F2 is back and starts the European leg in Imola. Here is what to expect from the Italian round.
Formula 2 Arrives in Europe – First Stop, Imola
After the season opener in Australia and the Middle East Double Header, Formula 2 is returning to its roots in Europe, racing in Imola this weekend.
All drivers who have competed in junior categories in recent years have at least one previous experience on the Italian circuit. This is why the track will be a fair playground for all drivers, even the ones who never raced in a Formula 2 car before this year.
Where Did We Leave Off?
It’s been almost one month since the last F2 round.
Last time we went racing, Arvid Lindblad achieved his first win in the series during the sprint race, taking advantage of Richard Verschoor’s penalty. However, the following day, the Dutchman recovered eight positions and won the race thanks to an incredible pace.
Therefore, the drivers’ standings see Verschoor leading the championship by 12 points in front of Josep “Pepe” Martì. Right behind the Spaniard is the Italian driver Leonardo Fornaroli, in his first year in the championship.
Imola could represent a turning point for a lot of drivers, and it could fire up an already competitive championship.
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The Highlights of Last Year’s F2 Imola GP
In 2024, rookie driver Gabriel Bortoleto put his Invicta Racing on pole, just 0.055 milliseconds in front of Oliver Bearman. The English driver delivered an impressive performance getting the first row, especially given the difficulties of Prema Racing in the past season.
Amaury Cordell started on pole for the Sprint Race but did not manage to keep that position for long.
A highlight of the race was the big collision a few seconds after the lights went out; Romane Stanek, Isack Hadjar, Joshua Durksen, Enzo Fittipaldi and Dennis Hauger were all involved in the crash, fortunately, without any physical consequences.
The 25 laps ended with Franco Colapinto on top, after overtaking Paul Aron near the end of the race.
The Feature race started in the best way possible for Oliver Bearman, who managed to get himself in front of Bortoleto since the launch. However, during the pit stop, what could have been the perfect race for him and the team turned into a nightmare.
The Englishman stalled in the pits and had various problems before he was able to restart. This put him from first to the back of the field. In the meantime, Isack Hajdar got his second win of the year until then, in front of Bortoleto and Durksen.
Possible Strategies
For Imola, Pirelli brought two available F2 compounds: the Soft and the Supersoft. The first one, compared to last year, is softer and will be subject to more degradation. Therefore, this is a variable the drivers and the teams need to take into account.
The quickest race strategy seems to be to start on the Soft and switch to the Supersoft for the last laps.
However, some drivers could choose to start with the softer tyre to build a gap and then hope for a safety car, to lose less time in the pits. Overtaking in Imola is very difficult; therefore, every decision within the team and every attempt at an attack should be carefully considered.
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Main Photo
Credit: IMAGO / Eibner
Recording Date: 10.04.2025
