F2 BACK TO COMPETITIVE ACTION AT SAKHIR
Round 2 - Sakhir - Preview
Hitech TGR’s Formula 2 squad is back in Bahrain for Round 2 of the 2025 season. The team returns to the same Sakhir track that hosted three days of in-season testing in March, when they prepared for the forthcoming event and the rounds ahead.
It will be a busier weekend than usual for drivers Luke Browning and Dino Beganovic. In addition to resuming their Formula 2 campaign after the season-opener four weeks ago, they have been handed a golden FP1 opportunity at the wheel of the Williams Racing and Scuderia Ferrari F1 cars respectively, fulfilling one of the mandated rookie driver sessions that accompany their academy roles.
Formula One is the end game, and this is their moment to shine, but it will soon be back to business in the hugely competitive proving ground of F2 to build on the progress made during the recent test.
The opening round in Australia got off to a fantastic start for Hitech when Luke claimed a first podium with third place in the Sprint. The Feature Race was cancelled due to adverse weather conditions, and he remains third in the Standings heading into the Sakhir round.
Dino will be eager to get his season challenge underway after a trickier Sprint outing, and the added frustration of being unable to capitalise on his second-row qualifying position for the Feature Race. He’ll be eager to make up lost ground, for while it is very early days in the 14-round calendar, every result counts when a title bid is the goal.
The first of four back-to-back events this season, the trip to Bahrain takes place in April this year rather than March in 2024, so the temperatures at this desert track are expected to be much higher this weekend. Hot on its heels – literally – will be Round 3 in Jeddah, so the next two weeks will be no easy challenge for the teams and drivers.
The abrasive track surface and high ambient temperatures at Sakhir conspire with the dirty air from following the cars ahead bringing implications for tyre wear and strategy more broadly.
With such heavy degradation, tyre management is crucial, and the gamble of an alternative strategy to the more conservative long first stint on the harder compound is one that is carefully weighed for the Feature Race.
While the circuit has four long straights and three DRS zones, the twisty second sector means that teams can’t sacrifice too much downforce without overworking the tyres. The layout of the track also leads to higher fuel consumption and heavier brake use with the hardest stopping point coming at Turn 1.
Qualifying well is always key and at Sakhir the pole-sitter has typically finished on the podium, having been able to stay out of trouble at the sharp end of the pack while benefitting from driving in clean air. Melbourne showed that the Hitech drivers qualify well, so with the benefit of the recent testing data, they’ll be looking to extract every ounce of performance on Friday.
Clive Hatton, Hitech’s F2 Team Manager:
“This will be a busy weekend with both drivers taking part in the Formula 1 FP1 session on Friday. It’s a great opportunity for them both but they will need to be able to adapt quickly when they jump back into the F2 car for qualifying when only a few push laps are anticipated.”
He continued:
“With Bahrain’s circuit characteristics it is easy to overheat the tyres during the races and with the extreme heat we have this weekend it will make it even more challenging for them, so the drivers will need to do their best managing the temperatures.”
THROUGH THE VISOR: LUKE BROWNING
“Best place to overtake is Turn 1. It’s a great place to race because the temperature is very high, overheating is very high, and degradation is massive. So, that’s probably the most challenging part about the circuit. The fastest place is the third sector, there are some big braking zones there and a lot of combined entries, which can make it quite tough. It’s all about late braking in Bahrain.”
Schedule
Friday
Practice
12.05-12.50
Qualifying
16.55-17.55
Saturday
Sprint Race
17.15-18.00
Sunday
Feature Race
14.25-15.25
(all times are local)