The French driver secured a second and a fourth place at the Lusail International Circuit, bringing him to just half a point behind the overall leader in a championship that will be decided at Yas Marina next weekend. Pepe Martí’s teamwork also proved crucial on Sunday
The FIA Formula 2 title resolution will take place next weekend, and it couldn't be more exciting judging by the results seen in the penultimate round of the 2024 season at the Lusail International Circuit. Isack Hadjar achieved his eighth podium of the season in Sunday’s race and, along with a fourth place on Saturday, will arrive in Abu Dhabi just half a point behind the championship leader, Brazilian Gabriel Bortoleto. Hadjar’s teammate, Spaniard Pepe Martí, played a key role in Sunday’s race, acting as a formidable barrier to Bortoleto for several laps.
On Friday, during the free practice marked by high temperatures, Hadjar recorded a time of 1m39.653s in his first outing on the Qatari asphalt, while Martí, the Barcelona driver, clocked a best time of 1m40.549s. Later in the afternoon, in the qualifying session that would determine the starting grid for both races, the times were very close, with a few tenths making the difference between several positions. Hadjar stopped the clock at 1m36.187s, securing the ninth place for Sunday’s race and the front row for Saturday’s sprint. Martí set a time of 1m36.436s, earning him the twelfth position.
The sprint race, given that Pirelli brought the two hardest tire compounds, presented tactical variations. While most drivers opted for the hard tire, others like Hadjar chose the medium. Unfortunately, Pepe Martí faced bad luck when a mechanical issue in his car prevented him from even starting the race.
The 23-lap race began with Hadjar maintaining his second position on the first lap. The French driver soon launched an attack on the leader, British Oliver Bearman. With a brilliant maneuver, Hadjar overtook Bearman on the second lap. However, the appearance of the safety car for a couple of laps delayed the opening of a gap by the Campos Racing driver. Hadjar managed his tires well to reach the end of the race, and although Bearman, with fresher hard tires, was close behind by lap 18, it wasn’t until lap 21 that the British driver finally overtook Hadjar using DRS at the end of the straight. With his tires deteriorating, Hadjar lost two more positions but finished in fourth place under the checkered flag.
On Sunday, in the feature race with a mandatory pit stop scheduled for 32 laps, Hadjar started on medium tires while Martí started on hards. Hadjar had a notable start, but a collision ahead forced him into an evasive maneuver, dropping him to eleventh position. Soon after, Hadjar re-entered the top ten by overtaking Kush Maini on the outside. A VSC on lap eight due to a car stuck in the gravel shook up the race. Hadjar and Campos Racing, who had delayed their pit stop longer than some of their rivals, pitted under the safety car, gaining several positions.
When the race resumed on lap 12, Hadjar was ninth but virtually third among the drivers who had already pitted. Bortoleto, who had received a five-second penalty for entering the pits under the VSC and aborting the maneuver at the last moment, had to contend with Martí, who made things extraordinarily difficult for him before being overtaken. Martí did an excellent job for Hadjar, holding up his position as long as his tires allowed, though he gradually lost positions. Hadjar followed Bortoleto and Paul Aron, staying third until the end of the race. However, with Bortoleto’s penalty applied, the Campos Racing driver moved up to second on the podium ahead of the Brazilian. Martí finished 16th.
With only the two races at Yas Marina Circuit remaining next weekend, Hadjar is second in the drivers’ standings with 188 points, just half a point behind Bortoleto, who has 188.5 points. In the teams’ standings, Campos Racing is also in second place with 231 points.
The season, which began back in March, will conclude in just a few days in the United Arab Emirates.
Photos: © Dutch Photo Agency / Jorge Fernández
