While Formula 1 hogged the limelight this past weekend on GRANDPRIX247, with the memorable Australian Grand Prix, there were other motorsport events worth noting.
Other motorsports events included: Formula 2 and Formula 3 were also on the bill in Melbourne for their respective season openers; Marc Marquez continued to dominate in MotoGP winning in Argentina; Penske Porsche triumphed at the Sebring 12 Hours and John Berry won the Las Vegas 400 for Ford in NASCAR.
Below are summaries of the race weekend for the above mentioned series.
Formula 2: Dürksen keeps his cool in Sprint but Feature Race cancelled
The 2025 FIA Formula 2 Championship commenced at Melbourne’s Albert Park Circuit during the Australian Grand Prix weekend. The schedule featured practice and qualifying sessions on Friday, a Sprint Race on Saturday, and a Feature Race on Sunday.
Friday’s practice session allowed teams and drivers to acclimate to the 5.278 km circuit. In qualifying, Gabriele Minì initially secured pole position. However, he received a penalty for impeding another driver, promoting Victor Martins to pole for the Feature Race. Leonardo Fornaroli qualified tenth, granting him pole for the reverse-grid Sprint Race.
Saturday’s Sprint Race began with Fornaroli on pole, but Joshua Dürksen overtook him at the start. The race saw early drama as Martins crashed on the opening lap, leading to a safety car deployment. Subsequent incidents involved Trident drivers Max Esterson and Sami Meguetounif, both spinning into the gravel and causing additional safety car periods.
Dürksen maintained composure, leading through restarts to claim his third Formula 2 victory. Fornaroli finished second, with Luke Browning securing third.
Sunday’s Feature Race faced challenges due to heavy rain. Despite two attempts to start behind the safety car, conditions remained unsafe, leading to the race’s cancellation. Consequently, the championship standings mirrored the Sprint Race results, with Dürksen leading by two points over Fornaroli.
Formula 3: New crop of Young Guns impress
The 2025 FIA Formula 3 Championship kicked off at Melbourne’s Albert Park Circuit during the Australian Grand Prix weekend from March 14 to 16. The event featured a Sprint Race on Saturday and a Feature Race on Sunday, both delivering exciting displays of young talent.
In the Sprint Race, Santiago Ramos of Van Amersfoort Racing secured his maiden F3 victory, controlling the 20-lap contest from pole position. He successfully held off Martinius Stenshorne of Hitech TGR, who finished second, while Rodin Motorsport’s Roman Bilinski completed the podium in third. The race featured tight battles and strategic overtakes, setting an intense tone for the season.
Sunday’s Feature Race unfolded in wet conditions, with Rafael Câmara of TRIDENT delivering a dominant drive from pole position to victory. The Brazilian handled two Safety Car restarts with confidence, maintaining his lead over teammate Noah Strømsted, who finished second. Tymoteusz Naël of Van Amersfoort Racing took third, capping off a strong weekend for the team.
Several drivers made notable impressions. Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak was Campos Racing’s best finisher in seventh during the Feature Race. Stenshorne’s second place in the Sprint Race marked him as a strong contender for the season, while Bilinski’s consistent points finishes demonstrated his potential in his debut F3 campaign.
With competitive racing and unpredictable conditions, Melbourne provided a thrilling start to the season. As teams and drivers continue to adapt, the 2025 FIA Formula 3 Championship promises an exciting year of competition and emerging stars.
IMSA Sebring 12 Hours: Porsche Penske Motorsport dominates with one-two finish
The 73rd edition of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring delivered an intense endurance battle, culminating in a dominant performance by Porsche Penske Motorsport.
The great American motorsport event, part of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, saw thrilling competition across multiple classes on the challenging 3.74-mile circuit.
Porsche Penske Motorsport secured a one-two finish in the premier GTP category. The No. 7 Porsche 963, driven by Felipe Nasr, Nick Tandy, and Laurens Vanthoor, clinched victory after completing 353 laps. The sister car, the No. 6 Porsche 963 piloted by Matt Campbell, Kévin Estre, and Mathieu Jaminet, finished a close second, just 2.239 seconds behind. The No. 93 Acura ARX-06 from Meyer Shank Racing, with drivers Álex Palou, Renger van der Zande, and Nick Yelloly, secured third place.
The race featured strategic battles and dramatic overtakes. The No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac V-Series.R, driven by Jack Aitken, Earl Bamber, and Frederik Vesti, led for significant portions but dropped to fourth in the final hours. A decisive move from Nick Tandy on Vesti with just over two hours remaining secured Porsche's lead.
