The Spanish driver finished in fourth place in Saturday's race, driving his Campos Racing Dallara F2. Hadjar, who started from the front row in Sunday's race, saw any chance of scoring points compromised when the safety car came out right after he had made his pit stop, but he still maintains the series lead
It was a weekend of contrasts for Campos Racing at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza, the venue for the eleventh round of the 2024 FIA Formula 2 Championship season. On one hand, Pepe Martí returned to the fight for the podium, ultimately securing a fourth-place finish at the checkered flag. On the other hand, championship leader Isack Hadjar saw his lead reduced when, in Sunday’s race, the appearance of the safety car right after his pit stop pushed him to the back of the field, and despite a final sprint, he couldn't score any points.
On Friday, during that morning's free practice session, Hadjar posted a best time of 1m33.129s, while his teammate Martí set a best lap of 1m33.218s. Later in the afternoon, during the qualifying session, Hadjar positioned himself in the fight for pole position on the fast Italian circuit. In the end, Hadjar completed a magnificent lap of 1m32.249s, earning him second place on the starting grid for Sunday's race. Martí also performed well, securing the seventh-fastest time with his lap of 1m32.508s.
On Saturday, in the 21-lap sprint race, Martí shot off like a rocket as soon as the lights went out, moving from third on the reversed grid to take the lead at the first chicane. Behind him, Hadjar lost three positions, dropping to tenth by the end of the first lap and was still in tenth when the safety car came out. After two laps, the race resumed, and Martí pushed as hard as he could to escape his pursuers. Finally, on lap 7, Oliver Bearman took advantage of the slipstream and DRS to overtake the Spanish driver from Campos Racing. Martí continued battling for podium positions in a fight with Victor Martins, Enzo Fittipaldi, and Bearman himself. Later, Joshua Dürksen also joined the fray, with all of them swapping positions numerous times. Under the checkered flag, Martí crossed the finish line in fourth place, while Hadjar finished in tenth.
In Sunday's feature race, scheduled for 30 laps, Hadjar had high hopes. When the lights went out, Martí again made a great start, moving up to fourth and running alongside Hadjar as they approached the first chicane. In the bottleneck that forms at that first corner, both Campos Racing drivers had to take evasive action to avoid contact. After cutting the first chicane, Hadjar dropped to fifth place, and Martí fell to twelfth after being hit from behind. The safety car stayed on track for two laps, and on lap 4, the race resumed under green. At the restart, Hadjar gained a position by overtaking Dürksen, and just before his pit stop, the Frenchman also overtook Kimi Andrea Antonelli. However, on the very next lap, the safety car came out again, allowing Hadjar's rivals to gain valuable and decisive time. Martí also pitted at this time to switch to the hard tire compound. By lap 11, the race was back under green flags, but Martí was in 15th and Hadjar in 18th. A frantic comeback began, with both drivers gaining numerous positions. However, both fell short of the points, as Hadjar finished 11th, just ahead of his teammate Martí.
Hadjar remains at the top of the standings with 165 points, holding a 10.5-point lead over Brazilian Gabriel Bortoletto. In the team standings, Campos Racing is in second place with 208 points.
The next round will take place in Baku, Azerbaijan, in just two weeks.
Photos: © Dutch Photo Agency
