Hadjar and the rest of the F2 field are facing a demanding period in the 2024 season, with no time for rest. The Austrian round this weekend is part of a triple-header, which will be followed by races at Silverstone on July 5-7. After a two-week break, there will be back-to-back races at the Hungaroring and Spa-Francorchamps before the summer shutdown. This intense period of five rounds in six weeks will have a significant impact on the championship battle. Hadjar, currently in second place in the Drivers’ standings, emphasized the importance of this phase of the season. He stated that it will reveal which competitors are in contention for the title. The focus now is on learning from each race and avoiding mistakes in the upcoming weekends. With no more testing available, the teams must ensure their baseline setup is excellent and make the most of their resources. Hadjar expressed his excitement about the upcoming events, as they will take place on tracks he enjoys.
Hadjar has accumulated 91 points in the first six rounds of the season, placing him just nine points behind the current leader, Paul Aron. The closest competitor to Hadjar is Zane Maloney, who held the early season points lead with 75 points. However, Hadjar believes it is premature to consider the championship as a two-horse race at this stage of the season. He mentioned that they haven’t even reached the halfway point yet and that there isn’t a significant gap between him and the other drivers.
Aron acknowledged that after this intense period of races, the title fight will become clearer. He stated that they still have a long way to go in the championship. At the moment, the gap between the top contenders is equivalent to one race win, which is already significant. Aron believes that a more accurate assessment of the championship will be possible after the triple-header and the subsequent doubleheader. By the time they reach the summer break, they will have a better understanding of each driver’s position in the standings.