Goethe tops morning times, Herta 11th in Abu Dhabi test

The first post-season Formula 2 test session began at 10:00am local time with 22 drivers on the Abu Dhabi Yas Marina circuit. All teams started on installation laps and travel tires. Early running was cautious, with most drivers completing 3–5 laps to check systems.

–by Mark Cipolloni–

By the end of the first hour, Callum Dunne (Rodin Motorsport) set the initial benchmark at 1m39.502s, followed closely by teammate Stenshorne (+0.052 s) and Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak (ART Grand Prix) in third.

At 10:55, Leonardo Goethe (MP Motorsport) jumped to P1 with a 1m38.979s on medium tires, a lap that would remain the fastest of the session. His teammate Gabriele Minì later took P3.

Oliver Goethe #5 MP Motorsport, during round 14 of the FIA Formula 2 Championship at Yas Marina Circuit on December 04–07, 2025 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. // Dutch Photo Agency / Red Bull Content Pool /

Joshua Duerksen (Invicta Racing), the double feature-race winner at the Yas Marina season finale, improved steadily and ended the session second, 0.177 s behind Goethe with a 1:39.156.

Notable performances:
– Rookie Luca Moretti (Invicta Racing) completed 28 laps, finishing P14 with a best of 1:40.450.
– IndyCar driver Colton Herta, stepping up to F2 in 2026 with dreams of stepping up to Formula 1 in a year or two, was 11th quickest.
– No teams used supersoft tires; all fastest times were set on medium compound Pirellis.
– Highest lap count: 32 laps (several drivers tied).

The session ran without red flags. Afternoon running is scheduled for 14:30–17:30, when supersoft tires and qualifying simulations are expected.

Abu Dhabi Post Season F2 Test – Colton Herta. Image supplied by the FIA Formula 2

Morning Test Results

POS	NO.	DRIVER	NAT	TEAM	TIME	BEHIND	GAP	LAPS
1	5	Oliver Goethe	GER	MP Motorsport	1m38.979s	0.000s	0.000s	41
2	2	Joshua Duerksen	PAR	Invicta Racing	1m39.156s	0.177	0.177	46
3	17	Alexander Dunne	IRL	Rodin Motorsport	1m39.156s	0.177	0.000	51
4	3	Nikola Tsolov	BUL	Campos Racing	1m39.337s	0.358	0.181	24
5	4	Noel León	MEX	Campos Racing	1m39.375s	0.396	0.038	32
6	6	Gabriele Minì	ITA	MP Motorsport	1m39.475s	0.496	0.100	36
7	16	Martinius Stenshorne	NOR	Rodin Motorsport	1m39.479s	0.500	0.004	49
8	11	Dino Beganovic	SWE	DAMS Lucas Oil	1m39.498s	0.519	0.019	35
9	15	Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak	THA	ART Grand Prix	1m39.515s	0.536	0.017	51
10	1	Rafael Câmara	BRA	Invicta Racing	1m39.579s	0.600	0.064	41
11	8	Colton Herta	USA	HiTech TGR	1m39.792s	0.813	0.213	32
12	9	Sebastián Montoya	COL	Prema Racing	1m39.889s	0.910	0.097	45
13	20	Emerson Fittipaldi	BRA	AIX Racing	1m39.914s	0.935	0.025	40
14	12	Roman Bilinski	POL	DAMS Lucas Oil	1m39.946s	0.967	0.032	42
15	21	Cian Shields	GBR	AIX Racing	1m39.950s	0.971	0.004	28
16	14	Kush Maini	IND	ART Grand Prix	1m39.989s	1.010	0.039	45
17	25	Rafael Villagómez	MEX	Van Amersfoort Racing	1m40.117s	1.138	0.128	36
18	7	Ritomo Miyata	JPN	HiTech TGR	1m40.145s	1.166	0.028	27
19	10	Mari Boya	ESP	Prema Racing	1m40.287s	1.308	0.142	43
20	24	Nicolás Varrone	ARG	Van Amersfoort Racing	1m40.570s	1.591	0.283	34
21	22	Laurens van Hoepen	NED	Trident	1m59.410s	20.431	18.840	63
22	23	John Bennett	GBR	Trident	2m05.358s	26.379	5.948	58