Cian Shields’ 2025 F2 season ended without a single point, with the rookie finishing 24th in the Drivers’ Standings for AIX Racing. Across all 14 rounds, Shields struggled to find consistent qualifying pace and race execution, completing the year as the only full-season driver not to score.
Qualifying proved to be the defining weakness of Shields’ 2025 F2 season. Starting toward the back of the grid on most weekends left him vulnerable to midfield incidents and limited his ability to recover through strategy. Even when race pace improved, opportunities to move forward were often constrained by track position.
The contrast within AIX Racing was evident throughout the campaign. Shields’ teammate, Joshua Dürksen secured multiple victories and podium finishes, regularly fighting inside the points and at times at the front of the field. While rookie seasons are rarely straightforward, the internal comparison made Shields’ results harder to contextualize, as the car consistently demonstrated its potential on the other side of the garage.
Closest calls to points
Despite Shields finishing the 2025 F2 season without points, he did have a small number of weekends where a breakthrough appeared possible. His strongest showing came at Imola, where he finished 11th in the Feature Race after remaining in contention through the pit stop phase.
That Imola result stood as Shields’ best classified finish of the year and his closest approach to the top ten. It showed that, under specific circumstances, points were within reach if he could remain connected to the midfield long enough for strategy to play a role.
Monaco offered a similar glimpse of opportunity. Early incidents elevated Shields into a stronger track position during the Feature Race, briefly placing him on the edge of the points. However, a combination of strategy and late-race interruptions saw him drop back before the finish.
As with Imola, the opportunity passed without a tangible result, reinforcing how narrow the margins were throughout the 2025 F2 season.
DNFs and inconsistency
DNFs disrupted several weekends during Shields’ 2025 F2 season, including races at Jeddah and Monaco. These retirements ended potential recovery drives early and reduced valuable race mileage in an already difficult campaign.
Even in races he finished, consistency proved difficult to establish. Shields often ran in the lower midfield and struggled to benefit from Safety Cars or alternative strategies without stronger starting positions. As a result, progress across consecutive rounds remained limited.
The combination of qualifying difficulties and interrupted race weekends prevented Shields from building sustained momentum across consecutive rounds, leaving little opportunity to reset the trajectory of his season.
Late-season contrast
The final third of Shields’ 2025 Formula 2 season coincided with a clear improvement in AIX Racing’s overall performance. Strong results elsewhere in the team confirmed the car’s competitiveness late in the year and highlighted the progress made behind the scenes.
Shields, however, remained outside the points through the closing rounds, including Qatar and Abu Dhabi. Despite the improved backdrop, the gap established earlier in the season remained largely unchanged through to the final standings.
Signs of progress and 2026 outlook
Despite the lack of points, AIX Racing confirmed Shields for a second season in 2026, framing Shields’ 2025 F2 season as a developmental campaign. The team has pointed to improved trends and underlying performance indicators as reasons for continued confidence.
After a full campaign without scoring, the expectations for 2026 are clearly defined. The young driver will need to translate experience into consistent results and demonstrate measurable progress in Formula 2, with points now the minimum benchmark rather than the long-term target.
