Oliver Goethe delivered a weekend of mixed results at Imola, showcasing race pace that earned him his first F2 Feature Race points of the 2025 season, yet left wondering what might have been without costly start line struggles that hampered both of his races.
The German driver and MP Motorsport faced an uphill battle from Friday’s difficult Free Practice session, where Goethe languished in P20. However, a significant turnaround saw him qualify eighth – his first top-10 qualifying result of the season – providing optimism for the weekend ahead.
Start line struggles
Despite starting from promising grid positions, Goethe’s F2 Imola GP was defined by poor race starts that cost him valuable track position. Starting third for the Sprint Race after the reverse grid format, a difficult getaway dropped him through the field to an eventual 10th-place finish, leaving him outside the points.
Sunday’s Feature Race began similarly, with another poor start relegating him to P12 in the early stages. However, Goethe’s fighting spirit shone through as he carved his way back through the field to claim seventh place and his first Feature Race points of the campaign.
“The weekend was a bit up and down,” Goethe reflected. “The pace was a bit missing overall in the team in Practice and Qualifying. But we managed to find a bit for Qualifying, and managed to just get into the top 10, so I was actually really happy with that.”
Promising race pace
The 20-year-old’s frustration was evident when discussing his start line woes, which prevented him from capitalising on MP Motorsport’s strong race pace. “I feel that I made the most out of the situation and was starting in a strong position for both races. Unfortunately, in the races, the starts were really bad, I was losing a lot,” he explained.
“We are trying to understand why now on data, so that it doesn’t happen again. But I lost a lot of positions at the start and after that I managed to make those positions back, but who knows how the races could have been if I had a good start.”
Taking the positives
Despite the setbacks, Goethe highlighted the positive aspects of his F2 Imola GP performance. “So from that point it’s a shame because the race pace was really strong, and I was one of the few drivers who was able to overtake quite a lot.”
The Imola weekend presented a stark contrast to MP Motorsport’s recent success, coming just one round after Richard Verschoor’s Feature Race victory in Jeddah. However, the team struggled for outright pace, with Verschoor qualifying 19th before recovering to ninth on Sunday.
When asked whether the difficulties were circuit-specific, Goethe offered his analysis. “I think it is possibly track related. Every team has very good tracks, and tracks where they struggle at a bit more,” he said.
“In Qualifying we were struggling a bit but the race pace was really strong. So, from that point the team did an amazing job, the car in the races was really solid,” he continued. “There is still more to work on in Qualifying, it’s been a weaker point of mine as well, the team and I are working on that and in the races, we are strong if we get the start right.”
Tyre strategy insights
Goethe also provided valuable insight into the weekend’s tyre strategy, with Formula 2 utilising Supersofts and Softs at Imola – a change from the previous year’s Supersofts and Mediums compound allocation.
“I think a lot of drivers took the risk of using the Supersofts to get a free pit stop with the Safety Car,” Goethe observed. “It would work if the tyres lasted, but it didn’t seem to last long on any of them.”
The German driver praised the decision to alter the tyre compounds for 2025. “I think Supersoft/Soft was the right call for this weekend. There was more deg on the Softs compared to the Mediums last year, which is good, we want a bit of that, otherwise it would just be a DRS train throughout the race.”
“The more deg, the more opportunities it gives the drivers to have an exciting race. The tyres were a bit difficult to manage but in general it was good, and I think it was the right call to change the Softs,” he added.
A “good” feeling for Monaco
Despite the mixed results, Goethe remained positive about his points finish and the team’s progress. “I am happy to be back in the top 10 for the Feature Race to get some points on the board. But I feel like we should have had more this weekend, but in general it’s a good step, and nice to get some points again.”
Looking ahead to Round 5 in Monte Carlo, Goethe has already identified his key priority for the Monaco weekend. “I am feeling really good for Monaco,” he said. “It’s an amazing track. It’s a track that you need to get qualifying right, so that is where are full focus lies on. But just going to send it and hope for the best.”
🚨 NEW CHAMPIONSHIP LEADER ALERT 🚨@alexdunneracing's Feature Race triumph sees him move from fifth in the Standings to first! 📈#F2 #ImolaGP pic.twitter.com/jEQeDjebhY
— Formula 2 (@Formula2) May 18, 2025
