All images ©: Dutch Photo Agency
Invicta Racing kicked off the 2025 FIA Formula 2 season in Australia, with Joshua Dürksen claiming victory in the Sprint Race and Rafael Câmara taking second place in his first F2 Feature Race.
The sun was shining above Melbourne for the first Qualifying session of the new season, where the Invicta Racing duo of Joshua Dürksen and Rafael Câmara took to the track to set the grids for Round 1.
After their initial efforts, Joshua sat second and Rafael was third on the timesheets, but a flurry of laps from their competitors followed and they were quickly displaced.
For his second attempt, the Brazilian rookie set a time good enough for third, moments before the red flags were shown. During the hiatus, Câmara remained third with Dürksen in sixth.
After a further 10 minutes of running, yet more red flags were waved. When the drivers were finally back on track, there was only time for one lap each.
In the final moments, the times tumbled and Rafael set the sixth fastest time, while Joshua ended the session in ninth.
RESULTS
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Rafael Câmara: P6 (1:29.143)
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Joshua Dürksen: P9 (1:29.484)
For the opening race of the year, Joshua lined up second on the grid with team-mate Rafael in fifth.
Both drivers dropped a position at the start, but quickly regained the ground lost on the opening lap.
On the following tour, Joshua made a decisive move to take the lead, overtaking Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak into Turn 9. From there, the Paraguayan didn’t look back and opened a gap to the chasing pack.
Rafael, meanwhile, was in a battle of his own for the podium places, even making a spectacular double-overtake into Turn 11 on Lap 2.
For several laps, the reigning FIA Formula 3 champion was entangled in a battle with Martinius Stenshorne over fourth place, with Rafael eventually fending off his rival’s advances.
The race was neutralised by the deployment of a Safety Car on Lap 15, at which point Dürksen was leading the pack and Câmara remained in fourth.
Three laps later, Joshua aced the restart, opening a sizeable gap to second place almost immediately.
Rafael didn’t fare as well, dropping back to 11th in the chaos of the restart. Ultimately, that’s where the Brazilian finished the race, after a strong display of pace in his first FIA Formula 2 race.
History repeated itself for Joshua, who replicated his 2025 feat of starting in second place and crossing the line first, taking an excellent victory in the first race of the season.
RESULTS
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Joshua Dürksen: P1 (10 points)
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Rafael Câmara: P11 (0 points)
Sunday’s Feature Race didn’t get off to the best start for Joshua, who moved before the lights went out, got a slow getaway as a result, and subsequently was shuffled wide at Turn 1, dropping him back to 18th by the end of the first tour.
Rafael had a much better start, surging from sixth to fourth by Turn 1, and when the leaders tangled at the start of Lap 3, the Brazilian was elevated into second position.
After an early Safety Car period, both Invicta drivers pitted with Joshua rejoining in 15th and Rafael in sixth, which quickly became fourth when others pitted.
Following the stops, the Brazilian driver went into battle with Dino Beganovic over fourth place, displaying fantastic defensive driving, lap after lap.
Eventually, Beganovic got the better of Câmara, but it was short-lived as he ground to a halt not long after.
When another Safety Car was called, Rafael was third, while Joshua had made his way up to 10th.
On the restart, Rafael pressured Nicolás Varrone for second place and made the move stick into Turn 11 on Lap 27.
Although he was unable to catch race winner Nikola Tsolov before the laps ran out, Câmara finished an excellent second in his first F2 Feature Race.
Joshua, meanwhile, had made further progress in the latter stages of the race to cross the line in eighth, before a penalty for the false start dropped him to 10th in the final order.
RESULTS
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Rafael Câmara: P2 (18 points)
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Joshua Dürksen: P10 (1 points)
“We had a positive weekend. All of the preparation over the winter and through the test at Barcelona paid off. We managed the issues well; Qualifying was a bit of a mess and we were still able to get into the top 10. We were a bit unlucky in the Sprint Race, because the pace was definitely there for a podium and we got some good points for the championship in the Feature Race. I’m really happy with the work we’ve been doing and it’s been great working with the team. Now, we need to keep moving in the right direction and carry this momentum into the next race.”
"Overall, I think it was a positive weekend, despite the little issues we had in Qualifying and sadly, the jump start in the Feature Race. We have shown we have very good pace getting the win in the Sprint Race, Rafael getting P2 in the Feature Race and the potential was there to be a bit better in Qualifying. It shows we’re strong in every scenario. Overall, I’m happy. We got a lot of points for the team which is good, and I think we’re going to be quick in the rest of the races this season.”
“It’s been a positive weekend and a very solid start to the season with both drivers. Qualifying was challenging, as it effectively became a one-lap shootout after the last Red Flag, and unfortunately neither driver got the most out of the car. From there, though, Joshua did a really great job in the Sprint Race with a commanding drive from lights to flag, and we're delighted his season got off to the best possible start. Rafa also had a strong Sprint Race, until one mistake at the Safety Car restart cost him several places. Their fortunes were then reversed on Sunday. Rafael had a really solid race, while Joshua's was more mixed, recovering back through the pack after a costly mistake jumping the start. It was a shame Rafa couldn’t make a move on Nikola [Tsolov] for the win at the end, but to finish P2 in his first Feature Race is a very good start to his F2 career."
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Invicta Racing: P2 (29 points)
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Rafael Câmara: P2 (18 points)
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Joshua Dürksen: P7 (11 points)
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CIRCUIT: BAHRAIN INTERNATIONAL CIRCUIT
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ROUND: 2
- DATE: 11-13 APRIL
