The Formula 2 Free Practice session for the 2025 Azerbaijan Grand Prix took place at the iconic Baku City Circuit. The session kicked off what promises to be a thrilling weekend. Over 45 minutes, young drivers pushed their machines around the 6 km street circuit. A layout famed for its long straights and unforgiving technical corners.
Early Leaders Make Their Mark
Joshua Duerksen with AIX Racing set the first benchmark with a 2:00.278. He put himself over two-tenths clear of PREMA’s Gabriele Minì. As the session developed, Luke Browning rose to the top with a 1:58.407, more than a second quicker than the rest of the field. His time was soon challenged by Jak Crawford and TRIDENT debutant Martinius Stenshorne, both falling just thousandths shy of his effort.
Times Drop as Track Improves
As the circuit rubbered in, lap times tumbled. Browning returned to P1 with a 1:56.769, holding a comfortable margin over Victor Martins and Dino Beganovic. Martins then made use of a slipstream from Browning to clock a 1:56.388, momentarily seizing the top spot. Browning hit back immediately, producing a 1:55.869 and underlining the fierce competition at the sharp end.
Dunne Seizes Late Glory
In the closing minutes, a brief Virtual Safety Car was deployed when Arvid Lindblad came to a halt on the escape road. Once running resumed, it was Alexander Dunne who stole the spotlight. The MP Motorsport driver delivered a 1:55.720 to finish fastest, edging Crawford by just 0.049 seconds. Beganovic slotted into third, a mere 0.058 adrift, while Browning and Rafael Villagómez completed the top five. Martins, Minì, Oliver Goethe, Ritomo Miyata, and Richard Verschoor rounded out a tightly packed top ten.
With Free Practice wrapped up, attention now shifts to qualifying at 14:00 local time. With margins razor-thin at the front, the battle for pole position is set to be fiercely contested, setting the stage for an action-packed Formula 2 weekend in Baku.