FEATURE RACE: Hadjar wins to take Championship lead at Silverstone

Isack Hadjar converted Pole Position to Feature Race victory for Campos Racing, battling back after losing places at the start for an important win in his title hopes. Zane Maloney finished second for Rodin Motorsport while DAMS Lucas Oil’s Jak Crawford dropped to third after a time penalty relegated him from first on the road.

AS IT HAPPENED

Wheelspin for Hadjar allowed ART Grand Prix’s Victor Martins to take the lead while Oliver Bearman got a perfect launch in his PREMA Racing #3 to rise up to second from fifth on the grid. Both MP Motorsport drivers fell back however, dropping from third and fourth to eighth and ninth, Franco Colapinto leading Dennis Hauger.

Crawford profited to take those two spots for P4, as Gabriel Bortoleto took fifth around the outside of Maloney at Copse corner. That move came just before a Lap 1 Safety Car for the stranded Andrea Kimi Antonelli, stationary at Turn 3 after a spin in the opening exchanges following contact with Kush Maini.

Racing resumed on Lap 3, but the Safety Car was back out almost immediately after a spin for Joshua Duerksen coming through Woodcote.

Fighting Championship leader Paul Aron for position, the AIX Racing driver got onto the grass that left him spinning into the gravel, but he tagged the right rear of the Hitech en route. The Estonian was left with a puncture and was forced to pit at the end of the lap, while Duerksen was stuck in the gravel and out of the race. Aron was later handed a 10-second time penalty for causing the collision.

After losing the place at Copse earlier, Maloney repaid Bortoleto at the same place to take back fifth from the Invicta driver on Lap 7.

Hadjar had been close to Bearman’s rear wing, and he got the move done for second place with DRS down the Hangar Straight on Lap 8. Both pitted at the end of the lap for their switch to the Hard compound tyres and left in the same order.

Race leader Martins responded one lap later, along with Maloney, Crawford and Bortoleto. The DAMS Lucas Oil driver was fed back out into the path of the Rodin car, later resulting in a five-second time penalty for an unsafe release.

Hauger was the last driver from the top 10 to stop having started on the Softs, handing the lead over to teammate Colapinto who was under pressure from Juan Manuel Correa in second.

After the pitstops, Hadjar closed down compatriot Martins and the ART driver was under serious threat from the Campos behind him. With DRS on Lap 12, Hadjar almost pulled off a pass around the outside of Stowe but had to concede the place after running wide over track limits.

Ending Lap 18, Hadjar went side-by-side with Martins through the Vale chicane in an attempt to pass but couldn’t get the move done. The Alpine Academy Junior ran wide at the final corner to re-open the door and then went off at Turn 1 to allow Hadjar through.

The ART driver lost places to Crawford and Maloney in the process as he rejoined at Turn 3, while the American profited from their battle to take the lead of the race from Hadjar entering the Wellington Straight, just as he received his time penalty for the earlier unsafe release.

Colapinto pitted from the lead on Lap 22, was fitted with the Softs and rejoined in seventh position, just ahead of Martins but without tyres up to temperature, dropped behind the Frenchman.

Onto Lap 25 and Bortoleto was able to clear Bearman into Stowe for eighth position as the fight for the points continued.

Colapinto was back ahead of Martins and into sixth with five laps remaining, but his progress stalled out with three to go as those ahead pushed on in pursuit of Crawford. The DAMS driver’s lead was 2.5s over Hadjar, half of the gap he needed to retain the lead with his penalty applied.

Despite his best efforts, the American couldn’t pull the gap to Hadjar, who claimed his third victory in 2024 and the lead of the Drivers’ Championship with it. Maloney kept within range to move up to second as Crawford wound up third after the time penalty.

Colapinto was 10 seconds back in fourth with Martins in the top five. Bortoleto secured sixth for Invicta Racing with Bearman, Enzo Fittipaldi, Hauger and Josep María Martí rounding out the points positions in the top 10.

KEY QUOTE – Isack Hadjar, Campos Racing

“Race winner on Sunday, unfortunately not on track like we wanted. But still, it was a really fun race with lots going on and I managed to bring those points home. Already looking forward to Budapest.”

THE CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

With victory in the Feature Race, Isack Hadjar moved up into the lead of the Championship ahead of Paul Aron, 133 points to 117. Zane Maloney improved his position in third, now on 101 points with Gabriel Bortoleto fourth on 98. Franco Colapinto is P5 on 92 points.

Campos Racing lead the Teams’ Standings on 171 points ahead of MP Motorsport in second on 158. Invicta Racing are just two points back in third position, while Hitech Pulse-Eight and Rodin Motorsport round out the top five on 142 and 120 points respectively.

UP NEXT

The triple-header is over, and we have a one week break before reconvening in Budapest for Round 9 of the 2024 campaign from July 19-21.