In a sport defined by tradition, heritage, and relentless competition, Joshua Dürksen stands out not only for his talent but for what he represents. As the first Paraguayan to compete in the FIA F2 Championship, Dürksen is breaking new ground for his country on one of the world’s most competitive motorsport stages. At just 20 years old, he is shouldering both the personal ambition to reach Formula 1 and the collective hopes of a nation unaccustomed to having a presence in international single-seater racing.
Following an impressive rookie campaign in 2024, which saw him clinch two wins and finish as one of the top non-academy drivers, expectations were high heading into his second season with AIX Racing. However, 2025 has presented more setbacks than celebrations so far. With only 23 points from the opening eight rounds, Dürksen finds himself navigating a period of underperformance—though not without resolve. While results have not mirrored his pace or potential, his approach to racing, personal development, and national representation continues to evolve.
A national first
Joshua Dürksen is not simply a F2 driver. He is a trailblazer. As the first Paraguayan ever to race in the championship, Dürksen brings more than just his skill to the 2025 F2 grid—he brings a nation’s pride, dreams, and emerging motorsport identity.
“I try to represent my country and for the people, it is something really special, and I really appreciate it.”
The experience of representing Paraguay on the international stage continues to shape his journey, especially given that he was relatively unknown when he began racing in Europe. From being “the new guy” in the paddock to becoming a symbol of hope back home, Dürksen’s rise has been anything but ordinary.
“It is really amazing. I never expected to have such support from my country. I was in Paraguay recently, and I had an event in a shopping mall. So, people came to meet me, they could take a picture, and I was really surprised that so many people came.”
His fame has not gone unnoticed among Paraguay’s youth. Children now look to him as a hero, offering him heartfelt reminders of his national impact.
“Even the little kids, they were like, ‘you are my hero, I wake up at 3am to watch you’ and I was like, ‘this is having a big impact’. I think sometimes I just do not realise how big of an impact it is having in Paraguay.”
Despite the admiration of home fans, however, Dürksen remains modest, emphasising that his aim is simply to represent his home nation to the best of his ability. He said, “For me, I am just another human being, and I do what I love. I try to represent my country and for the people, it’s something really special, and I really appreciate it.”
Unmet expectations
While his symbolism is powerful, the 2025 F2 season has been far from ideal for Dürksen. His performances have not reflected the promise that defined his 2024 campaign. After eight rounds, the AIX Racing driver has scored just 23 points and currently sits 13th in the Drivers’ Standings.
“As in every category in motorsport, it is up and down,” Dürksen stated candidly. “Generally, in sport, I think it is like this. Last year, it was an amazing year, I think we broke everyone’s expectations, because nobody expected that performance from us.”
His rookie year saw him surge in the final stretch, earning two victories in the last three rounds. Naturally, this raised expectations for a strong follow-up campaign.
“We were really happy with how last year went. Of course we came in with high hopes for this year, to replicate it or even make it a little better, but it has not been the case. We started really strong but we have had a period of a lot of difficulties and issues.”
Thus far, 2025 has delivered mixed fortunes. Despite a win in Melbourne’s Sprint Race and two podiums, inconsistent pace and technical difficulties have limited his points haul.
Pinpointing the problems
Dürksen remains committed to identifying and resolving the problems that have held back his 2025 F2 season. His reflections provide insight into the delicate balance required to succeed in F2, where small errors can have significant consequences.
“It has been difficult to know where we have been going wrong,” he explained. “It is a mix of small things making a big difference. I think it is very small issues but in different areas, which as a total result makes up a lot of performance.”
He approaches these difficulties not as obstacles but as opportunities for collective learning. Both driver and team are sharing responsibility for the setbacks, aiming for a united turnaround.
“For sure, there are some things to improve from my side, and for sure some things to improve from the team side. We just need to correct everything, get everything right and we will start being quick again.”
Additionally, the pace of rival teams has forced AIX to re-evaluate its rate of progress.
“I think we also lost a bit of performance this year because the other teams improved. We are not stuck, but we are not improving as quickly as we should.”
These realities highlight just how rapidly the competitive landscape of F2 evolves from race to race.
Harnessing mental strength
In a sport where both physical and psychological demands are immense, Dürksen has invested heavily in mental preparation. His unwavering optimism, even during difficult times, is no coincidence. It is a learned and trained skill. This mindset stems partly from his long-standing work with a mental coach, which he sees as essential to understanding and leveraging the brain’s capacity for high-performance thinking.
Dürksen’s psychological resilience enables him to maintain perspective while striving for continuous improvement. The Paraguayan driver acknowledges that the pressures of elite racing have accelerated his growth as a person. F2 does not merely demand speed; it demands maturity, adaptability, and introspection.
“We drivers are so young, but with what F3, F2, F1 require, we as drivers have to grow up very quickly,” he said. “It is a great thing, but I just feel that in the last year I have been learning, learning and learning all the time.”
His evolution is not limited to the cockpit. The demands of professional racing extend into behaviour, communication, and strategic collaboration with the team.
“I have been learning about things I never knew, about stuff that I had to fix, like my behaviour, my mindset, my communication in strategy meetings. Every aspect you can imagine that a human being has to work on, I am improving on this.”
“Racing is the best school for life. This is the thing I love the most, it is what I want to live off in the future, so I use it as a school to learn and use it as a tool to get every teaching in life. For sure, there is a big difference between me this year and me last year.”
The F1 ambition
Despite his difficult season, Dürksen’s long-term goal remains clear: Formula 1. After finishing tenth in the 2024 standings and outperforming all but two non-academy drivers—Paul Aron and Richard Verschoor—he is intent on proving he belongs at the next level.
“For sure that support is extremely important,” he sais. “I think I have shown what I can do many times. Sadly, things are not going how we want now. I think there have been many situations this year that were out of our control, which affected my results.”
He remains realistic about his trajectory, acknowledging that more is required to fully convince F1 teams of his readiness.
“I do not think I have shown 100% yet to deserve a seat or an opportunity with an F1 team, but I am very close to it.”
He added, “I think I have shown what I can do, I have shown that I have the potential, and I would like to say I deserve the opportunity. But sadly, motorsport is really tough, and you always need to perform.”
In F2, every race is an audition. For Dürksen, each outing is a chance to edge closer to his F1 dream.
Eyes on a strong finish to the 2025 F2 season
As the season enters its final stages, Dürksen is hoping to emulate the closing run that defined his 2024 success. Last year, he scored 63 of his 87 points in the final five rounds—something he is aiming to replicate.
“That is going to be the target, to end things like we did in the second half of the season last year,” he says. “We have big hopes that we can now reset everything and just start having good results.”
This goal is not driven by pressure alone but by determination and structure. He recognises that nothing is guaranteed—only hard work offers a path forward.
“The hard work will never stop. We had good results in the second half of the season last year, but it does not guarantee anything. The hard work has to be done, and we need to do the job properly.”
Dürksen’s mindset, forged through both triumph and adversity, remains focused on long-term progress.
More than a name on the entry list
Joshua Dürksen is more than just a name on the F2 entry list. He is a pioneer for Paraguayan motorsport, a role model for his country’s youth, and an emerging talent determined to prove his worth at the highest level.
Whether he is holding a trophy on the podium or reflecting on a race that did not go to plan, Dürksen carries the hopes of a nation with grace and humility. He is living proof that talent knows no borders—and that with vision, support, and resilience, even the most unexpected journeys can lead to motorsport’s grandest stages.
