In an unexpected mid-season development, 19-year-old Red Bull Junior driver Oliver Goethe has made the leap to Formula 2, joining MP Motorsport for the final four rounds of the 2024 FIA F2 season. This opportunity arose after Franco Colapinto was promoted to Formula 1, leaving a vacant seat at MP Motorsport.
Goethe, who has been a strong contender in the 2024 FIA F3 Championship with Campos Racing, was poised to compete in the final round at Monza as a title contender. However, the chance to step up to Formula 2 was too significant to pass up, even if it meant an early end to his F3 campaign.
Reflecting on his sudden move, Goethe expressed both excitement and determination, acknowledging the challenges ahead as he transitions to the higher category with no prior experience in the Formula 2 car.
“I am very excited to race in Formula 2 this weekend and for the remainder of the season.”
“It’s such an amazing opportunity, and I am looking forward to working with MP Motorsport again. Although I haven’t got any experience in this F2 car, the two seasons I spent in FIA F3 gave me a great foundation for this step,” Goethe said.
The young German driver is no stranger to MP Motorsport, having raced with the Dutch team in both Spanish F4 in 2021 and the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine (FRECA) in 2022. Despite the daunting task of joining the F2 grid ten rounds into the season, Goethe is ready to embrace the challenge.
“My goals for this weekend are to soak up all the information MP Motorsport provides me with and learn as much as I can.”
“It won’t be easy even on a track I know well because all my competitors have so much more experience than me and I got the call so late that I didn’t have a chance to do simulator prep for F2, but in some way, this is similar to my FIA F3 debut in 2022, where I joined the series mid-season and scored points on my first attempt.”
Goethe’s F2 debut at the Autodromo Internazionale di Monza marks the beginning of a steep learning curve, as he will have to adapt quickly with the next races scheduled in Baku, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi—three circuits that are new to him.
While Goethe was thrilled about the new opportunity, he also shared his feelings about not being able to finish his F3 season as planned.
“I am a bit sad that I can’t finish my F3 season as planned, I would have loved to go out with a bang with my Campos Racing team. Huge thanks to Adrian Campos and the entire Campos squad for everything.”
