Championship glory and crucial career opportunities are on the line as we head into the highly anticipated debut of the 2024 Formula 2 season at Qatar’s Lusail Circuit.
Lusail Awaits: High Stakes, Fresh Faces, and F2’s Ultimate Test
The 2024 Formula 2 Championship is heading into its decisive finale, with a thrilling double-header in the desert set to determine the season’s ultimate victor.
As the campaign reaches Round 13, multiple drivers remain in the hunt for glory, but Gabriel Bortoleto holds a slim 4.5-point lead over his closest rival, Isack Hadjar.
In addition to the potential crowning of a new Champion, F2 ventures into uncharted territory as the Championship debuted at Qatar’s Lusail International Circuit.
Having been a fixture on the Formula 1 calendar since 2021 – initially replacing the Australian Grand Prix and becoming a regular feature from 2023 – it’s now F2’s turn to debut at the Lusail International Circuit.
Lusail poses significant physical challenges for drivers, making its inclusion in the F2 calendar a strategic decision. It serves as a valuable training ground, preparing future F1 talents to handle the extreme conditions they may encounter at the pinnacle of motorsport.
The Championship standings
Zane Maloney currently sits third in the standings, but the Bajan driver will step aside after Round 13. The 2024 Formula 3 Champion Leonardo Fornaroli will take his place at Rodin Motorsport for the final round in Abu Dhabi.
Paul Aron of Hitech Pulse-Eight holds the fourth position, having led the championship during the early stages of the season. With 133 points, he trails Maloney by two and faces a considerable challenge to close the gap in these crucial final rounds.
Invicta leads the Teams’ Standings with a 35.5-point advantage over Campos Racing, holding 243.5 points to Campos’ 208. MP Motorsport sits third with 181.5 points. PREMA Racing and Rodin complete the top five with 169 and 164 points, respectively.
Meanwhile, Kush Maini of Invicta Racing carries over a five-place grid penalty from the previous event.
The Main battles to watch out for in the 2024 Qatar GP
Gabriel Bortoleto leads the championship by a narrow 4.5 points over Isack Hadjar. While he has a theoretical chance to secure the title this weekend, it would require a complex set of results to fall in his favour.
Hadjar, on the other hand, is eager to recover from a four-race points drought. His last podium finish came from a feature race win in Belgium back in July.
Bortoleto, who will join Sauber in Formula 1 next season, can still be overtaken by Paul Aron, Jak Crawford, Kimi Antonelli, and Victor Martins, although the latter three remain long shots for the title.
Two of Bortoleto’s main rivals have already dropped out of the title race mid-season. Third-placed Zane Maloney has switched to Formula E, and Franco Colapinto, currently seventh in the standings, has been racing for Williams.
READ MORE: Franco Colapinto in contention for 2025 VCARB seat
What’s new for the 2024 Qatar Grand Prix?
Formula 2 has often seen F3 graduates stepping up for the final weekends of the season. This year is no exception. The grid will look different from the one that raced in Baku.
Four new faces will debut in Qatar. Max Esterson joins Trident for the last two weekends, alongside fellow F3 graduate Christian Mansell, who replaced Roman Stanek at the Italian team from Baku onwards.
Esterson takes over from Richard Verschoor, who moves to MP Motorsport to replace Dennis Hauger. Hauger left the series to join Andretti in the Indy NXT series for 2025.
This means MP Motorsport will end the season with a completely different line-up, as Franco Colapinto moved up to an F1 seat with Williams ahead of the Italian Grand Prix.
Additionally, Ferrari junior Dino Beganovic will join DAMS Lucas Oil for the final two weekends, replacing Juan Manuel Correa. Beganovic, a seasoned F3 driver, finished sixth in the 2024 Formula 3 standings with PREMA Racing. He aims to impress for an F2 seat next year.
Other changes for Qatar include GB3 vice champion John Bennett joining Van Amersfoort Racing for the final two weekends of 2024. He will be racing alongside Rafael Villagomez.
Additionally, Hitech Pulse Eight racer Cian Shields will compete in the last two weekends for AIX Racing. He will be partnering with Joshua Durksen and replacing Niels Koolen.
21-year-old Zane Maloney has demonstrated exceptional talent in Formula 2, securing a prominent position in the standings. However, in a reflection of the complex career choices facing drivers, Maloney has signed with Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler for the upcoming Formula E season.
This shift to electric racing presents an alternative path for skilled drivers seeking opportunities beyond Formula 1.
Although currently third in the F2 standings, Maloney will not complete the season due to his move to Formula E with ABT. He will compete in the Qatar round at Lusail, adding intrigue to the event. However, he will miss the Abu Dhabi finale due to his Formula E commitments.
Lusail’s high-speed layout, combined with its long-radius corners, makes it a circuit that places significant demands on the tyres. Tyre management will be crucial.
The track’s design also calls for relatively high downforce, with only one long straight to consider. However, brakes and fuel consumption are less of a concern.
As a result, the practice sessions will be critical for finding the right balance between drag and downforce – ensuring the tyres are preserved while maintaining a competitive single-lap pace.
Race strategy
The FIA Formula 2 Championship will make its debut at the Lusail circuit.
The circuit is known for being one of the toughest tracks on tyres. Its demands are comparable to Silverstone due to the high forces placed on the tyres. As a result, the Hard and Medium compounds have been selected for the F2 Qatar weekend.
Drivers take all 16 corners at medium to high speeds. The track surface, which was resurfaced last year, is smooth but tends to accumulate sand blown in by the wind, leaving it quite dirty.
This means lap times are expected to drop quickly as cars run more laps, gradually cleaning the racing line. One potential challenge is graining, which can shorten the tyre’s performance life.
In terms of strategy, drivers who excel at tyre management may consider using the Medium compound for the Sprint Race. Although, this is unlikely.
For the Feature Race, the strategy will focus on extending the use of the softer compound as long as possible, aiming to balance the stints and create two roughly equal-length runs.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Will a 2024 F1 Academy Champion be Crowned in Qatar?
What time is the 2024 Qatar GP?
Timings for the 2024 Qatar GP:
Friday, 29th November, 2024:
Free Practice 3: 14:05 – 14:50 local time (11:05 – 11:50 GMT)
Qualifying: 19:10 – 19:40 local time (16:10 – 16:40 GMT)
Saturday, 30th November, 2024:
Sprint race (23 laps): 19:20 – 20:05 local time (15:20 – 16:05 GMT)
Sunday, 1st December, 2024:
Feature race (32 laps): 15:20 – 16:20 (12:20 – 13:20 GMT)
What are your predictions for the outcome of the weekend’s events in Qatar? Do let us know in the comments below!
READ NEXT: Will McLaren Win the Constructors’ Title at the Qatar GP?
