The climb
Joshua Ivan Dürksen Dyck (born 27 October 2003 in Asuncion) is a Paraguayan racing driver of German descent - his family traces back to a German immigrant great-grandfather in the Paraguayan Chaco - and the most successful single-seater driver his country has ever produced. In 2017 he became the first Paraguayan to reach a Rotax Max Challenge final, and he carries his nation's flag with explicit pride, casting himself as an inspiration for Paraguayan drivers.
He built his car career largely with Mücke Motorsport in Formula 4, racing the UAE, Italian and German series between 2019 and 2021, with a runner-up finish in the 2019 F4 UAE among the highlights. He then progressed through Euroformula Open and the Formula Regional European and Middle East championships, reaching Formula 2 without ever contesting a full FIA Formula 3 season - his only F3 machinery running came at a 2023 post-season test with PHM Racing.
Formula 2
Dürksen made his F2 debut in 2024 with PHM AIX Racing and made history fast. A third place at Imola gave Paraguay its first F2 podium, and at Baku he took his maiden win, dominating the sprint to become the first Paraguayan to win in any international F2 category. A second 2024 victory followed in the Abu Dhabi feature race, beating Gabriel Bortoleto, and he closed his rookie year tenth with 87 points. Staying with AIX Racing for 2025, he climbed to ninth with 107 points, two wins and eight podiums - and became the first F2 driver to win both the opening and closing race of a single season, taking the Melbourne sprint and the Abu Dhabi feature in his last outing for the team.
2026 / current season
For 2026 Dürksen joined reigning teams' champions Invicta Racing, partnering F3 title-winner Rafael Camara, and again struck early - winning the opening sprint race in Australia. He has called the start "sweet and sour," with pace not always converting to results, sitting around 11th in the standings in mid-season. The bigger development came off-track: in February 2026 he was named a Mercedes Formula 1 development driver, taking on simulator and Testing of Previous Cars duties, formalising a genuine Formula 1 connection for a driver who already carries a nation's hopes.