Arvid Lindblad secured his breakthrough F2 Feature Race triumph at the Spanish GP, converting pole position into a commanding lights-to-flag victory for Campos Racing.
The British driver controlled proceedings from the opening lap, establishing an early advantage over Sebastián Montoya that he would maintain throughout the 37-lap encounter. Richard Verschoor completed the podium positions, adding to his Sprint Race victory from Saturday to cap off an impressive weekend for the Dutch driver.
Lights out in Barcelona
Lindblad’s pole position start proved decisive as he immediately covered off Montoya’s challenge into the first corner. The PREMA driver was unable to capitalise on his front-row grid slot. Behind them, Verschoor made an excellent getaway from fifth to slot into third, whilst Spanish hopeful Pepe Marti gained significant ground from his 11th-place starting position.
The early running saw several drivers struggling with their race starts, most notably Kush Maini, who endured a catastrophic opening sequence that dropped the DAMS Lucas Oil driver ten positions down the order. Luke Browning, meanwhile, managed to climb two spots to fifth, though championship rival Alex Dunne found himself slipping backwards to ninth.
The battle of the strategy
By lap five, Lindblad had established a comfortable two-second buffer over Montoya, effectively neutralising any threat of an undercut strategy from the Colombian. The majority of the frontrunners had opted for the soft compound tyres at the start, with only Dunne and Jak Crawford choosing the alternative hard tyre strategy.
The first round of pit stops began on lap seven with Joshua Durksen, as teams looked to capitalise on an early pit window. Browning and Verschoor followed suit two laps later, with Montoya and Roman Stanek making their stops on lap ten. Lindblad delayed his pit stop until lap twelve, maintaining track position whilst building a sufficient gap.
LAP 7 / 37
— Formula 2 (@Formula2) June 1, 2025
Joshua Duerksen pits for the Hard tyres 🛞#F2 #SpanishGP pic.twitter.com/rTQU173Let
The alternative strategy runners initially looked promising, with Crawford leading the race whilst those who had pitted battled through traffic. However, the gap to Lindblad after his stop was only twelve seconds, highlighting the limitations of the hard tyre approach on the Barcelona circuit.
Mid-race drama unfolds
The race’s complexion changed significantly around the halfway point when Browning and Ritomo Miyata made contact on lap 22. The incident sent the Japanese driver into the gravel at turn four, whilst Browning sustained front wing damage that necessitated an unscheduled pit stop, dropping him to the back of the field and severely damaging his championship aspirations.
Crawford, who had been leading on the alternative strategy, finally pitted for soft tyres shortly after, rejoining in 11th position. This elevated Lindblad to an effective second place, seven seconds behind Dunne, who remained as the final driver yet to make his mandatory stop.
Crawford eventually pitted on lap 26, handing the lead back to Lindblad with a comfortable margin over his nearest rivals. The DAMS Lucas Oil driver began his recovery drive in earnest, making up several positions to reach fourth place by lap 30, though he remained over five seconds adrift of the podium positions.
Safety car decides outcome of F2 Spanish GP Feature Race
As the race entered its final phase, Leonardo Fornaroli’s retirement at turn three brought out the Safety Car with just two laps remaining. This effectively froze the running order and denying any late-race battles for position.
LAP 35 / 37
— Formula 2 (@Formula2) June 1, 2025
The points streak is over! 😢
Leonardo Fornaroli pulls over to the side of the road#F2 #SpanishGP pic.twitter.com/XIwUi10VfH
Lindblad crossed the line to secure his second victory of the 2025 campaign. A result that propelled him from sixth to third in the championship standings. The triumph marks a significant breakthrough for both driver and team, with Campos Racing delivering their strategic execution perfectly.
Montoya held on to second place throughout the latter stages, adding valuable points to his tally despite the disappointment of his Sprint Race penalty. His consistent pace demonstrated PREMA’s underlying competitiveness, though they will rue missing the opportunity for a potential one-two finish.
Verschoor’s third-place finish capped off an exceptional weekend, with his Saturday Sprint victory and Feature Race podium moving him into championship contention. The MP Motorsport driver’s racecraft proved decisive in the opening stint, gaining positions whilst others struggled.
What does this mean for the F2 Championship standings?
Crawford’s recovery drive to fourth highlighted his fighting spirit. However, the DAMS driver will reflect on what might have been with a conventional strategy. Dunne managed to limit the damage with fifth place. He is retaining his championship lead despite his grid penalty and strategic gamble not paying dividends.
Marti delighted the home crowd with sixth place. He made up five positions from his starting slot, whilst Maini showed impressive recovery skills to salvage seventh after his poor getaway. Victor Martins climbed from 15th on the grid to eighth, with Miyata and Gabriele Mini completing the points-paying positions.
The result has significantly tightened the championship battle, with Dunne maintaining his lead but now with Verschoor and Lindblad in close pursuit. The trio’s contrasting strengths — Dunne’s consistency, Verschoor’s experience, and Lindblad’s raw pace — promise an intriguing title fight as the season progresses.
YESSS ARVID!! 🏆 Victorious in the @Formula2 Feature Race 💪#SpanishGP || @redbullmotors pic.twitter.com/tcranQ8mZq
— Oracle Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) June 1, 2025
F2 Spanish GP Feature Race results
- Arvid Lindblad
- Sebastián Montoya
- Richard Verschoor
- Jak Crawford
- Alex Dunne
- Pepe Martí
- Kush Maini
- Victor Martins
- Ritomo Miyata
- Gabriele Minì
- Roman Staněk
- Sami Meguetounif
- Amaury Cordeel
- Max Esterson
- Dino Beganovic
- Oliver Goethe
- Joshua Dürksen
- John Bennett
- Cian Shields
- Luke Browning
- Leonardo Fornaroli
- Rafael Villagoméz
