Ahead of the Italian GP, Joshua Durksen spoke with selected media, including LWOS, about his expectations for Monza and his season in F2.
Joshua Durksen is competing in his first season in F2. Between ups and downs, he has managed to achieve a podium in the Feature Race at Imola, and another podium in the Sprint Race at Monza earlier today. Similar to Andrea Kimi Antonelli, the Paraguayan driver skipped Formula 3 to race in F2 with AIX Racing. Throughout his first year, Durksen had to experience some circuits around the world where he had never raced. Despite the difficulties during the mid-season, there were also moments of pride for the driver.
In his debut season in a single-seater, Durksen won 5 races in the UAE Formula 4 championship, competing for the title with Matteo Nannini. Ultimately, the championship was won by the Italian, but for the Paraguayan, it was still a successful first season. In the following years, he raced in the Italian Formula 4, winning a total of 4 races and achieving sixth place as his best result in the championship.
In 2022 he stepped up to FRECA with Arden Motorsport. However, he was not able to showcase his abilities to his best. Fortunately for him, the AIX Racing team recognized his talent and offered him a place in Formula 2. As a result, F2 driver Joshua Durksen became the first Paraguayan driver to compete in the most important feeder series of Formula 1.
As of 2024, his rookie season Durksen has achieved third place in the Feature Race at Imola, and the Sprint Race at Monza. After qualifying in fifth place, the AIX Racing driver secured a spot on the podium that Sunday. However, the results obtained in this first season in F2 do not fully satisfy Durksen:
“I think for me it has been a season where I’ve improved a lot during the year but certainly it’s not enough. I want to be more in the front, also in the championship standings. I got on the podium, some points scoring in the races and some good qualifying [sessions]. This is really positive and it shows that there’s potential to go for more. I want to be constantly on the top 10, later on constantly on the top 5, and then win. However, for a championship like this, we still have a lot of work to do.” – Joshua Durksen speaking to LWOS.
Joshua Durksen’s expectations at Monza
This weekend is the eleventh round of the Formula 2 calendar. The Italian GP is the first race after the summer break for the drivers. This is after Zandvoort was removed from the Formula 2 calendar and added to the F1 Academy calendar. Later in November, the Formula 2 drivers will race in Qatar. F2 drivers will race at the Lusail International Circuit for the first time ever.
The main goal for now is to end the weekend on a high note, as F2 driver Durksen said himself:
“My target will be for sure qualifying in top 10 and from that point I think we can do a really good two races because of the reverse grid. I think we’re capable of it and Monza, everything can happen like we know. So it’s a bit of a gamble let’s say. My hopes are that we are for sure happy the potential to be in the top 10.” – Joshua Durksen speaking to LWOS.
The Paraguayan did not disappoint his own expectations, qualifying seventh in Monza. It’s not the first time that the AIX Racing driver runs in Monza, in fact, being the Italian circuit also in the calendar of Italian F4, Durksen knows it very well:
“Monza is actually one of the tracks I’ve driven the most. At least I’ve driven it every year. I think the key is the traffic management and, of course, to stay away from trouble because Monza is a track where we can have many safety cars and many crashes. So it’s important to find a balance of being aggressive but also being smart and not create a crash because it’s really easy to make it here.” – Joshua Durksen speaking to LWOS.
At the Sprint Race today in Monza, Durksen earned himself a podium finish, with a P3 behind Ollie Bearman and Victor Martins respectively.
What does it mean to be a South American driver in modern F2?
Another South American driver, Franco Colapinto, is making his F1 debut in Monza. The Argentine has been chosen as a mid-season replacement for Logan Sargeant and will drive the last races of the Formula 1 season for Williams. This has started a ripple effect in F2 and F3, also due to the replacement of Durksen’s teammate, Taylor Barnard. The Englishman has decided not to complete his season in F2. He has instead chosen to focus on his role as a future Formula E driver with the McLaren team. In AIX racing, Barnard was replaced by the Dutch Indy NXT Series rider, Niels Koolen.
Colapinto and Durksen are some of the few South American drivers competing in F2. As the drivers themselves have said many times, having the chance to race in Europe and in a championship as important as Formula 2, means a lot. Often financial difficulties make it difficult for drivers. Durksen has repeatedly stressed the importance of his arrival in F2 for Paraguay. Even the country’s president congratulated him for this achievement.
Seeing Colapinto in F1 only increases hopes for the future:
“I’m just also trying to support every South American driver because most of the races are in Europe, Middle East, and there are not many races in South America. I know also the sacrifice that we have to do us drivers from South America. We basically have to leave the country and live in Europe in order to reach our goals and our dreams and of course to see that this sacrifice is worth it and it’s, that they’re getting it, of course this makes me also really happy and also motivates me to keep pushing.” – Joshua Durksen speaking to LWOS.
In the second part of the season, Joshua Durksen will have the opportunity to demonstrate his capabilities and proudly represent Paraguay in the F2 circuit worldwide. With one podium in the second half of the season already, could he add another to the tally in tomorrow’s Feature Race?
