F2: Gabriel Bortoleto vs Isack Hadjar – the closest title fight in history

After 13 rounds, it all comes down this. Formula 2 Championship leader Gabriel Bortoleto and contender Isack Hadjar are somehow separated by just half a point going into the finale in Abu Dhabi.

Last weekend’s races in Qatar have set up a nail-biting last round after a back-and-forth season, with the duo now going head-to-head to be crowned the 2024 Drivers’ Champion.

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The Formula 2 Drivers’ Championship has never been closer at this stage of the campaign. Bortoleto’s half-point from the Monza Sprint Race, finishing in a dead heat with Dennis Hauger, now means he leads the way going into the final two races of 2024 by the slenderest of margins.

It has been a steady but assured comeback by the Kick Sauber-bound driver, after he endured a slow start to the campaign. It wasn’t until Round 4 that he stood on the podium in F2, but since then he has been a picture of consistency.

From Imola onwards, he has finished just once outside of the top 10 and taken two Feature Race victories in that time.

The first came in Spielberg, as he fought directly with title rival Hadjar, ultimately resisting the pressure from the Campos driver and winning comfortably.

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His second came at Monza against all odds as, following a mistake and spin in Qualifying, he started both races from 22nd and last.

Having risen through the order to tie with Hauger across the line in P8 in Saturday’s Sprint, Bortoleto went even better in the Feature, becoming the first driver in F2 history to start from last on the grid and win.

He followed that up with two top-five finishes in Baku to complete his ascent to the top of the table, as Hadjar failed to score in either the Italian or Azerbaijan rounds.

Last weekend’s race in Lusail looked to be going his way also as he battled Paul Aron for victory, but a mid-race Virtual Safety Car changed the complexion of the race and ultimately handed the win to the Estonian after he was hit with a five-second time penalty.

Crucially, it also elevated Hadjar one place above Bortoleto on the podium, putting the Red Bull Junior Team driver right back in the mix.

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Hadjar’s campaign has been more up and down in comparison, but the Campos Racing driver has been hugely impressive too. He also suffered a slow start in 2024 but captured his maiden F2 victory at Round 3 in Melbourne, and he was far from finished.

One round later, he battled with Bortoleto directly for the Imola Feature victory, resisting late-race pressure to add a second win to his record.

He was unfortunate to not make it three in a row around Monte Carlo as a late Safety Car intervention took an almost certain win out of his hands, but in Round 8, he made amends.

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Claiming his third Feature Race victory of the season around Silverstone, Hadjar took over from Aron at the top of the Drivers’ Championship and then extended that advantage with a fourth win of the year at Spa-Francorchamps. Once again, the Frenchman battled with Bortoleto and Aron for the victory and came out on top.

That win put him within striking distance of Charles Leclerc’s F2 record of five Feature Race wins in a single season. But, then came a rough patch, as he failed to score across the Monza and Baku rounds just as Bortoleto hit his best form of the year.

Then came Qatar, and after a difficult Qualifying had put Hadjar on the back foot, he showed determination to take the fight to the Brazilian. A spirited display in the Sprint Race was almost undone with a spin and drop to fourth, but he was still able to finish ahead of his title rival.

In the Feature, Hadjar was dogged in his drive to the podium. Making the most of his strategy, he was then able to keep Bortoleto in his sights to capitalise on the Invicta drivers’ five-second time penalty on a weekend he and Campos didn’t have the speed to fight for outright victory.

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After all of the twists and turns of 2024, the title battle could go either way in the final round at the Yas Marina Circuit. Both drivers have shown why they are deserving, but with it all to play for and the margin so small, it really is too close to call.

In what looks set to be an F2 title showdown for the ages, neither driver can afford an error, and the pressure will be at its highest. Who will be crowned the 2024 Formula 2 Drivers’ Champion?

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