The other classes
Inter Europol Competition emerged victorious in the LMP2 category. The No. 43 ORECA LMP2 07, driven by Tom Dillmann, Bijoy Garg, and Jeremy Clarke, showcased consistent pace and strategic acumen. A late-race collision involving the leading No. 04 CrowdStrike Racing by APR car allowed Inter Europol to seize the lead and maintain it until the finish.
AO Racing’s No. 77 Porsche 911 GT3 R (992), known as “Rexy,” claimed victory in the GTD PRO class. Drivers Laurin Heinrich, Klaus Bachler, and Alessio Picariello delivered a stellar performance, capitalising on pit stop strategies to secure the lead. They fended off competition from the Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3 EVOs, which finished second and third.
Winward Racing secured back-to-back victories at Sebring in the GTD category. The No. 57 Mercedes-AMG GT3, driven by Russell Ward, Philip Ellis, and Indy Dontje, won after a bold pass by Ellis in the final 15 minutes on the No. 12 Vasser Sullivan Racing Lexus RC F GT3.
Notable Performances and Incidents
- Álex Palou impressed in his endurance racing debut, securing a podium finish in the GTP class with Meyer Shank Racing.
- The No. 40 Cadillac V-Series.R from Wayne Taylor Racing suffered setbacks, finishing seventh in GTP after a collision and penalties.
- Lamborghini’s No. 63 SC63, driven by Mirko Bortolotti, Daniil Kvyat, and Romain Grosjean, retired due to an exhaust issue.
- The Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR-LMH, fielded by The Heart of Racing, made a respectable debut, finishing ninth in GTP.
The 2025 Twelve Hours of Sebring reaffirmed Porsche Penske Motorsport’s endurance racing dominance while delivering high drama and fierce competition across all categories.
MotoGP: Marc Marquez dominance continues
Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) continued his dominant start to the 2025 MotoGP season, securing victory at the Gran Premio YPF Energía de Argentina after an intense battle with younger brother Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP).
The win marks his fourth consecutive triumph across both Sprints and Grands Prix this season. Marquez grabbed the holeshot into Turn 1, with Alex Marquez closely following. Drama unfolded immediately as Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) collided with Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), crashing out on the opening lap.
On Lap 4, Alex capitalised on a rare mistake from Marc at Turn 1 to take the lead. Meanwhile, Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) worked his way past Johann Zarco (LCR Honda CASTROL) and Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) to settle into third.
As the race progressed, Alex Marquez held firm at the front, while Marc regrouped. By Lap 18, he launched his first attack at Turn 5 but failed to make it stick. Three laps later, he executed a decisive pass at the same corner, pulling away to secure victory by 1.5 seconds.
Morbidelli fended off Bagnaia to claim third—his first podium since 2021. Bagnaia had a late push but settled for fourth, leaving Argentina with an underwhelming result.
Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) edged out Zarco for fifth, while Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM) finished seventh. Ai Ogura (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) initially placed eighth but was later disqualified, promoting Pedro Acosta, Joan Mir, and Luca Marini into the top ten.
With momentum firmly on his side, Marc Marquez now heads to the Circuit of The Americas—one of his strongest tracks—as the favourite once again.
NASCAR: Berry claims first victory with Wood Brothers at Las Vegas
Josh Berry secured his maiden NASCAR Cup Series victory in just his fifth race with Wood Brothers Racing, taking the chequered flag at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
34-year-old Berry, who once seemed destined for a journeyman career on short tracks, capitalised on a late-race restart to claim an emotional win for NASCAR’s oldest team.
Berry, driving the iconic No. 21 Ford, became the first Ford winner of the 2024 season after William Byron (Chevrolet) and Christopher Bell (Toyota) won the opening four races. He passed Daniel Suarez with 19 laps remaining and controlled the final stint to deliver Wood Brothers’ first non-superspeedway victory since Ryan Blaney’s 2017 Pocono triumph.
“I’m just thankful to be in the situation I am driving fast race cars,” Berry said. “With my experience on short tracks, you think that’s where you’ll win. But if I’ve learned anything in this sport, it’s that you never know when it’s going to be your day.”
Team president Jon Wood hailed Berry’s performance: “This one was legit. Sometimes they’ll put an asterisk next to a speedway win, but he dominated those last 20 laps.”
Suarez finished second in a Chevrolet for Trackhouse Racing, followed by Ryan Preece (Ford, RFK Racing), Byron (Hendrick Motorsports) and Ross Chastain (Trackhouse). Seven Chevrolet drivers placed in the top ten.
Christopher Bell, aiming for a fourth consecutive win, struggled after a pre-race penalty dropped him to the back. He finished 12th, ending his streak.
Berry, a 40-1 underdog, secured Wood Brothers a second consecutive playoff berth and marked their 101st Cup Series win. The NASCAR Cup Series continues next Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
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