DAMS Lucas Oil’s Jak Crawford took second in the 2025 FIA Formula 2 Drivers’ Championship as the team claimed a double-points finish in the final Feature Race of the year in Abu Dhabi.

After going fastest in Free Practice, the American showed excellent pace in qualifying at Yas Marina Circuit, setting the second-fastest time to ensure a front-row start for Sunday’s race. Teammate Kush Maini set lap times good enough for 14th, although was penalised for track limits, leaving him in 20th.

In Saturday’s 23-lap Sprint Race, Crawford pushed hard in a tightly-matched field, making impressive overtakes to move up to sixth, scoring three valuable points. Maini also made progress, although was caught up in a DRS train and had to settle for 17th.

Lining up on the front row for the Feature, Crawford was given a 10-second stop and go penalty for a starting procedure infringement. The Aston Martin F1 Reserve and Development Driver pitted at the end of Lap 1 to serve his penalty, dropping him to the back of the field. On the alternate strategy and benefitting from an early Safety Car which allowed him to catch the pack, Crawford had great speed, working his way up to second of those on the same strategy. The team opted to leave him out for as long as possible in the hope of another Safety Car intervention, eventually pitting at the end of Lap 31 for fresh rubber. Crawford was able to move into 10th by the chequered flag while also setting the fastest lap of the race, ending his second season at DAMS Lucas Oil with points.

In the #12 car, Maini had a strong race on the more favoured strategy, making up several places to clinch seventh, securing a crucial points finish to help the squad earn fourth place in the Teams’ Standings.

DAMS Lucas Oil will return to the track in Abu Dhabi from December 10-12 for post-season testing, with 2026 drivers Dino Beganovic and Roman Bilinski at the wheel.

Jak Crawford: “The end result this weekend in terms of points was disappointing but we had great speed throughout. We were quick from the start in Free Practice, and then I re-adapted well to the car for qualifying following Formula 1 FP1. We carried that pace into Saturday with a strong Sprint Race, where we were very competitive and managed the tyres well. Unfortunately we picked up a penalty pre-race on Sunday, but the car was fast again and I was able to make some good overtakes. We weren’t on the right strategy but were still one of the quickest cars on track. A huge thanks to DAMS Lucas Oil for the past two seasons, we’ve had some great moments which I will remember for the rest of my career.”

Qualifying: 2nd | Sprint Race: 6th | Feature Race: 10th

Kush Maini: “Another tough weekend for us but this one ended on a high. A small mistake in qualifying meant we started both races in 20th, but to come through and secure P7 in the Feature Race was a good feeling. It’s not been an easy year but to end on that was a positive. Thank you to the team for all their hard work and wishing them the best for 2026.”

Qualifying: 20th | Sprint Race: 17th | Feature Race: 7th

Charles Pic, Team Owner: “Jak had good speed in Free Practice and then backed that up by claiming P2 in qualifying, which was especially impressive following his FP1 appearance. Kush had a positive first run but unfortunately was penalised for track limits, which meant he would line up in P20. Both cars performed well in the Sprint Race, with Jak working his way up to sixth and Kush also moving forwards, even though it’s not the easiest track to overtake on. We made a big mistake before Sunday’s Feature Race, working on the car past the three-minute signal as we made a late change of strategy on Jak’s side, for which he was given a stop and go penalty. He fought back really well and we were hoping for a late Safety Car, but this never came so we pitted with two laps to go. Jak still managed to secure 10th and the fastest lap point, which was crucial in the Teams’ Championship. Kush also played his part, showing good pace on the correct strategy to come through and take seventh, completing a really positive race. It was great to bounce back after a difficult event in Qatar. Both drivers proved their ability and helped us secure fourth in the teams’ standings, while Jak thoroughly deserved to take second in the drivers’. Jak performed well all year, he worked really hard on what he learned from 2024 and made a big step forward. We’re proud of our efforts this season and the improvements we showed and for next year we’ll look to continue along this path while also working on eliminating mistakes. Thanks to the entire crew for their hard work and we’re looking forward to being back on track soon.”

Image: Dutch Photo Agency