Goethe happy with late-season Qualifying form and aiming to end 2025 on high note

Oliver Goethe was once again one of the top contenders in FIA Formula 2 Qualifying, vying for the top positions at Yas Marina, before ultimately ending up P6.

While the MP Motorsport driver would have liked to have been higher up on the grid, he said that he was happy with the performance overall, as it continued his recent form with another top 10 result on a Friday.

After the session, Goethe reflected on another competitive session that has fuelled his confidence heading into the remainder of the final round and next season.

“I'm very happy with how the second half of the season went, maybe not results wise - unfortunately I've had quite a lot of bad luck when I had the pace like in Monza and last weekend as well in Qatar.

“But overall, the pace has been getting stronger and stronger. The consistency in Qualifying has been there. Apart from in Baku, I think the last five rounds I've been in the top 10 in qualifying, which is usually what you need in Formula 2 to fight for the Championship.

“So, I'm glad and I know I have what it takes to fight for it. It’s good to be building up this confidence now for myself and for my engineers and the team going into next year.”

Asked whether he could point to a particular factor that has resulted in his improved form in Qualifying, Goethe said it wasn’t just one single thing.

He explained that he felt it was down to his and the team’s continued efforts to find improvements in the face of tough results earlier in 2025.

“I think it’s just keeping at it, we’ve kept working hard. It's a tough car to get used to, but I feel like slowly, I've gotten better and better, and a lot of it's to do with confidence.

“It's quite a tricky car to drive, so if you don't have the confidence there, and you're a bit lost with your engineers and what to change with the car, it makes everything more complicated.

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“Now we're in a good position where we're always up there in Free Practice and in Qualifying. Race pace is always strong. Starts still need a bit of work, but overall, the pace is there to fight for podiums and wins.”

Looking ahead to the remainder of the weekend at Yas Marina, the MP Motorsport driver said he was aiming for a podium to round out a promising end to his first full F2 campaign.

“In the Sprint I’m starting P5, so it would be nice to get on the podium. I think I deserve it. I’m starting in a good position in both races, so I’ll give it my all and try to end the year on a high.”