Joshua Dürksen wins F2 season-opening Sprint Race in Melbourne

Joshua Dürksen kicked off the 2026 Formula 2 season with a commanding victory in the Melbourne Sprint Race. The Invicta Racing driver took the lead early on and managed the race to the finish, holding off Campos Racing's Noel Leon. Alex Dunne completed the podium for Rodin Motorsport after a penalty demoted his teammate.

Why it matters:

The opening race of the F2 season sets an early tone for the championship battle, offering a first glimpse at driver form and team performance. A strong start is crucial for momentum in the highly competitive feeder series, where every point matters in the fight for a potential future Formula 1 seat.

The details:

• Dominant Drive: Starting from the front row, Dürksen passed reverse-grid pole-sitter Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak (ART Grand Prix) early and controlled the race from the front without major challenge.
• Podium Shake-up: Alex Dunne initially crossed the line in fourth but was promoted to third and the final podium spot. This was due to a five-second time penalty for his Rodin Motorsport teammate, Martinius Stenshorne, for a track limits infringement, which dropped Stenshorne out of the points to tenth.
• Top Five Finishers: Following the podium trio, Ritomo Miyata (Hitech) and the early leader Inthraphuvasak rounded out the top five, securing solid points hauls.
• Notable Debut: Highly-touted American rookie Colton Herta, making his F2 debut with Hitech, finished his first race in 16th position.
• DNF: Prema Racing's Mari Boya was the only driver who failed to finish the race.

What's next:

The focus now shifts to Sunday's Feature Race, which offers more points and will provide a clearer picture of the early championship contenders.

• The full grid will be set by Friday's Qualifying results, promising a different dynamic from the reverse-grid Sprint.
• Drivers like Stenshorne will be looking for redemption, while Dürksen will aim to carry his winning momentum into the main event and establish an early championship lead. | Pos. | Driver | Team | Points | | ---- | ------------------------ | --------------------- | ------ | | 1. | Joshua Dürksen | Invicta Racing | 10 | | 2. | Noel Leon | Campos Racing | 8 | | 3. | Alex Dunne | Rodin Motorsport | 5 | | 4. | Ritomo Miyata | Hitech | 4 | | 5. | Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak | ART Grand Prix | 3 | | 6. | Gabriele Mini | MP Motorsport | 2 | | 7. | Laurens van Hoepen | Trident | 1 | | 8. | Roman Bilinski | DAMS Lucas Oil | 0 |