It took 22 races for Joshua Duerksen to get up to speed in Formula 2, enough so that he could secure his first win in the series.
The Azerbaijan Sprint Race saw him hang on for victory, despite having damage for much of the race which thwarted his pace.
The 20-year-old is 12th in the championship standings with four races to go in 2024 and could find himself in the top 10 by the conclusion of the Formula 2 season.
After scoring on just three occasions in his first 19 attempts, he has managed to score on five consecutive instances, marking an improvement in his pace and consistency.
Josh Duerksen was ‘hurting’ after Baku win
Competing for the AIX Racing team in their maiden season has been tough, with the German outfit taking time to get the fundamentals right.
It doesn’t help that Duerksen hasn’t had an experienced teammate either, instead being paired up with the likes of Niels Koolen and Taylor Barnard (who did win a race).
Speaking to the Formula 2 website, he revealed that he suffered from pain after winning his first race in Baku.
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“It’s difficult to adjust, you’re in the race. If it was in Free Practice, you’d try some more stuff, see what worked but in the race you can’t do that if you’re in first. I think I took two or three laps to get it to where I wanted to be, because the balance was really everywhere.
“It feels really strange though. On one side, the car is turning a lot and then on the opposite side, the car is hardly turning at all. It’s tough but luckily I could keep it until the end even with the damage.
“It was a feeling of relief but big emotion too. A lot of happiness and screaming on the radio. My voice was hurting the next day because I was so happy over the radio.”
Can Duerksen continue his golden run?
Four races remain in the 2024 Formula 2 season at both Qatar and Abu Dhabi in the Middle East – warm climates which are tough on the tyres.
Most drivers on the grid won’t have had to drive these cars in such searing temperatures before, making it a challenge for the newbies.
Duerksen has a chance to lift himself inside the top 10 if he can manage to outscore Richard Verschoor by 20 points.
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It’s a tall order, but he has already proven that he can string together a run of performances and score the all-important points.
Formula 2’s two-month break may have come at the wrong time though, with Duerksen left to wait another few weeks before he can attempt to continue his flying run.