Richard Verschoor claimed a commanding victory at the 2025 F2 Qatar GP Sprint Race, navigating two safety car restarts with impressive composure to secure his eighth win in the series, equalling the record held by 2022 champion Felipe Drugovich.
The MP Motorsport driver’s triumph proved crucial in his championship campaign, moving him to third position in the standings as the title fight reaches its climax. Speaking after the race, Verschoor reflected on a performance that showcased both his experience and his ability to manage a volatile race.
Mastering the restart
When asked about handling the two safety car restarts, Verschoor explained his approach with precision. “Yeah, it was a nice race,” he said. “The start was not so nice, I lost the lead, but from there on I think the pace was really strong. I was definitely not very happy with the safety cars, but I think I kept my head cool. I did two different kind of restarts and they both worked quite well, so yeah, happy.”
Interestingly, Verschoor adopted different strategies for each restart during the F2 Qatar GP Sprint Race. When pressed on whether his second restart was even earlier than the first, he acknowledged the calculated risk. “I think the second one I went even earlier, so yeah, I just tried to make a good restart,” he admitted. “The second one was really, really strong, so I will keep that in mind in case we are leading tomorrow, but I don’t think so. So, let’s see, I’m happy with the whole race and also with the restarts, they were good.”
He may have slipped back at the start, but Verschoor fought back to retake the lead from Duerksen 🥇🥊#F2 #QatarGP pic.twitter.com/KK25vfISrj
— Formula 2 (@Formula2) November 29, 2025
The eighth victory
Equalling Drugovich’s record proved bittersweet for Verschoor, who downplayed the statistical achievement whilst simultaneously expressing pride in his accomplishments. “Not much because I’ve been here longer, so I don’t even like those kind of stats,” he said” “On the other hand, people can say what they want, but I’m proud of it. I’m really proud to have been at this level of sport, out of sport, and yeah, also this year I think we are showing what we are capable of.”
He credited his team for the majority of his success this season, stating, “That was my reason to do another year of Formula 2, being surrounded by big talents, and yeah, I’m just proud also of the team because I think most wins come from this year.”
Championship momentum
With the title fight intensifying after the F2 Qatar GP Sprint Race, Verschoor played his cards close to his chest when discussing strategy for the Feature Race. “If I tell you now, it would not be a good idea, but in the end you can do whatever strategy you want, but you need the pace in order to have a good strategy.”
“So I think that’s looking good for us. Tomorrow, of course, is completely different in terms of temperature, so I think we will see some big changes in terms of pace, but yeah, the game plan I keep for myself right now.”
Qatar’s unique challenge
Lusail’s distinctive layout, originally designed for motorcycle racing, presents singular challenges for F2 drivers, with its relentless high-speed corner sequences demanding exceptional car control and tyre management. Verschoor articulated these difficulties with precision. “Yeah, it’s just very difficult that sector three is only high-speed corners, basically,” he stated.
“You just lose a lot of downforce, which then makes it harder to follow. And at the same time, you use a lot of the tyres. You’re graining more easily. And at the same time as well, there’s many corners. 12, 13, 14 is all to the right. So it really eats your left front if you push too much for too long behind another driver.”
However, when driving alone, Verschoor finds genuine satisfaction on the Lusail circuit. “But to be honest, driving alone, I think this is one of, in my personal opinion, one of the best tracks because I love high-speed corners. And if you have a good car underneath you, it just feels very nice.”
Learning from experience
Verschoor’s Qualifying performance had proven disappointing, a fact he readily acknowledged. “Yeah, it was not a massive error. I had some traffic in the high-speed corners which for sure didn’t help and I think I lost the P6 there because this was only 5 or 600 cp6, which was a shame. But I just didn’t have the right feeling with the car.”
Engine trouble during Friday practice had compounded matters. “I only did five laps in FP because my engine broke. I had to change engine after FP. So that was also not helping. But yeah, it just didn’t click. Sometimes you have those kind of sessions and it was definitely up to me.“
The lack of recent racing experience had also played a role in his struggles. “I haven’t been in a race car for two months and I think that’s just not really smart. Even though it’s very expensive to drive, it’s just not smart because I could feel the difficulty in putting that together.”
The mentoring bond
Off-track, Verschoor has developed a strong relationship with his teammate Oliver Goethe, though he resists the notion of formal mentorship. When asked by Pit Debrief about his role in supporting his teammate, Verschoor offered warm reflections. “Well, that’s nice of him. To be honest, we have a very good relationship.” He continued, “We talk a lot. We go out for dinner every single day. We flew here earlier to play Padel, so you know, it’s been a very nice year together with him.”
He praised Goethe’s remarkable progress throughout the season. “I always said that he’s a super fast driver. He just couldn’t really show his potential straight away, but if you see the learning slope that he did, it’s just incredible. Being on pole yesterday, I think, was something no one was really expecting of him, but he pulled it off. So yeah, he’s also a very nice kid, and I didn’t have the feeling that I’m mentoring so much.”
Verschoor emphasised that whilst he offers guidance where he can, Goethe’s development ultimately rests on the younger driver’s application of that advice. “I don’t feel like that’s really my role, but of course, I tried to help him a bit where I could, especially in the beginning, when he was really struggling with certain procedures or race runs. But in the end, he is the one that has to apply the things I tell him as well. So yeah, it’s been a nice year together.”
Looking ahead to the ultimate finale
With the Feature Race and the Abu Dhabi finale looming, Verschoor’s victory at Lusail has positioned him perfectly for a late championship push. His mastery of Qatar’s challenging layout and his proven ability to manage pressure suggest the title fight remains very much alive and Verschoor has the experience and composure to seize the opportunity.
