AIX Racing’s Joshua Dürksen leads the Formula 2 championship in his sophomore season after winning the opening race of the season in Australia. Speaking on the Feeder Series Podcast before round two in Bahrain, the Paraguayan driver opened up on his journey in motorsport so far and answered his many fans’ questions.

By Jim Kimberley

Dürksen’s time in F2 has impressed many. Jumping from 19th in FRegional Europe to the doorstep of F1 last year may not have seemed logical, yet the 21-year-old Paraguayan became a two-time race winner in his first year in the category.

The times atop the podium continued into 2025, with Dürksen winning the sprint race of F2’s opening round in Melbourne. With the feature race’s cancellation, he left Australia leading the championship.

As Dürksen spoke to Feeder Series podcast host Jim Kimberley and F2 editor Calla Kra-Caskey on the Friday of the Chinese Grand Prix weekend, Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton had just taken Sprint pole at the Shanghai International Circuit. The seven-time F1 world champion had been spotted speaking to Dürksen one week earlier on Saturday in Australia, before F2’s sprint race.

So what did they discuss? 

“I gave him some tips,” Dürksen answers through a beaming smile. “He was looking for me because he was like, ‘Josh, what do I do?’

“No, I’m just kidding. I’d hope so, but no!

“That was a really cool moment with Hamilton because it was just a coincidence that we met there. I think Ferrari, they had a little event – I don’t know what, but it was just like literally next to our box and the drivers just arrived, [Charles] Leclerc arrived and then Hamilton.

That serendipitous timing wasn’t the only reason Dürksen got to meet the seven-time champion. He had a starstruck team member of AIX to thank for Hamilton’s taking note of the nearby F2 driver.

“One guy from my team just asked Hamilton for a handshake,” Dürksen recalled. “He gave it to him and then Hamilton sees me in the background. I was, of course, with the racing suit so he knew I was a driver. I guess he recognised me because he said, ‘Hey man, nice to see you again.’ I’m like, ‘Wow, okay, he recognised me.’ I don’t know how.

“It’s interesting, you know, because the last time I’ve seen him was in Monaco 2022, when I was racing FRECA. So my theory is that maybe the F1 drivers also watch the F2 races just to know, more or less, how the track condition is and how the race can look. Maybe he just saw my face in one of the podiums and he remembers me.”

Whatever the reason that Hamilton remembered Dürksen, it seemed to be a good-luck charm for the Paraguayan. From a front-row start in the sprint race secured by qualifying ninth, Dürksen took the lead from Leonardo Fornaroli off the line and romped to his first F2 race win of 2025.

“It was really cool because he was just asking me how everything was going. I was telling him that I’m starting P2 and I’m aiming for the win, and he was just wishing me luck. And it was really cool, to be honest, because since I have memory, he was driving already in F1. For sure he’s quite a legend, and being able to talk to him is always cool.”

Hear more from Joshua Dürksen in the latest Feeder Series Podcast episode, released 7 April.

Header photo credit: Dutch Photo Agency