The Formula 2 grid is now complete, a week before the testing in Barcelona. Between veterans and promising rookies, this season is sure to be epic.
Thirteen drivers will start their full season in Formula 2 in 2025. Prema Racing, Rodin Motorsport, Hitech TGR and Trident will be starting fresh with both of their drivers being rookies. However, Luke Browning and Oliver Goethe already competed in multiple races last season.
1. ART Grand Prix
After the fiasco of the collaboration with Williams last year, the partnership between ART Grand Prix and Toyota seems to be taking shape. Ritomo Miyata, the 2023 Super Formula champion, joins the French team for a fresh start in Formula 2. His first season in the category was far from brilliant, with only 31 points in the championship and a nineteenth place in the standings.
Victor Martins keeps his seat for a third season. After a difficult year last season, marked by bad luck and mistakes, it feels like this is the last chance for the Frenchman to claim the title. With the recent news of Alpine recruiting three reserve drivers, it seems he is no longer part of the junior academy. His talent was never in doubt, but can he follow the same path as his former 2022 teammate, Théo Pourchaire?
2. Prema Racing
Every Prema fan must be surprised to not see a Ferrari Driver Academy (FDA) driver in this year’s line-up. However, Gabriele Miní proved his worth to the Italian team. The Formula 3 vice-champion already drove for the team in Baku last season, replacing Oliver Bearman, and even picked up a podium in the sprint race. If Prema Racing has resolved their past issues, he could be a serious candidate for the title.
Sebastián Montoya is the second Prema driver. He’s a former FDA driver who was dropped due to lack of performance, but he is no stranger to the Prema family. The son of Juan Pablo Montoya finished seventeenth in the standings last year in his second Formula 3 season, with only two top 5 finishes.
3. DAMS Lucas Oil
After an okay-ish season, DAMS Lucas Oil decided to stay with two experienced drivers in the series. Jak Crawford, who had a pretty good season in 2024, stays with the French team. The American driver, who managed to take six podiums, could be the big surprise of this season. A great result in the championship could also convince Andretti to give him a chance in one of their racing series, in case Aston Martin doesn’t want to change their line-up.
Alpine academy driver Kush Maini returns for a third season. It will also be his third different team. He finished thirteenth in the standings, with the best car of last season. He has the capacity to do better, and all of his racing experience could help him to do so.
4. Invicta Racing
The 2024 Formula 3 champion, Leonardo Fornaroli, was the first driver to be announced. After a thrilling Formula 3 season, the Italian driver is following his former teammate’s (Gabriel Bortoleto) steps to try and take the title in his first year. With this highly experienced grid, can he surprise everyone and make it his season?
Roman Staněk is back for a third season. The Czech driver suffered from a financial issue that prevented him from finishing last season. It is a great surprise to see him back so quickly, and with the fastest team on the grid. A fresh start for the driver who spent two seasons with Trident.
5. Aix Racing
The last feature race winner, Joshua Dürksen, returns for a second season with the team. He had four podiums, with two wins, after what was a fantastic year for Aix Racing. The Paraguayan, who finished tenth in the standings, is more than ready to show his talent once more.
The British Cian Shields completes the line-up. He already drove for the team in the last two races. It was not that brilliant, even in Formula 3, where he finished last among the drivers who drove the full season. He will certainly have to prove himself this year.
6. Campos Racing
This is one of the most promising line-ups of the year. Joseph María Martí stays with the team. He finished fourteenth in the standings, taking four podiums with one win, but also having nine DNFs. Between bad luck and mistakes, 2024 was not the season he had hoped for. This new one will be about finding a balance and maximizing results.
The future of Red Bull Racing, the young Arvid Lindblad, is joining the series. All eyes will be on him, and he knows it. He finished fourth in Formula 3 last year and recently reached the necessary points on his super licence for Formula 1. Full of talent, will he be able to take the title during his rookie year and show everyone why he is Red Bull’s protégé?
7. Rodin Motorsport
After three seasons in Formula 3, Christian Mansell is finally making the move to Formula 2. With five podiums, he finished fifth in the standings. He also replaced Roman Staněk at Trident for three race weekends. With half of his races in the top 10, he’ll have to adapt to this new environment even more, and why not finally achieve his first win in an FIA series.
McLaren’s future, Alexander Dunne, also joins the grid. He had a rather quiet performance in Formula 3 last season, but he was a rookie. He also had multiple opportunities to drive in Formula E, which gives him a bit more experience.
8. Hitech TGR
Luke Browning is switching teams for this season. After three weekends with ART Grand Prix, replacing Zak O’Sullivan, the Brit is now doing a full-time season. He battled for the Formula 3 title until the last race and might be the future of Williams if everything aligns for him.
Swedish driver Dino Beganovic completes the new line-up. He finished sixth in the F3 standings but had a strong start in Formula 2 during the last two weekends. He replaced Juan Manuel Correa at Dams and managed to finish on the podium in Abu Dhabi. The Ferrari Driver Academy driver even had the privilege of secretly driving a Ferrari during the winter.
9. Trident
A second French driver is joining the grid. Sami Meguetounif, who finished eighth in the F3 standings, is staying with Trident but making the move to Formula 2. He was one of the few drivers last year to secure multiple wins. His biggest challenge was maintaining consistency in his results, which will be crucial for a successful season this year. He also doesn’t yet have the funding to complete the full season.
Max Esterson, who replaced Richard Verschoor last year, will remain with the Italian team. He finished 21st in the Formula 3 standings, with only two top 10 finishes. Like Cian Shields, he will need to prove himself again.
10. MP Motorsport
Richard Verschoor is back for his fifth season. He still believes he can win the title, and MP Motorsport is ready to give him the opportunity. He finished eighth in the standings and had a really strong end to the season, with six podiums. If he manages to maximize his results from the start, he could have a good shot at the title.
The German Oliver Goethe is staying with the team. He replaced Franco Colapinto after his departure to Formula 1. Goethe had a rough start but adapted well to the series. The Red Bull Academy driver finished seventh in the F3 standings.
11. Van Amersfoort Racing
Rafael Villagómez is entering his second season with VAR. The Mexican driver finished last in the standings among those who completed the full season. With 13 points and only four top 10 finishes, he will have a lot of work to do this season to improve.
Finally, John Bennett is also staying with the team. He replaced Enzo Fittipaldi during the last two weekends of 2024. Coming straight from GB3, he managed to score 4 points in Qatar. This will be his first full season in an FIA series.