FORMULA 2
 Credit: James Sutton This coming weekend at the Yas Marina Circuit, in Abu Dhabi, three drivers have the mathematical chance of becoming the 2024 Formula 2 Champion, as the season heads into the season finale. It has been a season of crazy action from the very first track action of the calendar in Bahrain and now the championship arrives in Abu Dhabi with all to be decided over the next three days. Who will end up winning the championship is undecided, as both of the drivers and teams championships are concerned, therefore excitement and drama is almost certain. There have been 17 different race winners across this season so far in the FIA Formula 2 Championship, with third in the standings Paul Aron taking his maiden win of the championship last time out in Qatar. His win for Hitech now means that all 11 teams participating in the 2024 championship have at least one victory under their belts. Aron is third in the championship and is unlikely to win the championship but there is still a mathematical chance of him clinching glory but a lot will have to happen in the final round at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi for him to leave the weekend as champion. The main two contenders however are coming into the 14th and final round separated by just half a point in what is set to be an incredibly intense final between the pair. Brazilian and Formula 1 bound driver Gabriel Bortoleto leads the championship for Invicta Racing, in his rookie season of the championship. Bortoleto leads Red Bull junior Isack Hadjar by half a point, who has had a very fine season hiself, albeit in his second season of the championship, but has take his learning from his rookie year and put it to good use. After all, he is still in contention for that Visa RB seat that is currently vacant for next year. As for the championship involving the teams, Invicta Racing have a 31.5 point lead over Campos at the top of the standings with Invicta Racing in a great position to try and win the championship. They are leading the teams championship heading into the final round as their driver is leading his championship. Invicta will be aiming for double success. A look at the track: Yas Marina Circuit - Abu DhabiFor the season finale with lots on the line, the Formula 2 championship will descend on the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi for what is set to be an entertaining end to the 2024 season as a whole. The Yas Marina Circuit has had two different circuit layouts but has been largely a staple to the Formula 2 calendar and has hosted many season finales through the years and many champions have been crowned at the famous piece of race track situated in the Middle Eastern part of the world. George Russell, Oscar Piastri and most recently Theo Pourchaire have all been crowned champions at this very race track with Piastri and Pourchaire being crowned champion on the current layout that was first raced on in the Formula 2 Championship back in 2021, which was the year that Piastri took the crown. Since then, racing action has continued to produce thrilling excitement so that even in 2022, when the drivers' championship was wrapped up, fans would still be entertained by teh great racing the young drivers would display out on circuit. The Yas Marina Circuit itself is made up of 16 corners and has a lap distance of 5.281km and that will be the lap distance the drivers will cover on this final weekend of the 2024 championship. Comparing to last weekend's round in Qatar, there is one extra DRS zone which is therefore an extra opportunity for overtaking as if the overtaking and drama was not enough at the Lusail International Circuit, just under a week ago. Two DRS zones are at the Yas Marina Circuit which will present the best opportunities for the drivers to make overtakes. The DRS zones run down into turns six and nine with them being great opportunities for passing so fans can be excited about the potential for overtakes across the two races to come across the weekend. The Formula 2 record around this current layout of circuit came in 2021 and it was set by Piastri, who was racing for Prema Racing in that championship campaign. The Australian's lap time was a 1:35.077. As usual in Formula 2, across a weekend there are two races and this weekend is no different. There will be a Saturday and Sunday race as is also usual with Saturday playing host to the sprint race while Sunday will be the feature race, where a mandatory pit stop is to be served by all drivers in the race. Saturday's sprint race is set to last 23 laps, while Sunday's feature race will last 33 laps. Formula 3 Champion to make Formula 2 debut in season finale with RodinLeonardo Fornaroli who is the 2024 Formula 3 champion is set to make his Formula 2 debut this coming weekend with Rodin Motorsport as Barbados racer Zane Maloney departs the championship to go and compete full time in Formula E. Maloney had endured almost two full seasons of the FIA Formula 2 Championship but will leave his seat, that he has had whilst partnering Japanese talent Ritomo Miyata in 2024, to go and pursue the Formula E Championship where he will aim to make a name for himself. The boy from Barbados will go to Lola Cars ABT to partner Lucas Di Grassi and therefore with him now having graduated from Formula 2, Rodin Motorsport would need a replacement for the final round at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi. In coming as the replacement, would be Italian racing driver Leonardo Fornaroli, who is already confirmed to be on the grid for 2025 with the current teams championship leaders - Invicta Racing. Fornaroli has come off the back of shining in the FIA Formula 3 Championship where he did not pick up a single victory but in doing so proved that consistency is key in feeder series championships and motorsports as a whole. Now, he will have a chance to experience Formula 2 machinery before his full time gig in 2025. Fornaroli won the 2024 Formula 3 championship with Trident, which coincidentally was the team that Gabriel Bortoleto took the 2023 Formula 3 title with just over 12 months ago. With Bortoleto currently leading the championship with Invicta in 2024, as Fornaroli is racing for them in 2025, he will be hoping he can enjoy similar fortunes. Fornaroli will partner Miyata at Rodin for the final round in Abu Dhabi and will be attempting to use the debut weekend as an opportunity to learn Formula 2 ahead of his full rookie season in 2025 with Invicta Racing. 2024 FIA Formula 2 Championship: Season Finale (Round 14) - Abu Dhabi session timesTrack Time:
UK Time:
 Brandon Whiteside
Writer & X Contributor - F1 Journal
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
April 2025
Categories |
RSS Feed