The highly anticipated opening F2 Feature Race at the Australian GP, fell victim to Melbourne’s notoriously unpredictable weather on Sunday, as race officials ultimately cancelled the event after multiple failed attempts to get underway.
Washout at Albert Park
Fans who braved the elements at a rain-soaked Albert Park were left disappointed when persistent rainfall rendered the circuit undrivable despite the best efforts of race control to start proceedings.
What began as light rain quickly intensified into a downpour just as drivers prepared for the formation lap, with conditions deteriorating rapidly as minutes passed. The safety car led an initial attempt at circulating, but officials promptly displayed the red flag as visibility reached dangerous levels.
Multiple failed restart attempts
Following the initial red flag, race control announced a series of delayed starts as officials monitored weather radar and track conditions. After an additional ten-minute delay, drivers returned to their cars for another formation attempt behind the safety car.
During this brief window on track, Campos Racing’s Oliver Goethe demonstrated just how treacherous conditions had become when he experienced a spin. Though the German driver avoided contact with barriers or other competitors, the incident further highlighted the dangers posed by the waterlogged circuit.
Goethe spins but doesn't make contact with anyone and is able to continuehttps://t.co/qLgyAl7LUL#F2 #AusGP pic.twitter.com/U9jDRdwsbh
— Formula 2 (@Formula2) March 16, 2025
As the safety car continued to lead the field around Albert Park, race control converted the event to a time-limited format with just sixteen minutes on the clock. They confirmed that mandatory pit stop regulations would remain in effect should racing commence.
These efforts proved futile as officials displayed the red flag once more before ultimately making the difficult but necessary decision to cancel the race entirely.
No points rewarded
Officials handed Gabriele Mini a three-place grid penalty for impeding Jak Crawford during qualifying, promoting Victor Martins to pole position—a decision that left him disappointed when the race was cancelled.
Richard Verschoor secured a front-row start alongside the French driver, while Roman Stanek, who won the previous year’s Sprint Race at the Australian GP venue, prepared to start from third.
Mini would have lined up fourth following his penalty, ahead of Hitech TGR teammates Dino Beganovic and Luke Browning. Saturday’s Sprint Race victor Joshua Duerksen had qualified seventh, with Leonardo Fornaroli, Sebastian Montoya, and Ritomo Miyata completing the top ten.
With the Feature Race cancellation, the Formula 2 championship standings after the first round reflect only the Sprint Race results, with Duerksen leading the way after his victory on Saturday.
The FIA Formula 2 Championship will now take a short break before returning for Round 2 at Sakhir, Bahrain from April 11-13, where drivers and teams will hope for more cooperative weather conditions.
