Guest Column
A great season taking shape: Bruno Michel’s Debrief
We are three rounds into the 2024 season and a brand-new era for Formula 2 and the action has been constant since lights out in Sakhir.
CEO Bruno Michel takes stock of the campaign so far, who is riding high after the opening races and who will be eager to make testing count this month ahead of Imola and Round 4 in May.
NEW CAR, SAME CLOSE RACING
When we presented the new F2 car last year, it caught the eye of many, and we were all excited to see how it would look on track. After a successful shakedown and the first days of pre-season testing, it was time to go racing, with everyone eager to see the drivers fight on track. Three rounds into the 2024 season, and one thing is for certain: the new car has produced some incredible on-track battles. All six races so far have been unpredictable and riveting from start to finish, with our partners Pirelli, Aramco, Dallara and Mecachrome all playing a crucial part in ensuring such a level of close racing.
The teams have been hard at work to learn the new car and find the right set-ups. They will have three days of in-season testing in Barcelona this month to fine-tune their findings ahead of the European season.
FOLLOW THE LEADERS
Rodin Motorsport have taken the early lead in both Standings, with Zane Maloney making a statement in the opening round of the 2024 season, claiming both wins. His rookie year in 2023 was a bit rocky, showing his natural speed but lacking consistency. Now a member of the Sauber Academy, his goal is very clear: he wants to follow in the footsteps of Théo Pourchaire. In the first three rounds, he’s displayed a maturity that allowed him to dominate, but also rebound from a poor Qualifying result in Jeddah and drive smart races to take points and podiums wherever he can. He seems to be back to the level that took him to second in the F3 Standings in 2022.
READ MORE: The secret behind Roman Stanek’s maiden Formula 2 victory
FROM DOUBTS TO PODIUMS
I always look at what the rookies do, because F2 is a tough Championship and those that can adapt quickly are definitely ones to watch. Paul Aron left Melbourne second in the Drivers' Championship, with three podium finishes to his name. But that’s not how his F2 story started: during pre-season testing, he and Hitech Pulse-Eight did not look comfortable, struggling for pace. Round 1 came, and they qualified P12 for both races. From that starting position, the young Estonian and his team found their sweet spot and took the car to fifth in the Sprint and third in the Feature. He added two other rostrums, one in Jeddah and another one in Australia. It will be interesting to see if they can keep at this level when racing picks up again in Imola next month.
A START WITH FLYING COLOURS
When you are a rookie and you open your F2 season with two podium finishes, from P11 on the grid for both races, it’s quite impressive. That’s what Josep María Martí did in Bahrain, with P3 in the Sprint and P2 in the Feature. That put Campos Racing on a trajectory to chase after Rodin Motorsport. The Spanish team struggled in the second round, but they came back with a vengeance in Melbourne, this time courtesy of Isack Hadjar. The Red Bull protégé didn’t enjoy a strong first season in F2, but he’s moved to Campos for his second year, and he opened their collaboration with P4 in the first race of the season.
In Melbourne, just like Maloney did in Round 1, the Frenchman crossed the line in P1 in both races. Unfortunately, he was given a time penalty that dropped him down to sixth in the Sprint. Maybe disappointment fuelled his driving on Sunday, and a perfectly timed Safety Car period came his way so that he could take the lead in the Feature to claim his second F2 win. He said that his title fight is on. Can a performance like the one he’s displayed in Australia boost him for the rest of the season?
HIGHLIGHTS AND LOWLIGHTS
With a brand-new line-up featuring one of last season’s best rookies, Kush Maini, and the 2023 F3 Champion, Gabriel Bortoleto, Invicta Racing are looking quite strong on paper. They opened their season with a bang, with a 1-2 in Qualifying in Bahrain, but Maini was later disqualified on a technical infringement. Both drivers have the speed and the skills to take Invicta at the front, but for one reason or another, there’s a little bit missing – sometimes bad luck coming into play. I fully expect them to fight for poles, wins, and podiums on a regular basis going forward.
Meanwhile, Dennis Hauger is a driver who entered his third season with a new sense a purpose. Where he lacked consistency in previous years, the MP Motorsport racer has already claimed one pole position, one win and three podiums in six races. Currently third in the Championship, the Norwegian will have to bounce back from a mistake in Melbourne’s Feature Race where he crashed out from the lead.
Speaking of overcoming adversity, Trident were gutted after losing a strong win in Jeddah in the Sprint due to a technical infringement. They inherited victory in Melbourne’s Sprint after Hadjar was handed a time penalty, gifting Roman Stanek with a maiden F2 win. After three rounds, Trident have scored more than half of the total amount of points they pocketed in 2023.
I also want to highlight Enzo Fittipaldi’s Jeddah Feature Race win. The Van Amersfoort Racing driver mastered tyre management to claim a dominant victory. Along with rookie Rafael Villagómez, who seems to be adapting to F2 rather quickly, can VAR fight at the front more often?
Another rookie is rapidly making his mark in F2. Andrea Kimi Antonelli has a lot of pressure on his shoulders, with many keeping an eye on his performance. In his third Qualifying session, on a track he did not know, he managed to take P2, which is quite impressive. It will be very interesting to see how he will keep on progressing.
Finally, there is a big conundrum at ART Grand Prix. The reigning champions have been struggling since Round 1, with only 21 points on the board so far. Something has not clicked in yet. The in-season test before the rest of the season unfolds will most likely help them figure out what has been missing and how they can get their year back on track ASAP.
READ MORE: Fighting for early season advantage: Melbourne team-by-team round-up
SPECIAL MENTION
I would like to conclude this first debrief of the season by applauding Oliver Bearman for his outstanding F1 debut in Jeddah. From F2 pole to jumping into the Ferrari car for FP3, taking P11 in his first ever F1 Qualifying and scoring points on debut… What a stellar performance! It shows again that F2 is the best preparation for the pinnacle of motorsport, helping young drivers to develop their skills and adapt quickly to F1.