Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Edition

Global Global
Race report

F2 Qatar: Bearman victorious as Hadjar misses opportunity

Bearman wins for the third time in the 2024 F2 season

Oliver Bearman, PREMA Racing

Oliver Bearman, PREMA Racing

Photo by: Mark Sutton

Oliver Bearman took his third sprint race victory of the 2024 Formula 2 season after winning out in a strategic battle with championship-chasing Isack Hadjar.

Having started on pole for the partially reversed grid race with hard tyres fitted to his Prema entry, the future Haas Formula 1 driver lost ground early on to the medium-shod Hadjar.

But as the mediums on his Campos rival's car began to give up the ghost, Bearman eased onto the rear of the Frenchman.

However, passing proved far more difficult, with Red Bull junior Hadjar snaking across the start straight each time in an attempt to break the tow and subsequent DRS gain.

The decisive moment came with three laps remaining, as Bearman braked late and dived past on inside at Turn 1, leaving Hadjar to express on team radio that he should have been more aggressive in his defence.

Things went from bad to worse for Hadjar when he spun at Turn 4 on the same lap, dropping to fourth as Jak Crawford (DAMS) and Richard Verschoor (back with MP Motorsport once more after parting company with Trident) moved into the podium positions.

While the majority of the field followed Bearman’s lead and fitted hard tyres, Victor Martins was the only other front-runner to copy Hadjar and run mediums.

Isack Hadjar, Campos Racing

Isack Hadjar, Campos Racing

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

While this enabled Martin to vault up the order on the opening lap from seventh to third, the reward ultimately failed to materialise.

For much of the race, Crawford was ducking and diving around trying to find a chink in the ART driver’s armour.

Just as it began to look like none would appear, and after two incidents noted by the stewards as Martins arguably forced the American off the track, Crawford was finally able to make a move stick at Turn 1.

The floodgates then opened on Martin, as Verschoor quickly followed past before newly-appointed Alpine F1 reserve Paul Aron forced a move at Turn 6 with the pair banging wheels.

Martins dropped to 10th, but it would have been worse had it not been for a late safety car intervention that took the field to the flag. This followed Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Kush Maini tangling at Turn 1 on lap 21, as the former attempted to avoid the slowing Martins.

The result means that Hadjar closes his deficit on leader Gabriel Bortoleto to 2.5 points, but this represented a missed opportunity ahead of Sunday’s feature race.

While Hadjar will only start ninth, Bortoleto will line up on the front row alongside poleman Aron, with an excellent chance of extending his margin ahead of next weekend's Abu Dhabi finale.

   
1
 - 
4
   
   
1
 - 
2
   
Cla Driver # Laps Time Interval km/h Pits Points Retirement Bonus
1 United Kingdom O. Bearman Prema Powerteam 3 23

-

           
2 United States J. Crawford DAMS Lucas Oil 7 23

+0.200

0.2

0.200          
3 Netherlands R. Verschoor MP Motorsport 11 23

+0.500

0.5

0.300          
4 France I. Hadjar Campos Racing 20 23

+0.900

0.9

0.400          
5
P. Aron Hitech Pulse-Eight
17 23

+1.000

1.0

0.100          
6
G. Bortoleto Invicta Racing
10 23

+1.200

1.2

0.200          
7 Japan R. Miyata Rodin Motorsport 6 23

+1.500

1.5

0.300          
8 Barbados Z. Maloney Rodin Motorsport 5 23

+1.700

1.7

0.200          
9
J. Duerksen PHM AIX Racing
24 23

+1.900

1.9

0.200          
10 France V. Martins ART Grand Prix 1 23

+2.800

2.8

0.900          
11
D. Beganovic DAMS Lucas Oil
8 23

+3.200

3.2

0.400          
12
L. Browning ART Grand Prix
2 23

+3.500

3.5

0.300          
13
J. Bennett Van Amersfoort Racing
14 23

+4.100

4.1

0.600          
14
M. Esterson Trident
22 23

+4.700

4.7

0.600          
15
C. Mansell Trident
23 23

+5.300

5.3

0.600          
16 Belgium A. Cordeel Hitech Pulse-Eight 16 23

+6.000

6.0

0.700          
17 Mexico R. Villagomez Van Amersfoort Racing 15 23

+6.500

6.5

0.500          
18
C. Shields PHM AIX Racing
25 23

+6.900

6.9

0.400          
dnf Italy A. Antonelli Prema Powerteam 4 20

3 laps

        Accident  
dnf India K. Maini Invicta Racing 9 20

3 laps

        Accident  
dnf
O. Goethe MP Motorsport
12 4

19 laps

        Retirement  
dns
P. Martí Campos Racing
21 23

 

           
In this article
Be the first to know and subscribe for real-time news email updates on these topics
Previous article F2 title showdown: Who is in the running for glory?
Next article F2 Qatar: Aron wins after Bortoleto penalty closes title battle

Top Comments

Recommended for you

Winners and losers of IndyCar Snap-On Milwaukee Mile 250

Winners and losers of IndyCar Snap-On Milwaukee Mile 250

IndyCar
Milwaukee
Winners and losers of IndyCar Snap-On Milwaukee Mile 250
'We don't want a chess game' - FIA responds to claims F1’s 2026 cars are too complex

'We don't want a chess game' - FIA responds to claims F1’s 2026 cars are too complex

Formula 1
'We don't want a chess game' - FIA responds to claims F1’s 2026 cars are too complex
Denny Hamlin fires back after Mamba Smith's Daytona prank in viral X social media exchange

Denny Hamlin fires back after Mamba Smith's Daytona prank in viral X social media exchange

NASCAR Cup
Daytona II
Denny Hamlin fires back after Mamba Smith's Daytona prank in viral X social media exchange
Ryan Blaney responds to Alex Bowman's promise of "seven million beers" with counter-offer

Ryan Blaney responds to Alex Bowman's promise of "seven million beers" with counter-offer

NASCAR Cup
Daytona II
Ryan Blaney responds to Alex Bowman's promise of "seven million beers" with counter-offer
Leigh Diffey confronts criticism after Daytona regular season finale

Leigh Diffey confronts criticism after Daytona regular season finale

NASCAR Cup
Daytona II
Leigh Diffey confronts criticism after Daytona regular season finale
Alexander Rossi thrilled for ECR’s Milwaukee success after “missed opportunities”

Alexander Rossi thrilled for ECR’s Milwaukee success after “missed opportunities”

IndyCar
Milwaukee
Alexander Rossi thrilled for ECR’s Milwaukee success after “missed opportunities”
Denny Hamlin says Bubba Wallace at fault for pileup crash: "Not clear"

Denny Hamlin says Bubba Wallace at fault for pileup crash: "Not clear"

NASCAR Cup
Daytona II
Denny Hamlin says Bubba Wallace at fault for pileup crash: "Not clear"
Christian Rasmussen steals maiden IndyCar win after late weather caution

Christian Rasmussen steals maiden IndyCar win after late weather caution

IndyCar
Milwaukee
Christian Rasmussen steals maiden IndyCar win after late weather caution

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Edition

Global Global
Filters