The Polish driver claimed victory in the opening race of the weekend and finished third in the second. His Griffin Core by Campos teammate secured two second-place finishes and a third. Monteiro and Kanthan stepped onto the rookie podium with their Campos Racing cars, while Ryba, driving the third Griffin Core by Campos entry, scored points for the first time this season
Griffin Core by Campos and Campos Racing reaffirmed their status as top contenders in the 2025 Spanish F4 season during the second round held this weekend at the Circuito de Navarra. Thomas Strauven, Jan Przyrowski, and Matúš Ryba, driving under the Griffin Core by Campos banner, along with Noah Monteiro, Vivek Kanthan, and Miguel Costa representing Campos Racing, all performed strongly at the circuit near Los Arcos. Przyrowski took his third win of the season and added a third and a fifth place to his tally, while Strauven collected two second places and one third. Ryba’s sixth-place finish marked his best result to date. Campos Racing’s rookie drivers were also prominent in the rookie classification throughout the weekend.
In Saturday morning’s free practice sessions, Belgian driver Strauven topped the timesheets with a 1m46.230s lap, narrowly beating Przyrowski, who clocked a 1m46.332s. Monteiro, Kanthan, and Costa also placed inside the top ten in the session. The midday qualifying session to determine the Race 1 grid saw Griffin Core by Campos drivers dominate once again. Strauven secured pole position and two bonus points with a best lap of 1m46.230s, just a tenth ahead of Przyrowski. Monteiro posted the seventh-fastest lap with a 1m46.592s, followed by Kanthan in eighth (1m46.700s), though the American was carrying over a grid penalty from Motorland Aragón. Costa rounded out the top ten with a 1m46.735s, while Ryba was 14th with a 1m46.891s.
Saturday afternoon’s 30-minute +1 lap race was packed with drama. When the lights went out, René Lammers jumped into the lead ahead of Strauven and Przyrowski, but both Griffin Core by Campos drivers remained firmly in contention. Monteiro ran seventh, and Ryba had already climbed into the top ten. A safety car on lap 3 bunched the field, and on the restart three laps later, Przyrowski overtook Strauven to take second. The top trio pulled away, and Przyrowski began piling pressure on Lammers. He briefly overtook the Dutchman on lap 14, but Lammers reclaimed the lead by exceeding track limits. That very move would cost him victory, as the stewards handed him a one-place penalty after the race, promoting Przyrowski to the win. Strauven completed the podium in third and also claimed the fastest lap point. Ryba produced a stellar recovery drive to finish sixth. Monteiro placed eighth overall and won the rookie class, with Costa and Kanthan finishing fourth and sixth among the rookies respectively.
Sunday morning opened with the second qualifying session. In a tightly packed field – 22 drivers within one second – Przyrowski was the top Griffin Core by Campos driver in fourth (1m46.215s), just ahead of Strauven in fifth (1m46.282s). Monteiro qualified seventh (1m46.374s), Kanthan ninth (1m46.414s), Costa 11th, and Ryba 20th.
The Race 2 grid, formed using each driver’s fastest lap from Race 1, saw Strauven on pole ahead of Przyrowski. Monteiro, Kanthan, and Costa started sixth through eighth, while Ryba lined up 11th. At lights out, Strauven held the lead, but Lammers overtook Przyrowski and then Strauven by the end of lap 1, just before a safety car was deployed. After five laps, racing resumed and the same trio as Saturday began to pull clear. This time it was Strauven who led the pursuit of Lammers. Monteiro passed Kanthan on lap 8 to lead the rookie field. Strauven and Przyrowski stayed within a second of Lammers, but on the final lap, Strauven’s rear wing upper flap detached, costing him vital downforce and any chance of attacking for the win. After 15 laps, Strauven and Przyrowski crossed the line in second and third, separated by just under a tenth of a second. Monteiro finished sixth overall and won the rookie category, followed by Kanthan. Ryba and Costa finished outside the points in 15th and 20th respectively, the latter spinning while battling for a rookie podium.
The third and final race (30 minutes +1 lap) saw a chaotic start that quickly eliminated Monteiro and Ryba during the opening lap due to contact with other drivers. The race began under unpredictable conditions, bringing out the safety car. Przyrowski and Strauven were running fifth and seventh at the restart on lap 5, but both Griffin Core by Campos drivers quickly went on the attack. Strauven passed Schwartz, Przyrowski, and then made a superb double overtake on Petrovic and Cota on the main straight – all in just a few laps. He then hunted down and overtook Eyckmans, leaving only Lammers ahead. Strauven closed the gap with fastest lap pace and nearly snatched victory on the final lap, finishing just two-tenths behind the Dutchman. Przyrowski came home fifth, scoring valuable championship points. Kanthan finished eighth overall and second among rookies. Costa, once again out of luck, crossed the line in 20th after a spin while battling in the midfield.
Following the Navarra round, Strauven sits second in the drivers’ championship with 97 points, just seven behind leader Lammers. Przyrowski is third on 90. In the rookie standings, Monteiro shares the lead with Eyckmans on 30 points, while Kanthan is third with 24. In the team standings, Griffin Core by Campos now leads with 140 points, holding a nine-point advantage, while Campos Racing is currently fourth.
The next round takes place at the Algarve International Circuit on 7–8 June.
