title standings ahead of the summer hiatus.
Track records and season highlights
Kush Maini is the sole driver currently on the grid with previous F2 race wins at Budapest, having taken the 2024 Sprint Race victory. Historically, converting pole into a Feature Race win at the Hungaroring has been rare; only Oliver Rowland (2017) and Jack Doohan (2023) have done so, while this season’s sole pole-to-Feature win was Arvid Lindblad in Barcelona.
The 2025 season has featured nine different race winners so far, underscoring the field’s competitiveness. The inherited Feature Race win for Roman Staněk at Spa added further intrigue to the championship picture.
Insights from the F2 grid
ART Grand Prix’s Victor Martins described the Hungaroring as a highly technical circuit demanding a blend of high, medium, and low-speed cornering. He pointed to Turn 1 as the prime overtaking spot, especially after the DRS zone down the main straight, with Turn 2 also presenting a second chance to pass. Martins emphasised the physical and technical demands, especially given the expected hot conditions.
“It’s a really technical track. It’s got everything, high-speed, low-speed, and medium-speed corners, and it also demands a lot of the tyres. Turn 1 is probably the best place to overtake. I think after the DRS zone and the main straight, the braking zone is the best place to overtake. There is also Turn 2 as well after another DRS zone.”
“Budapest is quite demanding on the tyres. Physically, also, at this time of the year, it’s quite hot and with the track itself, you need to be in the flow of things, and you have to get everything right without over pushing. There are a lot of medium speed corners, so you have to get the setup right, so you can feel confident.”
Circuit characteristics and setup challenges
According to F2 Technical Director Pierre-Alain Michot, the Hungaroring requires a high-downforce setup due to its prevalence of medium and low-speed corners. This layout places significant demands on the tyres, especially if track temperatures rise, as they often do in Budapest.
“The Hungaroring is a very unique circuit that requires a high downforce setup, as it is a track that has a lot of medium and low speed corners. This means there will be a lot of demands placed on the tyres, especially if temperatures are high, which they can be in Budapest, so managing the tyres, not only in the races, but also across their Qualifying laps will be key for the drivers.
“However, even with the number of corners, braking demands are not high, with Turn 1 the only heavy braking zone. There are also two DRS zones to open the lap, giving the drivers opportunities to overtake.”
Despite the many corners, braking demands remain relatively low, with Turn 1 the only heavy braking zone. Two DRS zones offer overtaking opportunities, but the twisty nature of the track means track position and tyre management will be crucial.
Tyre strategy and Pirelli outlook
Pirelli has supplied the Medium and Soft compounds for the weekend, returning to consecutive tyre choices following last year’s experiment with a wider gap between compounds. This should encourage strategic diversity in the Feature Race, with teams likely to split between softer and harder tyre strategies.
Last year’s high track temperatures reduced graining risk, favouring the Soft tyre despite its higher degradation. For the Sprint Race, the harder compound is expected to be preferred. However, if cooler conditions prevail, drivers will need to carefully manage tyres to avoid graining and performance drops.
Championship battle: Leaders and contenders
Leonardo Fornaroli’s recent rise to the top marks the eighth different championship leader after nine rounds, highlighting the season’s competitiveness. He leads Richard Verschoor by three points, with Jak Crawford, Alexander Dunne, and Luke Browning close behind, separated by just a few points.
Verschoor, Dunne, and Browning have all previously led the 2025 F2 championship, meaning the Hungarian GP offers a crucial opportunity for any of the top five to assert control before the break. Fornaroli’s strong recent form and solid Budapest record in F3 position him as a serious contender to maintain his lead.
Teams’ Championship: Campos’ in the hunt
Campos Racing finds themselves just outside the top five, with Josep María Martí and Arvid Lindblad sixth and seventh in the standings, separated by a single point. Both drivers showed strong pace at Spa, with Lindblad poised for a Feature Race win before a post-race disqualification for a technical infringement denied him victory.
Campos have now ceded the Teams’ Championship lead to Invicta for the first time since Barcelona. A strong Hungarian GP weekend is essential if they hope to reclaim top spot and build momentum heading into the 2025 F2 season’s latter stages.
Weather impact: Rain as a potential game-changer
Rain is forecast for Sunday’s Feature Race, which could dramatically influence the race outcome and championship standings. Hitech TGR will welcome wet conditions, having excelled in rain-affected Feature Races at Silverstone and Spa, with Luke Browning and Dino Beganovic both recovering from outside the top ten to claim podiums.
If rain arrives, Hitech will be confident of capitalising on their wet-weather pace — provided they secure strong qualifying positions in the top ten on Friday.
2024 Recap
At the previous round, Paul Aron took pole position, followed by Enzo Fittipaldi and Isack Hadjar. Richard Verschoor started the Sprint Race from pole and fought a close battle with Andrea Kimi Antonelli. Despite briefly losing the lead, Verschoor regained it to take the win, only to be disqualified post-race due to a technical infringement, handing Kush Maini the victory.
In the Feature Race, Aron’s mistake at Turn 1 allowed Victor Martins to take the lead. Multiple safety cars intervened, benefiting Antonelli who made additional pit stops for fresh tyres and powered to his first Feature Race victory of the season.
Anticipations and stakes for Budapest
As the 2025 F2 championship reaches its summer break, the Hungarian GP stands as a pivotal weekend that could set the tone for the rest of the campaign. The circuit’s technical demands, tyre management challenges, and potential rain make for a complex, high-stakes environment.
With championship contenders tightly packed, every session, every overtaking move, and every pit stop could prove decisive. Fans can expect a weekend filled with fierce competition and strategic intrigue, where consistency and adaptability will be rewarded.
