Post-race penalties reshape 2025 F2 Sprint Race classifications at the 2025 Hungarian GP

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The F2 Sprint Race at the 2025 Hungarian GP was not only marked by on-track battles and strategic drama, but also by a series of Steward investigations and post-race penalties. Several drivers faced scrutiny for incidents ranging from track limits violations to collisions and infractions under Safety Car conditions

Defensive moves under scrutiny: Lindblad and Browning penalised

Following the conclusion of the Sprint Race, the Stewards investigated two incidents involving ART Grand Prix’s Victor Martins. In both cases, the drivers found at fault were penalised for leaving the track and gaining a lasting advantage.

Campos Racing’s Arvid Lindblad received a five-second time penalty for an incident that occurred during Lap 20. The Stewards determined that Lindblad exceeded track limits at the exit of Turn 3 while defending from Victor Martins. As a result of this manoeuvre, Martins was forced to lift and was ultimately overtaken by Jak Crawford.

The Stewards concluded that Lindblad only managed to maintain his position by leaving the track, which breached both Article 27.3 of the FIA Formula 2 Sporting Regulations and Appendix L, Chapter IV, Article 2 (c) of the International Sporting Code. Although no penalty points were added to his licence, the five-second addition to his race time saw him fall from fourth to tenth place in the final classification.

Similarly, Hitech TGR’s Luke Browning was penalised for a separate last-lap incident with Martins. At Turns 6 and 7, Browning left the track while defending and maintained position as a result. The Stewards, after reviewing video footage and hearing from both parties, concluded that Browning gained a lasting advantage and handed down a five-second time penalty.

This decision also referenced a defensive move and thus triggered the standard lesser penalty. With no penalty points applied, Browning nonetheless dropped from fifth to twelfth in the final results, losing valuable points in the process.

Bennett penalised for forcing Montoya off track

Meanwhile, Van Amersfoort Racing’s John Bennett received a five-second time penalty and one penalty point on his licence following an incident on Lap 2 at Turn 1. Bennett was found to have forced Sebastián Montoya off track while defending. The Stewards cited a breach of Appendix L, Chapter IV, Article 2 (b) of the FIA International Sporting Code. Montoya had approached Turn 1 in a controlled manner and held a slight advantage at the apex, thus entitling him to racing room.

The penalty, which considered the side-by-side positioning as a mitigating factor, was issued in line with the standard for such an infringement. Bennett’s penalty brings his total penalty point count for the 2025 season to seven.

Minì at fault for contact with Staněk

A more severe penalty was issued to Prema Racing’s Gabriele Minì for causing a collision with Invicta Racing’s Roman Staněk at Turn 9. The incident involved Minì making contact from behind while attempting to pass Car 20. The Stewards concluded that Minì was wholly to blame and imposed a ten-second time penalty, along with two penalty points.

As this collision met the standard threshold for responsibility under Appendix L, Chapter IV, Article 2 (d), the penalty was applied during the race itself. Minì now has six penalty points for the season.

Shields penalised for Safety Car delta breach

AIX Racing’s Cian Shields incurred a five-second penalty and one penalty point after exceeding the minimum delta time across two consecutive sectors during a Safety Car period. The Stewards examined data and determined that Shields’ actions constituted a breach of Article 40.7 of the FIA Formula 2 Sporting Regulations.

Incidents resulting in no further action

While several penalties were applied across the sessions, not all investigations led to sanctions. In three separate cases, the Stewards elected to take no further action following extensive analysis.

Staněk was again involved in a Turn 6/7 incident, this time with Van Amersfoort Racing’s Rafael Villagómez. Although it was alleged that Stanek gained a lasting advantage by leaving the track, both drivers acknowledged in the hearing that the move was evasive and not opportunistic. The Stewards could not determine from the video evidence that any lasting advantage had been gained. Accordingly, they closed the case with no further action.

Campos Racing’s Pepe Martí was accused of erratic driving during the deployment of the Safety Car while approaching a stranded vehicle. However, after examining video and data evidence, the Stewards ruled that although Marti had slowed significantly, his actions remained within the acceptable delta and were not excessively abrupt. The following driver, Dunne, agreed that the deceleration was surprising but not dangerous or erratic. As such, the Stewards dismissed the allegation.

In the final case, Rodin Motorsport’s Alex Dunne was investigated for allegedly failing to respect double waved yellow flag conditions while passing Montoya’s stopped car. Upon reviewing the data, the Stewards concluded there was no evidence of non-compliance and took no further action.

Steward decisions influence Championship momentum

The decisions handed down by the Stewards have directly impacted the outcome of the F2 Sprint Race at the 2025 Hungarian GP, with several drivers receiving penalties that altered their finishing positions. Following the application of time penalties and the adjustment of results, the updated classification is as follows: