After a chaotic Formula 2 Sprint Race at the 2025 Bahrain GP, MP Motorsport’s Richard Verschoor added another podium to his tally with an impressive second-place finish. Strengthening his position at the top of the Drivers’ Championship, the Dutchman executed a brilliant drive from P5, steadily working his way through the field.
The most hectic race of his career
With a wealth of podiums already to his name in Formula 2, this second-place finish marked the 15th of Richard Verschoor’s career. While the Dutch driver has experienced his fair share of chaos since his debut season, nothing quite compares to the mayhem of MP Motorsport’s Sprint Race in Bahrain.
Speaking during the post-Sprint press conference attended by Pit Debrief, Verschoor shared that races like these are exactly why he fell in love with the sport in the first place — for the sheer thrill and reward of such intense competition:
“No, this was a crazy one. Very fun though, not at all times. I had some eventful moments, but you know, I like racing like this.
“This is really why I started watching racing at all. So yeah, it was, especially that I’m sitting here now with a nice trophy. It was very nice.”
Verschoor on last-lap drive to cross the line P2
Reflecting on his final-lap effort that secured a well-earned second-place finish, Richard Verschoor recalled the challenges he faced while trying to overtake Joshua Dürksen. The Dutchman admitted it wasn’t an easy move, highlighting the tense battle as a key moment in his charge to the podium.
“Yeah, I think before that I centred a bit on Dino, and then Pepe got past, and then he [Martí] got past Joshua, and then it was a bit of a mess. And then I think I wanted to go for the move in T10, but he blocked me off. Then I went outside and switched back and then he outbraked himself a bit into T11.
“Then I had a nice switchback and kept my foot in around the outside of T12. So that was nice.”
Looking ahead to a potential repeat scenario in tomorrow’s Feature Race, Verschoor expressed hope for a “less crazy” affair. Despite the chaos of the Sprint, the Dutchman remains confident in both his own abilities and the pace of the car, with MP Motorsport proving to be a strong contender throughout the Bahrain GP weekend. He also hinted at having found a way to manage the tyre degradation issues that have plagued many drivers at this demanding circuit.
“I wouldn’t mind if it was a bit less crazy, to be honest, but for sure we’ll do our best. I think we have a good pace. Tyre management was well done today and the team obviously gave me a strong car. So I’m excited for tomorrow.”
Positive impression on returning to MP
With AIX Racing’s Joshua Dürksen finishing third and maintaining his lead in the championship, Verschoor shared his thoughts on currently sitting second in the standings. Since returning to MP Motorsport at the end of last season, the prospect of a title fight is clearly fueling the Dutchman’s confidence. Pleased with his decision to reunite with his former team, Verschoor’s experience is proving to be a valuable asset — and his belief in both the team and himself is stronger than ever.
“I’m not really surprised [because] I knew that MP, of course, was a good team. I have some experience under my belt as well now.”
He added, “I really loved going back to MP from the first moment.”
“We were communicating well. I was feeling that inside of the team there was a lot of knowledge, and I could really build on my experience together with the teams. I’m really happy that it’s at the moment paying off. We did a lot of hard work also to get the car a bit more to my style.
“I’m just very happy at the moment where we are tomorrow starting from P6. To be honest, every race that I’m doing at the moment, I go in very confident because I know that the team is giving me a good car and I try to make the best out of every situation.”
It’s also worth noting that following the disqualification of Joshua Dürksen, Richard Verschoor emerged as the highest points scorer of the 2025 season after the Sprint Race. This development is particularly significant, as it places the Dutchman at the top of the Drivers’ Championship standings — marking the first time in his Formula 2 career that he leads the title race.
Verschoor on soft-tyre testing on Day 3 of Bahrain in-season testing
MP Motorsport delivered a strong performance during in-season testing ahead of the Bahrain GP, with Richard Verschoor leading the timesheets on the final day. When asked whether he felt that showing had any influence on how the rest of his race weekend would unfold, the 24-year-old responded.
“You’re trying to work towards something. The team wants to test different stuff during the test. And in the end, day three, we had some tyres left.
“To be honest, I think because we were supposed to use them earlier, but we couldn’t. So that was the main reason to put softs day three. But I don’t really think it helped.
“But still, it’s always nice to top a session.”
Verschoor’s race saved by keeping cool head
With the sheer number of battles the Sprint Race had to offer, Richard Verschoor’s ability to navigate the midfield chaos and intense heat was particularly impressive. The Dutchman remained composed, delivering a mature and measured performance. Despite mounting pressure from the drivers behind, especially a charging Josep María Martí, Verschoor stayed focused on his race and executed his strategy with precision.
“Cool, it definitely wasn’t. It was very hot. But I tried to keep my head cool, at least mentally. For me, it was a bit different. I guess I had someone behind who was divebombing quite a bit in multiple corners, so especially when the last safety car came out, I was like, he’s going to try again. So, I tried to defend the inside, but then he was still going, and it was a big mess because of that.”
“So, I wasn’t really keen on the last safety car. But I think in the end, you know, you cannot change what others are doing, you can only anticipate. And I think I did that well today. So, I think that saved me.”
High temperatures a potential challenge in Feature Race
After the scorching conditions seen in earlier sessions, the Sprint Race took place under noticeably cooler temperatures. However, Richard Verschoor wasn’t entirely pleased with the shift, especially with the Feature Race scheduled for the heat of midday. The MP Motorsport driver shared his personal thoughts on how Sunday’s race might unfold, acknowledging the stark contrast in conditions and how that could shake up expectations:
“I think doing a sprint race on soft tyres in Formula 2 is never going to be easy. But I think my experience helped me on that today. It was a bit cooler, but I think especially tomorrow is going to be tough because we race really at the most heat of the day. So I think it was a good practise for tomorrow, but I’m not sure how much we can take because I think tomorrow is going to be exaggerated a lot.
“And also the prime tyres don’t seem to work so well in the heat. So it’s going to be an exciting race.”
Tyre strategies governed by “thin line of how much [a driver] can push”
Verschoor highlighted just how demanding the Bahrain GP can be, especially when it comes to tyre management. With the circuit notoriously harsh on tyres, the Dutchman admitted that this made it significantly more challenging to battle and attempt overtakes.
“Every fight you do, extra change of direction, pushing more on traction is hurting the tyres a bit.
“To be honest, you can cool them down a bit as well afterwards, but you can just feel when you start to push more that you lose the grip. So yeah, it was quite tough, especially today as there was so much fighting going on and you cannot decide — OK, I don’t fight, because in the end you need to fight them back.
“So it’s a bit of a thin line of how much you can push, but it makes it as exciting as it was today.”
Bahrain, a great circuit for overtaking
The Sakhir Grand Prix is notorious for its chaotic nature year after year. Richard Verschoor discussed the specific aspects of the Bahrain circuit that encourage risky moves and fierce battles. He discussed how the layout, combined with the high temperatures and often unpredictable conditions, creates an environment where drivers are pushed to take bold risks and make aggressive moves, leading to exciting and unpredictable racing.
“I think the track roughness is quite a bit higher than other tracks, which makes it even harder for us to manage. Just a bit, no? To make it harder for us to save the tyres, because even if you’re just casually driving, you wear the tyres.
“And then on top of that, it heats up more. So yeah, but it makes it exciting. And as Pep has said, also the layout, I think, is doing a good job for racing.
“Yeah, I’m just really looking forward to tomorrow.”
