In the streets of Monaco, Paul Aron managed to take the leadership of the F2 championship from Zane Maloney in a weekend full of surprises.
This year in Monte Carlo, there were several twists. Starting with free practice, which took place in the rain, then the pole of Richard Verschoor. On Saturday during the Sprint Race there were several breaks, including a red flag. However, it was during the feature race that the surprises started. After the race on Sunday, the championship standings underwent a leadership change. Now Paul Aron is the new leader of the 2024 F2 season.
Between safety cars and red flags
On Thursday, the drivers faced the only free practice session in the rain. This is the worst situation for a driver in the streets of Monte Carlo. To stay away from the walls, even in dry conditions, is already very difficult. Kimi Antonelli and Joshua Duerksen, both coming directly from FRECA, were the most disadvantaged because they arrived almost blindly on Friday.
On Friday, the drivers were divided into two groups. Among them, the Dutch driver Richard Verschoor set the fastest time and took pole position. Great disappointment for the now former championship leader Zane Maloney who failed to qualify even in the top 10. Paul Aron, on the other hand, has continued to show his abilities reaching fourth place.
In the Sprint race, the top ten positions were reversed. The English driver Taylor Barnard, coming from Formula 3, won his first race in F2. The Englishman had to cope with several safety cars and the pressure of a red flag. Victor Martins and Jak Crawford damaged their car immediately after the start and the first safety car was deployed. A few minutes later, Pepe Martì lost control of the car and ended up in the barriers.
Zane Maloney, who had recovered until the eleventh position, collided with Juan Manuel Correa, as he struggled to reach the points. Meanwhile, Paul Aron silently continued his race and, although there were no overtakes on the limit on his part to attack the drivers in front of him, he managed to bring home a seventh position in the Sprint Race of F2 in Monaco.
Podium number five! 🖐️@PaulAron16 #F2 #MonacoGP pic.twitter.com/Z2pOTK9fR5
— Formula 2 (@Formula2) May 26, 2024
A new leader of the championship
In the Feature race, the pole man Verschoor, due to a problem in the car, had to withdraw from the race. This opened the door to Hadjar who, after the bad start of Victor Martins, dreamed to climb on the highest step of that podium. A few laps from the end, there were some drivers that still had to make their mandatory pit stop. Among them and in front of everyone there was Zak O’Sullivan. Thanks to a safety car at the perfect moment, the Williams Academy driver managed to win the race.
Meanwhile, Aron ended this round with a podium in third place. Maloney’s difficulties in the last Grand Prix have made the Estonian the new championship leader. Paul Aron is in his first year in F2, but he is showing a constancy and speed of more experienced drivers. Without many words, the Estonian wants to show Mercedes what they lost when they decided to drop him from their young junior team. If he can manage to keep the leadership and win the title, will his name arrive in the Formula 1 grid in the near future?
