Paul Aron’s strong performance in qualifying saw him clinch pole for the F2 Hungary GP Sprint Race in 2024, while Kush Maini inherited the sprint race win after a disqualification. Kimi Antonelli took his first feature race victory at the Hungaroring.
Practice session: Maloney sets early benchmark
Friday’s Free Practice at the 2024 Hungaroring revealed crucial clues about car setup and tyre behaviour at the F2 Hungary GP 2024. Zane Maloney topped the timesheets with a 1:32.668, setting a strong early benchmark as temperatures surged. He remained quick throughout the session, while Gabriel Bortoleto, Victor Martins, and Isack Hadjar all demonstrated competitive pace in the mid‑field.
Championship contender Hadjar clocked P8 (1:33.995), while Kush Maini and Paul Aron languished outside the top five as teams wrestled with tyre heat cycles and grip evolution. The session was interrupted by a Virtual Safety Car when Josep María Martí crashed at Turn 11, impacting final setup runs.
Sprint Race: Verschoor’s DQ hands Maini maiden win
Saturday’s 28-lap Sprint Race brought full strategic drama at the Hungaroring. Richard Verschoor initially finished ahead on hards, passing early soft tyre leader Andrea Kimi Antonelli. However, Antonelli suffered multiple lock-ups before pitting for hards, dropping to P15 on track before the penalties were issued.
Verschoor’s later disqualification for a plank thickness violation elevated Kush Maini to his first Formula 2 victory, with Victor Martins promoted to P2 and Isack Hadjar inheriting third place and the fastest lap point for a strong top‑three showing. Verschoor, stranded on hard tyres, lost all Sprint points and the win went to Maini, with Antonelli scoring no Sprint points despite running strongly early on.
Qualifying: Aron edges rivals for pole
Paul Aron secured pole with a fastest lap of 1:30.028 in qualifying, beating Enzo Fittipaldi by just 0.068 seconds and championship leader Isack Hadjar by 0.193s.
With a late red flag triggered by a spin for Pepe Martí, many drivers were unable to challenge the top times further. Gabriel Bortoleto and Victor Martins completed the top five. Reverse-grid rules meant Verschoor and Maini would begin the Sprint at the front row, a setup that ultimately shaped Saturday’s race result.
Feature Race: Antonelli capitalises on Safety Cars for breakthrough win
On Sunday, Aron’s spin early in the Feature Race allowed Martins to take the lead. Two well-timed Safety Cars enabled Antonelli to carry out his mandatory pit stop, juggled tyre strategy, and emerge ahead. Once back in cleaner air, he executed a flawless charge to take his first Feature Race victory by over 12 seconds.
Martins held second, while Aron’s early error dropped him out of contention. Richard Verschoor finished on track in third but scored no points for the weekend following his Sprint disqualification.
Championship shake-up and season momentum
The F2 Hungary GP 2024 proved crucial in shaping the championship race. Isack Hadjar retained the points lead on 140, with Aron second on 122 and Bortoleto on 110. Maini and Antonelli moved into the top 10 standings, both now within reach of the leaders. With the season entering its final phase and Spa next on the calendar, strategic thinking and consistency will be decisive.
