Spanish
A champion in F3, a journeyman in F2
Roberto Merhi is a Spanish racing driver whose junior-formula peak came not in Formula 2 but a few rungs lower, on the European Formula 3 ladder. In 2011, driving for the formidable Prema Powerteam, Merhi dominated the Formula 3 Euro Series, clinching the title with a round to spare after a home win at Valencia. He took eleven race victories and twenty top-three finishes across the campaign, delivering Prema its first drivers' crown since 2003. That same year he also won the FIA Formula 3 International Trophy, marking him out as one of the most promising single-seater talents of his generation.
The road to F1 and beyond
After F3, Merhi moved up to the Formula Renault 3.5 Series, finishing third in the 2014 championship with Zeta Corse on the strength of three wins. That form helped open the door to Formula 1: in 2015 he drove for the Manor Marussia team, contesting most of the season alongside Will Stevens, though the uncompetitive car yielded no points.
A sporadic Formula 2 record
Merhi's relationship with GP2/FIA Formula 2 was always part-time, and it is important to be honest about that. He never contested a settled, full season cleanly from start to finish.
In 2017 — the first year of the rebranded FIA Formula 2 Championship — he appeared sporadically, first with Campos Racing for a one-off at Barcelona that yielded no points and saw him dropped, then returning with Rapax for later rounds. He scored points at Spa (a seventh and a sixth) and ran as high as fifth at Monza, finishing the year a distant 18th overall.
For 2018 he attempted a fuller program with MP Motorsport, taking third in the Monaco feature race, before switching back to Campos Racing for the final two rounds in Russia and Abu Dhabi, where he scored in all four races — including converting a reverse-grid pole into third place at Abu Dhabi. He ended the season 12th.
His final F2 cameo came in 2022, again with Campos Racing, deputising for the injured Ralph Boschung at the Austrian round. He retired from the sprint but produced a standout drive in the feature race, charging from 21st on the grid to third.
Merhi never won an F2 race or contended for the title; his F2 story is one of a quick, experienced hand dropped into seats at short notice, occasionally reminding everyone of the talent that won him an F3 championship.