DAMS Lucas Oil clinched pole position and victory in the Feature Race thanks to a stunning showing from Jak Crawford during Round 12 of the 2025 FIA Formula 2 campaign in Baku, Azerbaijan.

The American driver showed superb one-lap pace on the streets of Baku in a heavily-interrupted qualifying. Crawford would sit top of the timesheets after all drivers had completed their first runs, and with incidents and red flags preventing the field from setting times towards the end of the session, he would clinch a second pole position of the season. Meanwhile, a tough first run for teammate Kush Maini, where he encountered traffic on his best laps, would leave him in 16th, having not had the opportunity to improve on his second run.

Starting 10th for Saturday’s Sprint Race, Crawford had a solid getaway and avoided opening lap incidents, moving up to eighth before an early Safety Car intervention. Battling title rivals, the Aston Martin F1 Reserve and Development Driver continued to make progress through the field, working his way up to fourth at the chequered flag. Looking to move forwards in the Sprint, Maini was tagged early on in the race while looking for a move, and was forced to retire the car.

A tough start in the Feature Race would see Crawford drop down to third, before quickly re-claiming second at the end of the first lap. Another early Safety Car meant the majority of the field would take their mandatory pit stop at the same time, with good work from the team meaning Crawford would remain in second. He went on the attack at the restart, taking the lead and defending strongly in the closing laps to earn his fourth win of the campaign, moving up to second in the standings. The early Safety Car did not suit Maini’s alternate strategy, with the Alpine F1 Test and Reserve driver staying out on his Soft tyres for as long as possible in the hope of another Safety Car, before eventually coming into the pits and being classified in 20th.

Just two rounds remain in the 2025 Formula 2 season, with the championship returning to Lusail International Circuit in Qatar on 28-30 November.

Jak Crawford: “It was a very strong and important weekend for the championship. We showed great speed in Free Practice, and then qualifying went well, getting a good lap in early before the red flags prevented anyone doing a second run. I then had a clean race in the Sprint to gain positions, claiming solid points. The Feature Race was a tricky one to manage, a slippery track and challenging start meant I dropped to third. I dealt well with the Safety Car conditions and the team did a great job in the pit lane to keep me in second, before I moved back into the lead. The final laps were difficult, holding on to the win but I defended well and I’m delighted to take the win. Big points heading into a long break and we’ll look to come out fighting in Qatar.”

Qualifying: 1st | Sprint Race: 4th | Feature Race: 1st

Kush Maini: “We’ve been on a difficult run recently, but now we have a two month break to re-group and work hard ahead of the final two rounds, where we’ll look to fight at the front.”

Qualifying: 16th | Sprint Race: DNF | Feature Race: DNF

Charles Pic, Team Owner: “The weekend started well, we fixed the straight-line speed issue from Monza and also showed immediate improvements compared to last year at this circuit. Qualifying was a messy session, but Jak was able to do a great lap on his first set of tyres to take pole. Kush was unfortunate, he had drivers go off ahead of him and caught traffic on his fastest laps, and then the interruptions late in the session meant he couldn’t improve. Jak performed strongly in the Sprint, avoiding contact and making some strong moves to work his way up to fourth. Unfortunately, a clutch issue dropped Kush a few places at the start and then he was involved in an incident which ended his race. On Sunday, a damp patch meant Jak had a tough launch from pole, dropping to third, although he quickly regained a position. The team did a superb job with his stop in a busy pit lane due to the Safety Car, allowing Jak to retain second, before he re-took the lead just after the restart. He defended well at the end to secure victory, which was well-deserved for both him and the team after their superb response to the disappointment of Monza. With just two rounds left, we’ll push hard to maximise our potential for both championships.”

Image: Dutch Photo Agency