FEATURE RACE: Martins wins in Lusail as Fornaroli seals 2025 Formula 2 title

Victor Martins was in supreme form as he claimed victory in the Lusail Feature Race, leading home Leonardo Fornaroli in second, a result good enough to give the Invicta Racing driver the 2025 FIA Formula 2 title.

Martins took the lead from Fornaroli at the start, and held off a late challenge from the Italian to win the race, as Rodin Motorsport’s Alexander Dunne took the final spot on the podium in third.

AS IT HAPPENED

It was a great start from Martins, taking the lead from Fornaroli going into Turn 1, while Dunne took P4 from Oliver Goethe at Turn 3.

The Rodin driver was chasing Roman Stanek for third, but ran wide at the final corner. It allowed Goethe and Nikola Tsolov to close in, although Dunne was able to hold off the chasing pair.

Martins then set the fastest lap and by the start of Lap 3, he had built up a 1.7s gap to Fornaroli, with the Italian coming on the radio to complain of his Soft tyres to his Invicta team.

Further behind them, Sebastián Montoya used the DRS to good effect to get ahead of Tsolov for P6 into Turn 1.

Martins was 4.1s clear of Fornaroli by the start of Lap 5, and it looked like Invicta were struggling on the Soft tyres, as Dunne overtook Stanek for P3 into Turn 1.

The pit window opened up at the end of Lap 6, and Fornaroli, Dunne, Montoya, Verschoor and Duerksen came in to swap to the Hard tyres.

The race leader was in on the next lap, joined in the pitlane by Goethe and Stanek. It was a slow stop for Martins, but he was still able to come back out ahead of Fornaroli and Dunne.

At the front of the field, Dino Beganovic was the lead driver on the alternative strategy, and by the end of Lap 10, he had built a 7.1s lead to Arvid Lindblad.

But in the battle for the net race lead, Fornaroli and Dunne were closing in on Martins, the Championship leader 1.4s behind by the start of Lap 11.

Verschoor was looking to fight his way through the field, and having overtaken Villagómez, he bided his time before overtaking Stanek, putting him in a net P7.

The Safety Car was then deployed on Lap 15, with Oliver Goethe having stopped on track, just as Dunne and Tsolov were given five-second time penalties for an unsafe release in the pitlane.

Lindblad, Maini and Shields were the only drivers to pit for the Option tyres, giving them 16 laps to go on the softer compound.

Racing resumed on Lap 17 of 32, and Beganovic once again was showing good pace, and had built a 1.7s lead to teammate Luke Browning by the start of the next lap.

Martins was now up to fifth, leading the drivers who had pitted, but he was struggling to overtake Laurens van Hoepen, allowing Fornaroli to close in on the Frenchman.

Beganovic was 4.2s clear of Browning at the start of Lap 22, while Fornaroli was now 1.1s behind Martins, just as Lindblad, on his Soft tyres, continued to reduce the gap.

But by Lap 25, the Option tyre runners were starting to struggle, as Dunne closed in on Lindblad for seventh on the road. However, the Campos Racing driver held him off at Turn 1.

In the battle for the net race lead, Fornaroli was now within DRS range of Martins, while Dunne went to the inside of Lindblad at Turn 1 to take seventh place.

After a superb stint, Beganovic was called in to fit the Softs at the end of Lap 27, coming back out in P12. Browning and Bennett then pitted on Lap 29, leaving Martins and Fornaroli to fight for the race win.

However, the ART driver was 1.1s clear of Fornaroli, as Dunne closed in, looking to build the five second gap he needed to keep third ahead of Lindblad.

But out in front, Martins had done enough to win the Feature Race, but the day belonged to Fornaroli, as he claimed the 2025 FIA Formula 2 title by finishing second.

Dunne was third, ahead of Lindblad, with Montoya fifth, Verschoor sixth, Tsolov seventh, Stanek eighth, with Beganovic and Browning rounding out the top 10.

KEY QUOTE – Victor Martins, ART Grand Prix

“I’m feeling great, I’m super proud. I think we had a great weekend. Yesterday was not ideal, we had some work to do, but I was feeling super confident that we were going to have the car to do it today. That was the main goal, to get 25 points, to get the win. It’s been a long time that we have been waiting for this, but I think we have done some good work, and done some good analysis throughout the break, throughout the weekend too.

“I think we really understand the car now, in quali runs and then race runs. We showed today that we had everything under control. It’s not done yet, we have Abu Dhabi, the goal will be to do the same, be strong in quali and then be there in the fight to get a Feature Race win again.”

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

Leonardo Fornaroli moves to 211 points and with a 41-point advantage over Jak Crawford and Richard Verschoor, takes an unassailable lead into the final round. Luke Browning is fourth on 162 points, as Alexander Dunne rounds out the top five on 149 points.

Heading into the final rounds, Invicta Racing lead the way on 296 points, but second-placed Hitech TGR, on 261 points, and Campos Racing in third on 239, can still win the Teams’ Championship. DAMS Lucas Oil are fourth on 196 points, as MP Motorsport round out the top five on 193 points.

UP NEXT

The paddock will now make the trip to Abu Dhabi for the final round of the season at Yas Marina. With the Teams’ Championship up for grabs, who will come out on top?