The F2 Qualifying 2025 Bahrain GP saw Leonardo Fornaroli secure his first F2 pole, with Victor Martins in second and Luke Browning completing the top three.
Tough conditions in Bahrain
After a thrilling three-day testing at the end of March, it was time for the F2 drivers to hit the tarmac again for the second qualifying session of the 2025 season at the Bahrain GP.
The session started with a track temperature of 39,4°C, a big shift from the conditions faced in Free practice. The data collected today was therefore crucial for the upcoming sprint and feature where the broadcast announces similar temperatures.
It was also the first time the teams used Soft Tyres on this track since the start of the weekend. Pirelli stated that the high temperature of the track was likely to make the tyres fall away very quickly, making the first laps on each set what really matters.
Teams also warned drivers about track limits and the multiple violations expected due to slight wind in some strategic parts of the track.
Flying first laps
Martins was the first to go flat out around the Bahrain circuit for this session and achieved a very good lap time. However, the provisional pole was quickly taken away from him by Fornaroli by almost half a second. This flying lap was very impressive from the Invicta Racing driver.
On the other hand, at this point in the session, Minì showed a surprisingly slow pace.
Dürksen’s first lap ended up being disappointing for the championship leader, who placed 19th. As for Beganovic, after driving Leclerc’s Ferrari in F1’s FP1, he got himself 10th, a promising provisional place for the sprint race.
The first part of the session ended after 19 minutes with Fornaroli first, Marti right behind, and Verschoor in third.
Second set of laps to set the grid
Once the cars decided to go back out for a last push lap, traffic became a bit hectic. Every car put on a fresh set of soft tyres, and Maini had a scare when he found himself unable to start his car; thankfully, his team manually fixed the issue.
With 2 minutes to go, everyone had yet to set a second lap; once again, Martins was the first to go for it. The Art GP driver had everything to prove after the aborted feature race in Australia, where he had pole. After a purple middle sector and an overall impressive lap, he puts himself on provisional pole.
Browning, who hoped for a pole, ended up claiming second provisional place, 0.129 behind Martins, with a remarkable purple middle sector.
Once again, Fornaroli took away the Frenchman’s pole with a 1:44.008 lap, after having dominated the entire qualifying session.
At the end of the session, the official first and second row goes as follows: Fornaroli for the first time in pole position, Martins right behind, Browning in third, and Dunne in fourth.
On his part, Dürksen finds himself in 10th, a great position for the reverse grid sprint race. Giving him the opportunity to retain first place in the championship at the end of the weekend.
Formula 2 will be back tomorrow at 5:15 pm local time, for the second sprint race of the season. A reverse grid that promises to be exciting and worth the watch.
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Featured image credit: Invicta Racing