PREMA Racing’s Gabriele Minì delivered a commanding performance in the 2025 Monte Carlo F2 Sprint Race, securing a well-earned second-place finish in a contest shaped by clean execution and unyielding patience. The Italian driver demonstrated impressive composure as he navigated Monaco’s famously unforgiving layout, maintaining relentless pressure on race winner Kush Maini while avoiding the kind of costly errors that can define racing in the principality.
Minì’s result represented a return to form following a difficult outing in Imola. It also marked his third career podium at Monaco, having claimed back-to-back victories in the 2023 and 2024 F3 Feature Races—first with Hitech Pulse-Eight (now Hitech TGR) and then with PREMA. This latest trophy adds a second Formula 2 podium to his record, with his first having come on his debut in Baku in 2024.
“It’s the third podium in a row, let’s say, after winning twice in F3. Just getting second again, getting a podium. Of course, it’s not in a Feature Race but it’s still good points after [our] struggles in Imola.”
A “complicated” race well-executed by a flawless Maini
Reflecting further on the Sprint Race, Minì described the 30-lap event as “complicated,” underscoring just how difficult it had been to mount an effective attack around Monaco’s narrow confines. His plan had been to pressure Maini into a mistake by staying glued to the Indian driver’s rear wing. For the majority of the race, Minì remained a constant presence in Maini’s mirrors, showing speed and confidence.
However, that approach took a toll on his tyres. In the final stages, he found himself needing to back off and preserve what performance he had left—especially with Arvid Lindblad closing in from behind.
“It’s good to be back here and I tried to put a lot of pressure on Kush, really just be as close as I could to him, almost pushing him in some corners, trying to make him do a mistake. But he did a good job, he didn’t fall under pressure.”
“So, at the end, it was not really about defending, it was just cooling down the tyres to try to go for the fastest lap. But I think following more-or-less [for] three-quarters of the race on the gearbox of Kush ruined the tyres a bit. So it was quite complicated for me to actually manage to do that.”
Despite the tyre issues, Minì took several positives from his performance, particularly the pace he was able to extract from the car. With Sunday’s Feature Race still to come—and a start from P9 ahead—he remains hopeful that his speed and adaptability will pay off.
“But, I think our pace was quite good. So, looking forward to tomorrow.”
Monaco layout limits overtaking options
Monaco’s iconic street circuit is as beautiful as it is brutal, and Minì acknowledged just how restrictive the layout had been in his bid to challenge for the win. He admitted that although he had the pace to match or even exceed Maini, the tight nature of the circuit left almost no room to mount a safe overtaking attempt.
“I think I tried to push him to make a mistake. I could have not been any closer because I would have crashed into him. But to try to overtake, the problem is that every time, at the exit of the corner, you open a small gap. With the speed, I just cover[ed] more distance. So, it’s quite complicated to actually do a send without crashing.”
“I just tried to make him do a mistake, but I think it was the best I could try.”
Positive signs ahead of Feature Race
Minì’s second-place finish not only delivered a strong haul of points but also provided a timely boost in confidence. After missing out on points in both races at Imola, the Sprint result in Monaco was especially welcome. He acknowledged that starting in the top three at a circuit like Monaco is often decisive, with overtaking proving so difficult that many drivers hold position throughout.
Nonetheless, he sees opportunities in Sunday’s Feature Race. Starting from P9, Minì knows he will need to play the long game and capitalise on others’ errors if he wants to move forward. Smart strategy and strong tyre management could prove key.
“It’s the best result we’ve had so far,” he said, “Of course, in Monaco, starting [in] the top three, I think you will finish more or less there unless there is a crash. It’s quite complicated to overtake.”
“So I think it was all about keeping it on track and trying to get the fast lap. In the end, as I said, we had a pretty strong pace.”
Agreeing with race winner Maini, Minì added, “Anything can happen in F2, so we just have to play smart, try to use our pace. If we have gained a really good [opportunity] tomorrow, [we use it] to our advantage and let’s see how it goes.”
Pit stop mandates in F2?
Later in the press conference, attention turned to the broader strategy conversation during the post-race press conference, as the topic of pit stop regulations surfaced. The discussion came after Campos Racing’s Arvid Lindblad used a clever—albeit controversial—approach to minimise a 10-second penalty by backing up the chasing pack.
With F1 recently implementing a mandatory two-stop strategy at Monaco, drivers were asked whether a similar regulation might be appropriate for F2.
Minì addressed the scenario with measured realism. He agreed that in the absence of pit stops, tactics like Lindblad’s become more viable. However, he welcomed the return of a mandatory stop in Sunday’s Feature Race and hoped it would inject more unpredictability into proceedings.
“I think, in the end, the reason why you do that is because today you don’t have any pit stops, you know, but already tomorrow there will be one which I think is good enough to, you know, just shuffle a bit the cards in play.”
Still, he cautioned against pushing for more complex pit stop regulations in F2, pointing out the limitations in tyre allocation. In his view, the current level of race-day drama—further amplified by Safety Cars and traffic—already delivers sufficient excitement.
“So, I think, once again, for us, anyways, we don’t even have the set of tyres to do two pit stops so even if there was something to think about we just can’t but I don’t think it’s something we should think about. It’s already quite a lot going on, you know, with safety cars and with the traffic, you know, that I think it’s good enough like this.”
Street circuits present a unique challenge
Later, when asked by Pit Debrief how he balances risk and reward on street circuits, especially when fighting for podium positions, Minì gave insight into the distinct mentality required for such venues. He described the challenge as fundamentally different from traditional circuits, where outright pace often determines results.
“I mean, it’s just a different type of challenge, to be honest. Every time you go on a street circuit, the hardest part is always the Friday, let’s say the Qualifying, where you can really show your pace, you know.
Confidence, he added, is essential. Both in the car and on the track, the ability to brush up against walls and maintain speed can make the difference between a strong weekend and a disastrous one.
“If you got confidence with the car, if you got confidence with the track and just getting close to the walls. This is where really you can make a difference in the end.”
Looking ahead to the Feature Race, Minì knows he may need to rely on opportunistic strategy calls or capitalise on others’ mistakes to make gains.
“As you could see from the race today, it was really hard for me to try an overtake, even while being just in the gearbox of Kush. So, this is a bit more complicated, but I mean, once again, tomorrow, maybe if somebody beats earlier or later, you can try to push and that’s where actually you can make a difference. So, it’s not easy, but you can still do something about it.”
With confidence in his car and a strategic mindset, Minì remains firmly in the hunt for more points—and perhaps another podium—on the streets of Monte Carlo.
