Paul Aron of Hitech Pulse-Eight claimed his maiden Formula 2 victory in a dramatic Feature Race in Lusail. Although Gabriel Bortoleto crossed the finish line first, a five-second penalty relegated him to third place, allowing Aron to take the top step of the podium. Aron, who initially lost the lead at the start, maintained his composure throughout the race, staying close to Bortoleto to capitalize on the penalty and secure his long-awaited win.
Bortoleto’s misfortune also played into the hands of Isack Hadjar, who moved up to second place from third. This result tightened the championship battle, leaving just 0.5 points between Bortoleto and Hadjar as the series heads to the final round in Abu Dhabi.
The race began with Bortoleto making an excellent start, overtaking pole-sitter Aron off the line. Meanwhile, debutant Dino Beganovic won the battle for third position at Turn 1 against Victor Martins. As the opening laps unfolded, the field began to settle into a rhythm. However, on Lap 4, Kush Maini endured a challenging series of corners, dropping from seventh to eleventh. This allowed Oliver Bearman, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Oliver Goethe, and Isack Hadjar to overtake him in quick succession.
At the front, Bortoleto and Aron built a significant gap over Beganovic, who struggled on his Medium tires. The DAMS Lucas Oil driver pitted early, along with other Option tire runners, including Aron, Martins, Richard Verschoor, and Antonelli. However, an incident during the pit stops brought chaos to the race. Antonelli collided with Verschoor in the pit lane, forcing him to retire and leaving Verschoor with a ten-second penalty for an unsafe release.
Adding to the drama, a Virtual Safety Car (VSC) was deployed, and Bortoleto made a critical error. He initially committed to pitting but changed his mind, crossing the pit entry line to rejoin the circuit. This decision earned him a five-second penalty for not following Race Director instructions. Despite this, the timing of the VSC allowed Bortoleto to retain the lead on the road once he eventually pitted.
After the race resumed, Bortoleto led the field, with Aron and Hadjar fighting their way through traffic to climb into contention. A collision between Jak Crawford and Rafael Villagómez brought out another Safety Car, briefly neutralizing the action. When the racing restarted, Aron demonstrated exceptional skill, overtaking multiple competitors to challenge Bortoleto in the final laps.
As the clock wound down, Aron, Bortoleto, and Hadjar emerged as the key players. With just one lap remaining, Bortoleto held a slim 1.6-second lead over Aron but was unable to extend the gap required to nullify his penalty. Aron crossed the line in second place but was awarded the victory after the penalty was applied. Hadjar finished second, further tightening the championship race, while Bortoleto settled for third.
Behind the podium finishers, Oliver Goethe finished a strong fourth, narrowly missing out on a top-three spot. Dino Beganovic took fifth, while Christian Mansell delivered an impressive drive to secure sixth. Amaury Cordeel, John Bennett, Zane Maloney, and Ritomo Miyata rounded out the top ten.
The victory marked a significant milestone for Aron, who expressed relief and satisfaction after the race. “Finally, a first win in Formula 2. I don’t need to say it, but it’s been a long time coming, and I am very, very happy to finally get it. There was some extra pressure because we’ve been in this position already three times, on pole from Friday and not getting the win on Sunday, so I am very, very happy to finally get it. At the same time, I want to congratulate Gabriel. He did a good race; on track, he won it, definitely well done to him. Lastly, a big thank you to Hitech. The car has been very good from the beginning of the weekend, and I am very happy to finally leave Sunday with a smile on my face.”
As the championship standings tighten, all eyes are on the season finale at Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, where the title fight will reach its climax. With just 0.5 points separating Bortoleto and Hadjar, the stakes could not be higher. Who will emerge as the 2024 Formula 2 Champion? Fans won’t have long to wait to find out.
The Formula 2 Championship Standings
- Gabriel Bortoleto leads with 188.5 points, but Isack Hadjar is just 0.5 points behind.
- Paul Aron sits third with 163 points, Zane Maloney is fourth with 140, and Jak Crawford is fifth with 124.
- In the Teams’ Standings, Invicta Racing leads with 262.5 points, followed by Campos Racing (231), MP Motorsport (200), Hitech Pulse-Eight (198), and PREMA Racing (179).
