The French driver dominated the Sunday race, consolidating his position at the top of the championship. Additionally, Campos Racing reclaimed the top spot in the team standings
Campos Racing and Isaac Hadjar head into the FIA Formula 2 summer break leading both the driver and team classifications following the tenth event of the current season at Spa-Francorchamps this past weekend. In the stunning setting of the Belgian F1 Grand Prix, the Alzira-based team and the French driver once again established themselves as the category’s reference and secured their fourth victory so far. While Hadjar was the positive note, the opposite was true for Pepe Martí, who, through no fault of his own, was forced to retire from both races.
On Friday, in the only free practice session held in the morning, Hadjar signaled his intentions by setting the fastest time with a lap of 1m58.730s. Martí completed his best lap in 2m00.196s in that session, but it seemed clear the Spaniard had much more potential for the afternoon qualifying. In qualifying, Hadjar fought for pole position and eventually the French driver, sporting Red Bull colors, posted the third-best time with a lap of 1m57.241s, giving him excellent chances for both races. Martí, also a Red Bull driver, couldn't improve his time of 1m58.120s, just a second off the pole position, which left him 17th on the grid.
Saturday's race, initially scheduled for shortly after 2 PM, was postponed due to torrential rain over the Spa-Francorchamps circuit. The sprint race eventually took place around 7 PM under wet conditions. When the lights went out, both Hadjar, starting eighth on the reversed grid, and Martí maintained their positions off the line. Unfortunately, Martí soon had to pit with issues in his car and, despite rejoining, he stopped on track with alternator problems, triggering a safety car. The rain intensified, leading to red flags around lap eight, and the race was not restarted. Hadjar finished ninth.
Sunday dawned bright and sunny, perfect for racing. Hadjar, third on the grid, opted for soft tires at the start. Martí, starting further back, chose mediums. When the lights went out, Martí made a sensational start but was taken out of the race within a few meters by Oliver Bearman, who collided with Zane Maloney and subsequently with Martí. Ahead, on the Kemmel Straight, Hadjar slipstreamed past Gabriel Bortoleto to take second. A safety car was deployed following the start incident. Once the race resumed, another safety car period followed shortly after, with green flags appearing to stay from lap seven. Hadjar’s pace was unstoppable; on lap eight, he overtook Paul Aron at Kemmel to take the lead. Despite Aron pitting, Hadjar stayed out one more lap, setting the fastest lap in the process. After his stop, Hadjar maintained the virtual lead, but Aron’s warmer tires allowed him to briefly overtake the Frenchman. Hadjar quickly regained the lead on lap 12 and then executed a flawless drive. He first pulled away from Aron, and when Aron was overtaken by Bortoleto, he managed the gap to the Brazilian, who never got within DRS range. After 25 laps, Hadjar crossed the finish line as the winner, ahead of Bortoleto. A mechanical problem forced Aron to retire on the last lap.
After twenty races, with eight remaining, Hadjar has his largest lead in the drivers' standings so far with 165 points, 36 ahead of Bortoleto. In the team standings, Campos Racing holds the top spot with 203 points, tied with Invicta Racing, but the Spanish team leads due to a higher number of victories.
The championship will resume at the “Temple of Speed” in Monza on August 31 and September 1.
Photos: © Dutch Photo Agency
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