Great weekend for Martí in Bahrain: a victory and a fourth place.

The Spanish driver from Campos Racing delivered a spectacular comeback after starting from eleventh on the grid. He moved up to sixth on the opening lap and maintained an unstoppable pace, eventually taking the lead in the closing stages of the race.

“It’s been one of the strangest, fastest and toughest races of my life. I didn’t expect to win today starting from P11.”

After his victory in Saturday’s Sprint Race, he moved up to fourth in the championship standings, just three points behind the leader.

On Sunday, he once again started from eleventh and showed consistent pace, crossing the finish line in fourth place.

“Today’s race was all about making smart decisions — we knew we couldn’t take too many risks, and the result is a very positive one.”

Pepe Martí delivered one of the most spectacular performances of his career this Saturday in the Formula 2 Sprint Race held at the Sakhir Circuit in Bahrain. The Red Bull Junior Team driver, who started from eleventh on the grid, stormed through the field to take the chequered flag in first place — securing his first win of the season and the second of his career in the category.

Right from the start, Martí showed unwavering determination, gaining five positions on the opening lap to move up to sixth. Throughout the race, he maintained a strong and consistent pace, expertly managing his tyres in critical moments. The Campos Racing driver seized every overtaking opportunity, completing his charge to the front with just two laps remaining.

“It was an absolutely crazy race — I had no expectations of winning today from P11. Last year we had some chaotic races here with two podiums, and repeating that felt almost impossible. But we did it,” Martí said after getting out of the car. “It was one of the strangest, fastest and most difficult races of my life. We made all the right decisions, avoided mistakes, and pulled off some great overtakes. I’m over the moon.”

Following his brilliant victory in Saturday’s Sprint Race, Pepe Martí once again stood out on Sunday at the Bahrain International Circuit, delivering a solid performance in the Feature Race to finish fourth.

“Today I wasn’t expecting to win — I was aiming for a top-five finish, which would have been a good result given the circumstances. We made another strong comeback from P11 after a really good start. I took a lot of risks on the first lap — all calculated, but still high-risk. I managed to get up to fifth, and I was very happy with that start. From there, it was all about managing the tyres well, keeping them in the ideal temperature window, and avoiding mistakes that could cost us points,” he commented.

The Red Bull Junior Team driver also reflected on the full weekend in Sakhir: “We started really well on Friday with a strong free practice — I was first for most of the session and ended up third. In qualifying, we started off well, although I made some mistakes in the second run that cost us. Based on pace and the car, we should’ve been fighting for the top five, but we made up for it later.”

“Saturday’s race was chaotic — but in a good way. We made the right calls and got our first win of the year, which was incredibly satisfying,” he added.

Sunday’s Feature Race also ended with a tense battle for Martí: “In the first stint on the soft tyres, we were close to the fight for the podium. In the second stint, we lacked the pace to go further. At the end, I was fighting with the driver in third, who made a few moves that were borderline in terms of legality — but in my view, nothing worth a penalty. I didn’t want to take unnecessary risks and lose fourth place. Today the goal was to score points, and we did that.”

With this result, Martí now has 23 points and sits fourth in the championship standings, just three points behind the leader. His performance over the weekend — including the victory — confirms an outstanding start to the season and cements his status as a serious title contender for 2025.