Bortoleto becomes F2 champion as Duerksen wins final race

Photo: Dutch Photo Agency

Gabriel Bortoleto became Formula 2 champion as Joshua Duerksen claimed victory in the final race of 2024 in Abu Dhabi.

Bortoleto’s title attack was helped by Isack Hadjar stalling on the grid. The Red Bull junior continued in the race, but with no safety cars he was unable to unlap himself and battle for the championship until the end.

Invicta Racing was also crowned teams’ champion ahead of Campos Racing, while MP Motorsport beat Hitech GP to third in the standings.

AIX Racing’s Paraguayan Duerksen enjoyed a strong opening lap and eventually took the net lead of the race after the pitstops.

Polesitter ART Grand Prix’s Victor Martins endured a slow start, which enabled Bortoleto to take first place. Meanwhile, Invicta’s Kush Maini and Campos Racing’s Pepe Marti enjoyed a blistering start from the third row of the grid. They went side by side from the first corner until turn five, as they moved up to second and third place respectively.

Conversely, Hadjar couldn’t get off the grid. His Campos car was then pushed back to the pitlane and the Frenchman rejoined the race two laps down, with his title hopes fading away. However, Hadjar wasn’t surrendering and deployed strong pace to recover one of the two laps lost by overtaking title rival Bortoleto.

The drivers starting on the supersoft tyre started coming into the pitlane at the end of lap six to complete their mandatory stops. Maini, Duerksen and Martins were the first frontrunners to box. Bortoleto pitted one lap later, and with cold tyres and reporting brake issues he dropped behind Duerksen and Martins.

On lap 18 of 33, MP Motorsport’s Richard Verschoor drove past Marti to take the race lead, as both drivers ran the alternate strategy. The Dutchman soon broke away, opening an eight-second gap in the next eight laps.

Verschoor pitted on lap 27 and rejoined in sixth place right ahead of DAMS’ Dino Beganovic, but moving forward.

Duerksen led the way after pitlane starter Hitech’s Paul Aron boxed with five laps to go. Behind him, Bortoleto overtook Martins, but he didn’t have enough speed to fight for the victory.

Martins, whose pace had dropped considerably, ran wide in the last corner as the race entered its last lap and Verschoor wouldn’t miss his chance to pressure him and overtake out of the first corner to make the podium.

After sitting out the sprint race, Prema’s Andrea Kimi Antonelli couldn’t take part in the feature race either due to illness.

Race results (33 laps)