Oliver Goethe on a frustrating 2025 campaign and showing his potential to Red Bull

29 October 2025

Oliver Goethe concedes that his 2025 Formula 2 has not gone to plan, although he still feels as if his results do not reflect the improvements he has made across the year.

After 12 rounds, the MP Motorsport driver is currently 17th in the Drivers’ Championship, with a best result of P4 – achieved in the Sakhir and Spa-Francorchamps Sprint Race.

Coming off the back of a strong 2024 Formula 3 campaign, during which he was in the mix for the title, Goethe admits that this year has been frustrating one.

“It's not gone as good as I would have hoped,” says Goethe. “There is definitely a lot of positives that were there throughout the season so far, but the results have not come.

“It's a shame, especially in the last few rounds. I have been very quick and I have not been able to turn that in to results. So it's promising, but a bit disappointing and I feel frustrated that I have not been able to show my true potential.”

QUALIFYING STRUGGLES AND LOSING CONFIDENCE

When asked about where he has struggled this year, Goethe highlighted his one lap pace in the first half of the campaign as a key area that let him down. The German qualified in the top 10 twice in the first seven rounds in Sakhir and Imola.

However, the MP driver picked out a few other areas that have cost him good results, as he also highlighted a few mistakes he has also made.

Goethe admits that the 2025 season has been below his expectations

“A lot of things haven't gone right,” Goethe concedes. “In the first half of the season I was struggling a lot in Qualifying, but the race pace was strong. However, in Qualifying I was always just outside the top 10, which was very frustrating.

“Also the starts have been pretty poor. In recent rounds, I have had quite a bit of bad luck to be honest, in the races, because the pace was definitely stronger. But just in general, everything has gone a bit wrong, especially with mistakes.

“But I know and the team know the potential that is there. So I hope to make an impact and show what I can do, and to prove myself that I deserve another chance next year.”

When asked whether this sort of form has affected him, Goethe admitted: “There are definitely moments where my confidence has been knocked back.

But he sees the improvements he is making in Qualifying – having qualified in the top six in two of the last three rounds in Budapest and Monza – and while they have not turned into the results he wants just yet, with his good race pace, he is confident that “it is coming”.

Through it all he has retained the belief of MP – who he had raced with in 2020 and 2021 as well as in the 2024 Macau Grand Prix where he finished second – and has been learning from teammate Richard Verschoor.

Goethe feels like he has improved a lot throughout the season but the results have not shown that

Both factors have helped Goethe continue to improve as the year has progressed.

“It definitely helps to have a team that believes in you and with MP I have that,” he says. “They know what I am capable of doing, and I know what they are capable of providing.

“It also helps to have a good teammate. He has been good this season, mostly because of how consistent he has been, and there’s definitely a lot of things I have learned from him with his experience.

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“Every time I get in the car I am still learning. I know what the potential is, and it helps to have a good team and good teammate to back me up and to support me. A good teammate is good to learn from, so I use it to my advantage.”

THE CHANCE TO GO TO THE NEXT LEVEL

Goethe also reflected on his path to this point, speaking of how grateful he was for those that have helped him get here, such as his father who introduced him to racing and to Red Bull, who have supported him since 2023.

The German says the Formula 1 team have given him the chance to reach his goal of making it to the top tier, however, he knows for that to happen, he has to start delivering better results.

Goethe is looking to show what he can do in the final two rounds of the season

“It's that one step closer to Formula 1,” he says when talking about being a Red Bull junior driver. “So it is a great feeling, just to be a Red Bull athlete as well, to represent the brand, it's cool. They gave me the opportunity to prove myself and that is what I am aiming to do.

“But I need better results, it's quite as simple as that, without the results you will not making it to Formula 1. This year has not gone my way, it hasn't gone the way it should have with the potential I have shown.

“So my goal is to have another year in Formula 2 and to have another chance to really prove myself.”