F2 News: Hadjar takes fourth victory of 2024 to extend points lead

Campos Racing’s Isack Hadjar secured his fourth race win of the season in impressive fashion around Spa-Francorchamps.

The Red Bull Junior Team driver passed both of his closest Championship rivals en route, finishing ahead of Invicta Racing’s Gabriel Bortoleto and Jak Crawford in the DAMS Lucas Oil who rounded out the podium.

AS IT HAPPENED

Paul Aron held firm from Pole into Turn 1 to lead Bortoleto but down the Kemmel Straight, Isack Hadjar was able to slipstream his way by the Invicta driver to go up to second at Les Combes.

Zane Maloney had a slow start from sixth on the grid and fell down the order into the first corner, putting him middle of Oliver Bearman and Josep María Martí. The PREMA Racing driver was tapped into a spin and collected the Campos of Martí, leaving both out of the running.

Franco Colapinto also came to a halt at Malmedy and was an early retirement, with a Safety Car deployed to recover all three cars.

Racing resumed going onto Lap 4 and Aron got the restart he needed to retain the lead, but the Safety Car was back out right away after a crash for Victor Martins and Rafael Villagómez at Malmedy.

The Van Amersfoort Racing driver was left wide at the second part of Les Combes in his battle with Taylor Barnard, dipping into the gravel and pitched into a spin. He spun into the path of a helpless Martins, who collected the VAR, and both found the barriers. They were OK but once again, cars were in need of clearing.

Back to racing conditions on Lap 7, and Aron continued to hold onto the lead but with Hadjar for close company in P2. With DRS re-enabled on Lap 8, Hadjar got the slipstream he needed to cruise by his title rival and seized the lead along the Kemmel Straight.

The Hitech Pulse-Eight driver peeled into the pitlane at the end of the lap for his mandatory stop straight away and switched to the Mediums.

On track, Richard Verschoor moved up to P3 with a pass on Jak Crawford into Les Combes, with the Trident driver running the alternative strategy having started on the yellow-walled Mediums.

Hadjar was in at the end of Lap 9 in response to Aron. The Campos driver rejoined ahead on the road after a slightly slower pitstop, and with his tires up to temperature, the Hitech driver got back to within DRS range.

Bortoleto stopped on Lap 11 but had to be held for Enzo Fittipaldi’s Van Amersfoort to pass in the fast lane. He rejoined behind Hadjar and Aron in time to see the Hitech surge around the outside of the Frenchman to re-take the place and eighth on the road at Les Combes.

After two laps in pursuit of the Estonian, Hadjar pulled off another DRS pass on Aron to secure seventh on the road and the effective race lead with it.

Antonelli had been within a second of leader Verschoor but unable to pass the Dutchman so pitted from P2 on Lap 16. A slow stop for the Italian dropped him behind Amaury Cordeel, also pitting for the Soft tires. Verschoor responded to Antonelli’s stop on Lap 17 and rejoined the circuit in ninth place.

Bortoleto meanwhile was in the slipstream of Aron and through for fourth position just 1.2s back from Hadjar, who was caught up behind the yet-to-pit Taylor Barnard.

Lap 22 and Verschoor’s Soft tyres put him in range of Maloney, and with a late dive to the inside of Les Combes, the Trident driver secured sixth position.

Onto the final lap and it was heartbreak for Aron, who slowed to a halt on the Kemmel Straight to drop off the podium and out of the race.

Having repelled Bortoleto’s threat after clearing Barnard, Hadjar was victorious by over two seconds over the Invicta driver, who added a fourth podium to his 2024 record.

Crawford inherited third on the podium in the DAMS, as Zak O’Sullivan secured fourth place for ART and Verschoor got to fifth on the alternative strategy.

Maloney headed up the Rodin duo with Miyata in seventh ahead of Amaury Cordeel who enjoyed his home event in eighth, while Antonelli and Joshua Duerksen rounded out the points in ninth and 10th.

KEY QUOTE – Isack Hadjar – Campos Racing

“P1 today, so happy to win this one. It was a difficult race, but we drove a great one with the team. Strategy was on point and the pace was really good and I’m so happy to extend the lead and go into the holidays in the best way possible. See you in Monza and have a good summer break!”

THE CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

With another victory, Hadjar extends his lead in the Championship and is now on 165. Bortoleto moves up to P2 on 129, ahead of Aron who remains on 124 in third. Maloney is fourth on 111 while Crawford’s podium lifts him into the top five and into triple digits on 100.

In the Teams’ Standings, it’s level at the top but Campos Racing lead by virtue of more wins than Invicta Racing. Both outfits are on 203 ahead of MP Motorsport in third on 179. Hitech Pulse-Eight and Rodin Motorsport round out the top five places on 153 and 140 points respectively.

Race Results (25 laps)