2024 SPA FLASHBACK: The title chasing three go head-to-head for the first time

21 July 2025

After a little break, the drivers and teams will all be making their way to Spa-Francorchamps for Round 9 of the FIA Formula 2 season, with the title fight heating up.

It was at the Belgian venue in 2024 where the three Championship hopefuls, Isack Hadjar, Paul Aron, and Gabriel Bortoleto went head-to-head for the first time.

So as we preview what should be another big weekend in the fight for the top prize, let us look back on how things went last year…

FREE PRACTICE

Off the back of a hotly contested weekend in Budapest – where Andrea Kimi Antonelli won the Feature Race – the paddock made its way to Spa for the final round before the summer break.

Hadjar led the way in the Standings with a 140 points, while after scoring just five points in two rounds, Aron was second on 122, with Bortoleto on 110 in third.

Hadjar got off to a fine start in Free Practice, a 1:58.730 the quickest time of the morning, just 0.010s clear of Victor Martins in second, with Antonelli in third.

Of his title rivals, Aron was fourth, 0.584s off the top time, with Bortoleto in P10.

Aron took a third pole position of the season in Spa

ARON REIGNS IN QUALIFYING

Aron and Hadjar had been the form pair in Qualifying though – the former taking pole in Barcelona and Budapest while the latter came out on top in Silverstone.

Bortoleto had also taken P1 at Imola, but was third after the first push laps, with Hadjar on top on a 1:57.803, a tenth clear of Aron in P2.

On to the second push attempts and Aron was flying, dominating the middle sector in particular before crossing the line to complete a 1:56.959.

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Bortoleto and Hadjar both set personal bests across the lap but could not beat the Hitech driver. The former was second, 0.168s off pole, while the latter settled for third, over two-tenths behind.

WET WEATHER SPRINT

As it often does in the Belgian hills, rain played a big part in Saturday’s Sprint, during which Zak O’Sullivan was one of the few able to improve on a second push lap in Qualifying, putting him on reverse pole.

The ART Grand Prix driver made a good start to keep the lead and was two seconds clear of Dennis Hauger in second and Richard Verschoor in third at the start of Lap 2.

The top three from Saturday's wet Sprint Race in Spa

Lap 3 brought about the Dallara Best Overtake of the season, with Antonelli going side-by-side with Franco Colapinto heading up to Eau Rouge to take sixth place as the rain got heavier.

Josep María Martí then stopped on track on Lap 4 bringing out the Safety Car, although the Campos driver was able to restart the car to bring it back to the pit lane.

But as the rain started fell harder the race was Red Flagged on Lap 8, and the race was not resumed due to the conditions.

This meant O’Sullivan claimed his second win of the season – after his Monte Carlo Feature Race triumph – with Hauger second and Verschoor third.

A DRAMATIC SUNDAY

Aron kept the lead from pole, while Hadjar overtook Bortoleto down the Kemmel Straight on the opening lap to take second.

The Safety Car quickly halted their progress though with Oliver Bearman and Martí coming together at Turn 1.

Aron made a good start to keep the lead but Hadjar was up to second

Racing resumed on Lap 4, but there was another stoppage after Victor Martins and Rafael Villagómez collided, with green flag conditions returning on Lap 7.

Hadjar immediately put Aron under pressure before overtaking his title rival for the lead down the Kemmel Straight on Lap 8. The Hitech driver then pitted for the Mediums looking to perform the undercut.

Hadjar came in at the end of Lap 9, but after struggling to get his tyres up to temperature, Aron overtook him on Lap 10. However, the Frenchman retook the place from his rival a couple of laps later.

Bortoleto, on the other hand, had pitted on Lap 10 and was about three seconds behind the squabbling pair, but with fresher tyres, closed in on them.

The Invicta driver was within DRS range of Aron on Lap 16 of 25 and used it to his advantage down the popular Kemmel Straight to take the position on Lap 17.

Hadjar claimed a super victory to take a 36-point lead into the summer break

Bortoleto briefly got within DRS range of Hadjar but struggled to get close enough to make a move. The then-Championship leader pulled away in the closing stages before winning by over two seconds.

Aron was over seven seconds behind Hadjar in third, but on the last lap pulled over to the side of the road with an issue, promoting Jak Crawford to the podium.

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This meant Hadjar went into the summer break on a 165 points – 36 points clear of Bortoleto in second, who had leapfrogged Aron.

As we get set for another close title fight this year, who will come out on top in Spa?