F2 Monaco Race Stopped After Huge First-Lap Crash as Seven Drivers Eliminated
Opening-Lap Chaos Sends Monaco F2 Race Into Turmoil
No one was expecting the 2025 Monaco Formula 2 feature race to be over for nearly a third of the grid within seconds, but that’s exactly what happened as the cars barreled towards Turn 1. In front of packed grandstands, Alex Dunne—championship leader—locked horns with Victor Martins in a heated fight for the lead. It was Martins who blinked first, going for an ambitious move up the inside, but space was at a premium. The two connections set off a massive chain reaction, sending cars flying, debris showering onto the circuit, and seven title hopes instantly down the drain.
In the middle of the carnage: Richard Verschoor found his car unceremoniously shunted over the barriers, rookie Arvid Lindblad—fast all weekend—smashed sideways, and Clément Novalak of Trident caught in a mess he couldn’t escape. Some cars momentarily left the ground, carbon fiber splinters littered the track, and track workers scrambled to keep up. The stewards had no choice but to bring out the red flag. It was a scene that left everyone holding their breath, but, remarkably, walkie-talkies crackled with confirmation: no one was seriously hurt.
Crawford Seizes Chaos, Montoya Shines, Monaco Bites Yet Again
The restart came after a tense half-hour as crews repaired bent barriers and engineers calculated the extent of the damage. When the lights went out for a second time, Jack Crawford was the man in the right place, dodging wreckage and drama to grab the lead. Even with a safety car deployment, he stayed cool under pressure, holding the advantage to the finish—executing the kind of smart, opportunistic drive that Monaco rewards. His F2 Monaco win didn’t come easy: passing is nearly impossible here, so early survival was everything.
Further back, Arvid Lindblad wrestled the battered remains of his car across the line in the points, despite picking up a five-second penalty for a still mysterious infraction during the melee. Racing politics aside, it was Sebastián Montoya who gave the post-race interviews a shake-up, as he celebrated a hard-fought first F2 podium—proof that sometimes, fortune favors the survivor in the Principality.
As always, Monte Carlo’s tight corners and unforgiving barriers reshuffled the order and sent teams back to their garages tallying crash bills. Strategy, luck, and fast reactions shaped the results, but this time, Turn 1 was the headline act that everyone will remember long after the champagne goes flat.