F2 | Sprint Race | Abu Dhabi GP | Lindblad holds off Dürksen as he claims victory in final 2025 reverse grid race - Motorsport

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After a tricky Qualifying session at the F2 Abu Dhabi GP, the 22 drivers settled nicely into the grid for the final Sprint Race of 2025. The pressure was high, yet Arvid Lindblad overcame Yas Marina’s challenges as he victoriously drove his Campos into P1.

Coming into the finale with the Drivers’ Championship already decided, the focus turns to the teams as they battle to claim the win. Invicta Racing is ahead of the rest of the teams, with 296 total points. However, Hitech TGR is not far behind, sitting close at a 35-point gap.

Getting ready for the Sprint’s reverse-grid format, Arvid Lindblad will start his race from pole. Initially supposed to accompany his teammate, Nikola Tsolov received a three-place grid penalty for impeding Luke Brownin during Qualifying. In his place came Joshua Dürksen, who will line up second, completing the front row.

The starting grid

Holding steady in the second row for the F2 Abu Dhabi GP Sprint are Victor Martins and Oliver Goethe. Behind them, Nikola Tsolov slotted into P5, sharing the third row with Sebastian Montoya. One row down, in P7 and P8 were Dino Beganovic and the 2025 champion, Leonardo Fornaroli. Rounding out the top 10 were Jak Crawford and Roman Staněk.

The rest of the drivers followed their normal qualifying positions, completing the starting grid as such: Alex Dunne (P11), Richard Verschoor (P12), Gabriele Mini (P13), Ritomo Miyata (P14), John Bennet (P15), Rafael Villagomez (P16), Luke Browning (P17), Martinius Stenshorne (P18), Laurnes van Hoepen (P19), Kush Maini (P20), Cian Shields (P21), and Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak (P22).

Green lights for the Sprint

With all 22 drivers aligned in their respective starting positions, the F2 Abu Dhabi GP Sprint Race began at 16:15 local time. In the 23-lap race, Arvid Lindblad will need to defend against attacks in order to convert his pole into a win. Nevertheless, at Yas Marina, a noticeably promising circuit for overtaking, the drivers have many opportunities to pass in the two DRS zones.

Starting in pretty windy conditions, Arvid Lindblad led Dürksen through Turn 1. Unfortunately for Martins, a slow start caused him to drop. In the first lap, Dino Beganovic managed to put just enough pressure on Martins as he overtook the French driver.

As the DRS got enabled, both Campos Racing cars climbed into the top 3. Furthermore, looking to take advantage of the tailwind, Dürksen set a fastest lap in his pursuit of that P1. Additionally, the Stewards noted two incidents already, one involving Martinius Stenshore after he launched into the air after hitting a bollard and catching a sausage kerb on the inside of turn 1.

Tight battles

The first laps of the F2 Abu Dhabi GP Sprint showcased the complete chaos on the Yas Marina Circuit as the drivers tried their best to shave off the cars ahead. Meanwhile, Arvid Lindblad faced pressure from behind as he attempted to shake off that AIX car.

Dino Beganovic was already up into P5 as he found himself following the rear of Goethe’s MP. As gaps between positions started growing, the attacking drivers entered the waiting period, hoping to benefit from tyre degradation.

Unfortunately for John Bennett, an engine issue with his Van Amersfoort car caused him to make an early exit from the race. He managed to park his car out of the racing line, causing the VSC to end quickly.

The Virtual Safety Car restart

As Bennet’s car got removed in the matter of one lap, the VSC restart allowed drivers a second try at regaining an overtaking opportunity. Dürksen looked to be competitive, yet he went out in his attempt at attacking Lindblad.

Further back on the track, multiple drivers made good passes as the F2 Abu Dhabi GP Sprint Race returned to the normal regulations. A four-car train led by Victor Martins emerged, with a battle for P6 between the French driver, Alex Dunne and Gabriele Mini.

The ART Grand Prix driver showed incredible defence skills against Dunne, holding him off. While this battle was happening, the top 3 got ahead to a comfortable gap from the rest of the grid.

A big moment between Mini and Crawford had the Prema driver airborne in his attempt at retaking his spot in P8. Hitting a kerb, Mini went wide and got airborne, but managed to keep control and avoid a collision.

Halfway mark

In lap 16 of the F2 Abu Dhabi GP Sprint, the battle for P4 almost came to an end as Beganovic tried his hand at overtaking on the outside of Turn 9. Yet, in a great show of defence skills from Goethe, the German did not let that happen.

Nevertheless, Dino Beganovic did not give up either. In a tension-filled overtake, the Hitech driver pushed hard around the outside again, making the move stick despite a small lock-up.

In the Crawford-Mini incident, the DAMS Lucas Oil driver got noted for that close call and will be investigated after the race. Down into P10 and P11, the two Invicta teammates faced pressure from Mini. The Prema driver overtook them both in quick passes.

Last laps and their consequences

A battle between Victor Martins and Jak Crawford had the DAMS driver end up with damage to his front wing after hitting the rear of the car ahead. The damage did not look to negatively impact the fight, with Crawford claiming that P6. However, it triggered another short VSC.

With only a few laps left of the F2 Abu Dhabi GP Sprint Race, Dürksen initiated another attack on Arvid Lindblad. Going for a last-lap shootout, the AIX driver dropped the gap under one second.

In the second half of the field, Sebastian Montoya and Ritomo Miyata were exchanging positions as they battled away for P13. Nonetheless, the pressure was at the front, in the last lap, with Dürksen frantically trying to take Lindblad’s victory.

Double podium for Campos

In a 1-3 for Campos Racing, Arvid Lindblad turned his pole position into a well-deserved win. He managed the pace beautifully throughout the entire F2 Abu Dhabi GP Sprint Race. Joshua Dürksen had to take the P2 after a solid performance. In P3, Nikola Tsolov earned his first podium in F2. He delivered a strong race, reaping the rewards.