The F2 driver, Joshua Dürksen from Paraguay, spoke exclusively to Pit Debrief about his late start in motorsport and the pride of carrying his nation’s flag on the international stage
Joshua Dürksen’s path to Formula 2 reads like no other drivers in the paddock. With just three years of go-karting experience, most of it on a single 600-metre bumpy track in Paraguay, the young driver has defied expectations to reach the upper levels of junior single-seater racing.
Speaking exclusively to Pit Debrief, Dürksen opened up about his remarkable journey into F2 and what it means to be Paraguay’s sole representative in international motorsport.
From a bumpy track to the FIA ladder
Unlike the carefully curated careers of most modern racing drivers, Dürksen’s introduction to motorsport was anything but conventional. His leap from FRECA to F2 turned heads across the paddock, particularly when he secured a podium finish at Imola in 2024.
“Oh yeah, actually the jump from FRECA to Formula 2 was quite a big one. I think many were surprised. First of all with the move and then second of all with the first podium in Imola,” Dürksen reflected.
But it’s his grassroots story that truly sets him apart. “My journey actually, I think it’s quite different to the common journey that a driver has. I started with 11 years old, which is quite late. I raced only three years of go-karting,” he explained. “90% of the races were on the same go-kart track. Because we have only one in Paraguay. 600 metres long and quite bumpy.”
The contrast between his early racing experience and that of his European rivals is stark. “So not really a cool track as you have in Europe. So I’ve done only three years, mostly national races. I’ve done only two international races in go-karting,” Dürksen said. “And of course with no expertise and nothing. Of course go-karting in Paraguay is much simpler and not as competitive and professional as it is in Europe. So I’m coming from there, let’s say.”
His transition to Formula 4 in 2019 marked the beginning of a steep learning curve. “Then it’s where slowly everything started to match and just to grow. And that’s where we also started to understand how the motorsport world works. Because we were just used to racing in Paraguay. The one go-kart track we have, which is not a lot,” he recalled.
Despite the challenges, Dürksen has embraced the journey. “Of course it has been a big journey with a lot of adventures, with a lot of stuff happening. I’ve grown a lot, I’ve learned a lot. And I’m just really privileged to have this opportunity to be racing. First of all to be racing go-karts. And second of all racing now in Formula 2. Dreaming to reach Formula 1.”
The significance of his achievement isn’t lost on him. “So it’s just a big privilege. It has been an amazing journey. And I hope this can be of inspiration for all the Paraguayan drivers,” he said.
A nation on his shoulders
For Dürksen, seeing the Paraguayan flag on his car carries immense weight. As his country’s only active driver with a realistic shot at Formula 1, he shoulders the hopes of an entire nation with evident pride.
“For me it’s always a big privilege to represent my country. Because basically, I’m the only one now aiming for F1 or having actually a chance to reach Formula 1. I think it’s the first time after 40 years that somebody from Paraguay is racing internationally,” Dürksen explained. “I mean in a single-seater series. It’s always a big privilege.”
His passion for displaying the Paraguayan flag is undeniable, even if he worries it might be excessive. “I sometimes think these drivers must think I’m a crazy fan of my country,” he admitted. “Which I am. But I also think sometimes they probably know already my flag.”
“They will probably say, man I’ve seen your flag. No worries you don’t need to show it again. But I just love it to show it. Because I just love my country.”
That love translates into a sense of duty. “I want the best for my country. I mean I am the country’s brand ambassador. So I also have a job to do. Which is to represent Paraguay as good as I can,” he said. “And just to show people what they actually can find in Paraguay. And I just love it that I can do it through motorsport. Through what I love to do. And reaching of course the dream of Formula 1.”
The journey has been enriched by overwhelming support from home. “It’s just been an amazing journey. And to feel all the big support of all the Paraguayan people has been amazing. Because really I always read the comments. And I basically don’t see any negative comments,” Dürksen said.
That support isn’t just digital, it’s tangible wherever he goes. “And it’s just been really cool to feel this big support. And just now a guy came to me and wanted to make a picture. I told him I would do it later. So I can feel the support here in Paraguay.”
From a bumpy go-kart track in Paraguay, to the international stage of F2, Joshua Dürksen has carved out a unique place in motorsport history. As he continues to chase his Formula 1 dream, he does so not just for himself, but for every aspiring racer in Paraguay who dares to dream beyond their borders.
