Hitech GP’s Paul Aron showcased his dominance by clinching his third pole position of the 2024 Formula 2 season during a thrilling qualifying session at Spa-Francorchamps. The session saw intense competition among title rivals and a dramatic red flag period.

Early Action

As soon as the 30-minute session began, half of the field headed out onto the track. The first timed laps were set five minutes in, with AIX Racing’s Taylor Barnard leading initially with a 2m25.633s. He was followed closely by his teammate Joshua Duerksen, Trident’s Roman Stanek, Richard Verschoor, and Prema’s Andrea Kimi Antonelli.

Paul Aron swiftly moved to the top of the timesheets, only 20 seconds later. The session was briefly interrupted by yellow flags when ART Grand Prix’s Victor Martins experienced technical issues, eventually stopping on track and causing a red flag. Martins’ car showed no external damage, indicating a potential mechanical failure, which ultimately consigned him to start last on the grid for both races, pending any penalties.

Mid-Session Developments

After a six-minute pause, qualifying resumed with 13 drivers having already set times. Duerksen initially set the pace with a 1m59.072s, but was quickly surpassed by Campos Racing’s Pepe Marti, and then by Prema’s Ollie Bearman. Aron soon established a new benchmark with a 1m57.905s.

Van Amersfoort Racing’s Enzo Fittipaldi briefly slotted into third but was soon shuffled down as Isack Hadjar from Campos Racing set a 1m57.803s to take the lead. Antonelli improved to third, while Rodin Motorsport’s Zane Maloney and DAMS’ Jak Crawford followed in fourth and fifth respectively.

Virtuosi Racing’s Gabriel Bortoleto then set a 1m57.927s to claim third place. As the session progressed, many drivers returned to the pits to prepare for their final runs.

Final Push

MP Motorsport’s Dennis Hauger and Franco Colapinto were the first to start their second runs, both improving their times. Virtuosi’s Kush Maini joined them, setting a personal best to go fifth, with Colapinto in sixth and Hauger in eighth. With 10 minutes remaining, most of the field headed back out for their final attempts.

In the final three minutes, the track saw a flurry of activity. Aron set an unbeatable 1m56.959s, securing pole position. Bortoleto followed closely with a 1m57.127s to take second place, pushing Hadjar down to third. Crawford pipped Antonelli for fourth, while Maloney secured sixth ahead of Colapinto, Verschoor, Hauger, and Hitech’s Amaury Cordeel.

As the session wound down, drivers slowed to avoid giving rivals a slipstream, resulting in some being classified as stopped on track on their GPS traces. Aron crossed the finish line first and did not improve, but neither did his rivals, solidifying his pole position. Colapinto set a personal best but remained in seventh, ART GP’s Zak O’Sullivan improved to 10th, and Fittipaldi climbed to 12th.

Stay tuned to InsideF2 for more updates and detailed coverage from the Spa-Francorchamps weekend.

Credit: FML