Round 7 of the Formula 2 season headed to the beautiful scenery of Austria and the home soil of Red Bull. One of the most challenging and competitive qualifying sessions of the season set the grid for the weekend. Times were incredibly close, gravel was touched, and drivers gambled every millisecond to come out on top. In the end, it was Leonardo Fornaroli who became the first driver to take a second pole position this season.
Drivers headed out on Supersoft tyres, careful to bring the compound into the right operating window to extract maximum performance. Luke Browning was the first to go for a push lap, delivering a clean run through all sectors and setting a banker of 1:16.11. Gabriel Miní and Sebastián Montoya both driving for Prema racing responded quickly, along with several others. Fornaroli topped the timing sheets with a 1:15.769, taking provisional pole and setting the pace for others.
Margins were razor-thin. With 20 minutes left in the session, just one second separated 17 drivers. Championship leader Alex Dunne, who had earlier stepped into a Formula 1 car for Lando Norris in FP1, was down in P18. His debut in the advanced machinery was impressive, as the Irish driver went on to finish the session in P4, just 0.069 seconds behind Oscar Piastri. Dino Beganovic, who drove Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari, found himself in P19 at that point in the qualifying session. It was a clear reminder of how challenging the transition from Formula 1 to Formula 2 machinery can be.
A brief mid-session pause brought all drivers back into the pits before action resumed with just 11 minutes remaining. The pressure was intense, as every mistake on this circuit comes at a high price. Jack Crawford and Richard Verschoor looked strong, with Verschoor briefly taking the top spot. His time was soon beaten by Victor Martins, who was chasing his second pole of the season.
As the final laps unfolded, every detail became crucial. Verschoor pushed hard to reclaim P1 but ran into the gravel trap at the end of his flying lap. Fornaroli, setting two purple sectors, jumped back to the top as others failed to improve. The Italian secured the Aramco Pole Position, his second and a very welcome result in his campaign.
What’s next?
The grid is now set, but nothing is lost for those starting further back. With three DRS zones, the Red Bull Ring offers plenty of overtaking opportunities. The championship remains tight, and Dunne will be aiming for a strong recovery from P7, along with several others. With points being awarded over the weekend, both the sprint and feature races promise plenty of excitement. Will the action shake things up to a new championship leader? Only time will tell, so make sure to tune in.