Bruno Michel’s triple-header debrief: Another F2 title fight shaping up nicely

A season-defining triple-header has passed, and we have experienced plenty of changes in the Championship order with narratives and comeback stories written race by race.

Formula 2 CEO Bruno Michel dissects the action, praising how hard everybody has worked to compete at such a high level in all three race weekends and gives his thoughts on how 2025 is shaping up.

A TWISTING TITLE FIGHT AND WELL-EARNED REST

“I thought that the triple-header would give us a clearer picture as to where the title fight would go, but as the dust settled, we have no idea where it’s going to be. It’s moving all the time between Alex Dunne, Richard Verschoor, Arvid Lindblad, Jak Crawford and Luke Browning, and we could even add Leonardo Fornaroli, who lost a bit of ground following a poor weekend in Barcelona, but he is not so far off.

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“Looking at the Teams’ Standings, it is quite interesting because Hitech TGR was leading after Monaco and now Campos Racing have passed them and are P1 in the Championship. MP Motorsport, DAMS Lucas Oil and Rodin Motorsport remain close as well. Both the Teams’ and Drivers’ Championships, it’s really hard to figure out who will come out on top. And that’s what I really love in F2.

“In pure F2 traditions, since the start of the season, we have had fantastic racing and we see have seen impressive performances, which is fantastic.

“After Barcelona, the racing halts for a few weeks and that’s a good thing. Everyone deserves a well-earned rest after an intense triple-header. I think people have to realise that the F2 and F3 teams are working with a very limited number of people, and their weekends are extremely busy.

“I’m sure everyone is tired, and they need to rest, and we all need to recharge a bit before Austria, to come back ready for the fight.”

STRATEGY MIXING UP THE ACTION IN BOTH BARCELONA RACES

“Sometimes you have an incredible strategy that just works. I love that about Formula 2. That’s exactly what happened in the Barcelona Sprint Race.

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“Up until the two PREMAs came together, the race wasn’t too action packed. Suddenly, after that incident towards the later stages, there was a Safety Car period. It allowed drivers the opportunity to go back into the pits and change to the Option tyre. And it gave us an absolutely fantastic end to the race.

“There was a big difference in terms of laptime between the Option tyres and the used Prime. Verschoor, Dunne and Rafael Villagómez were called back to the pits at the perfect time and from there drove flawlessly up to the podium. It was thrilling to watch.

“I was hoping that the Feature Race would be similar, unfortunately the last few laps were neutralised by the Safety Car because otherwise I’m sure we would have had the final two laps being an incredible fight with Dunne and Crawford coming through the pack like bullets, and they would have most definitely challenged the top 3 drivers who eventually finished on the podium.”

VILLAGÓMEZ AND VAN AMERSFOORT HAVE THEIR DAY

“I was really happy for Villagómez, who claimed a maiden podium in F2. It was VAR’s first podium of the season too. They are a hard-working team, and Villagómez doesn’t always have it easy. In the Sprint, he benefitted from the Safety Car and the change of tyres, but he delivered when he had to deliver, overtaking the cars he needed to in order to finish on the rostrum.

“I think it’s a great reward for him, because that’s what our categories are made for as well, for these young drivers getting to shine at some point.”

DUNNE’S DETERMINATION

“His leading the Championship leaving Barcelona is fully deserved. In Monaco and in Free Practice in Barcelona, he wasn’t driving the way he should have, and he got rightfully penalised for both incidents.

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“But he dealt with the outcome, and he did fantastic races in the Sprint and in the Feature, keeping his head cool, focusing on what he had to do to make up for the lost places.

“Since the start of the season, he’s proven that he is a very strong racer. However, he still needs to work on some things to avoid incidents like the one in Monaco. But he’s a pure talent for sure.”

STARRING IN THE TRIPLE

“I need to add a few honourable mentions to this debrief, starting with Jak Crawford and DAMS. The young American scored 53 points across the three weekends, claiming two wins along the way – one Sprint in Imola and one Feature in Monaco. His team, DAMS, did the double victory in Monte Carlo, with Kush Maini crossing the line first on Saturday.

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“I also want to talk about Arvid Lindblad, the youngest driver on the current grid. Since the start of the season, he’s been a force to be reckoned with, and since his maiden F2 win in the Jeddah Sprint, he was eager to claim a first pole position and a first Feature victory. Monaco was a sour round for the young Brit, but he rebounded in style the following week in Barcelona, with a perfect Sunday launching from pole position and taking the flag first. He is currently third in the Drivers’ Standings, just eight points behind Dunne.

“Last, but not least, another rookie seems to have found how to gel with his F2 car, as Sebastián Montoya qualified twice on the front row, and achieved two podium finishes in a fruitful triple header for the PREMA racer. It will be interesting to see if he can keep up the momentum when the action returns at the end of the month.”