Monaco is ready to welcome the F2 drivers again for one of the most famous rounds of the calendar. Here is what to expect from this weekend.
F2 Next Stop: Monaco, Monte Carlo, Where Qualifying is Everything
F2 continues its tour in Europe with one of the most anticipated rounds of the year: Monaco. With its narrow corners, where the walls seem closer and closer every lap, no mistake is allowed. The drivers need to keep their concentration at maximum levels every time they go out on track.
Since it was added to the F2 calendar in 1998, when the championship was known as Formula 300, Monaco has gifted its fans various battles and twists in every series that races in its streets. However, many have said that the races in the Principality of Monaco are becoming boring and predictable over the years. Ahead of the Monaco F2 round, LWOS asked Pepe Martì what his take is on this growing sentiment.
“I think it only gets really boring on Saturday. Friday is really cool with qualifying, we only do four laps in the whole day, but those four laps are probably the highest pressure laps you do in a championship. In free practice you do 45 minutes and you want to get through as many things as possible, so you’re always really always on the edge trying to do as best as possible. You always keep on finding more and more lap time so it’s always interesting to keep on pushing and find a bit of time everywhere. You’re always almost experimenting as you go. On Sunday whilst it is a relatively boring race, if everything goes normal, you can play with strategy. We saw with (Zack) O’Sullivan last year. He stayed in back for the first 10 or 15 laps, then he was rocking 20 laps and then there was the safety car and he won the race. I think last year’s proof that Monaco is more than just a sitting behind race and things can happen. And I think we’re about to have a really nice weekend.” – Pepe Martì to LWOS
This year, F2 arrives in the Côte d’Azur, where one of the most competitive championships in recent years is taking place. Many drivers are alternating at the leadership of the championship, and many are proving to be impressive opponents. How will they perform one of the most precise and demanding rounds of the championship?
F2’s Last time in Monaco
In 2024, after the group division, Richard Verschoor took his maiden pole in Monaco. The Dutch driver started from the best position possible at a circuit where it is crucial to be in the front. However, on Sunday, nearly halfway through the race, he had to retire due to a mechanical issue.
This was a huge disappointment for him, since he also failed to score points on Saturday. The winner of the sprint race was Taylor Barnard, who, with the reverse grid, started in first position and maintained the leadership until the last lap despite safety cars.
In the feature race, Zak O’Sullivan and ART Grand Prix stayed out and waited for a safety car to come to the pits so that he could overtake as the leader. While Isack Hadjar was on top form for half of the race, he had to settle for second behind the British driver.
READ MORE: 2025 Monaco GP Preview: The Grid Heads On to Round Eight
Alex Dunne Leads the Drivers’ Standings
Ahead of the arrival of the F2 cars in Monaco this year, Alexander Dunne is currently the championship leader. The Irish driver has made a performance upgrade from last year in F3 with MP Motorsport.
Originally, Dunne did not seem to have adapted well to the F3 car. A mix of misfortune and inexperience led to him finishing the championship in 14th place. During the year, he reached the podium on two occasions: the sprint race in Spain and the one in Monza.
Now, changing teams to Rodin Motorsport and stepping up to F2, the McLaren driver seems to have found what he was missing last year: consistency and pure speed. What has impressed many about the young driver is his strength and determination in the races, which translates into impressive overtakes.
Sometimes this attitude gives good results, like the win in Imola and Bahrain, and the podium in Jeddah. Other times it could lead to difficult situations where he forces his hand too much, like the sprint race in Bahrain.
In Italy, Dunne showed how much his racecraft has improved, and if he maintains this momentum for long, in the future, he could be rewarded with something more than just a race win.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Ferrari Faces New Challenges in Monaco
Possible Strategies for the Round
The compounds chosen by Pirelli for this round are the Soft and Supersoft. As expected from a tight circuit like Monaco, qualifying plays a key role in deciding the outcome of the races, especially given how difficult it is to overtake on track.
Last year in the Feature Race, most of the drivers chose to start with the Soft and then switch to Supersoft. The goal was to delay coming to the pits as much as possible, in case a safety car could help them in their strategy.
Monaco is a circuit with high downforce, but the tyre usage and the brake demand are not as impactful as other venues, given the tight corners one after the other.
READ NEXT: F3 Monaco GP Preview: The Jewel of the Junior Calendar
Main Photo
Credit: IMAGO / PsnewZ
Recording Date: 22.05.2025
