Formula 2 News: Abu Dhabi Testing concludes with Hadjar on top

Day 3

Isack Hadjar was the driver on top on the final morning of 2023 running, earning the fastest time in the #21 Campos Racing car. The Frenchman’s 1:35.958 was the best time of the day, while Dennis Hauger led the afternoon for MP Motorsport on a 1:35.996 to bring the 2023 on-track action to a close.

Fastest overall on the three days – Zane Maloney recorded a 1:35.783 on Day 2.

Here is how the final day of post-season testing unfolded at Yas Marina Circuit.

MORNING

Juan Manuel Correa was the early pacesetter on the final day of testing, going into the 1:37s until Jak Crawford beat that twice over to make it a DAMS 1-2 after clocking 1:36.551.

MP Motorsport’s Franco Colapinto was next up to go quickest of all. The Argentinian went just 0.090s clear of Crawford in the opening 20 minutes.

Hadjar had gone second fastest overall with 30 minutes of running, but then went one better to lead for Campos after setting 1:36.180.

The first Red Flag of the day arrived following a stoppage on track from Rodin Carlin’s Zane Maloney. With just over two hours remaining, the session resumed.

Several drivers were able to find improvements including Hadjar himself, who lowered the time to beat with a 1:36.066. He followed that up by becoming the first driver into the 1:35s, furthering his advantage in P1 on a 1:35.958.

A second Red Flag arrived following two separate stoppages on the first DRS straight between Turns 5 and 6. Oliver Bearman and Paul Aron were recovered with over an hour and a half left of the morning session.

There were very few improvements in overall laptimes for the remainder of the session, with longer stints the focus over single lap pace.

One final Red Flag arrived with 20 minutes to go courtesy of Christian Mansell in his first outing with Trident.

Back to green for a final 10-minute dash, nobody could break into the 35s alongside Hadjar, though Rafael Villagómez remained the busiest, logging 55 laps for Van Amersfoort Racing.

AFTERNOON

The final session of post-season testing got underway but within the opening 10 minutes, the Red Flags were waiving after Oliver Bearman came to a halt at Turn 5. The session was restarted in quick order, though the track remained relatively quiet.

It was Mansell that went to the top before bettering his time with half an hour gone with a 1:37.602 to lead. That was until two quickfire improvements from Maloney, who lowered the time to beat to a 1:37.045 with 47 minutes run.

The Bajan driver was the first into the 36s in the afternoon, improving onto a 1:36.373 with just over an hour and 10 minutes left of on-track action in 2023.

Heading into the final hour of running, it was PHM Racing and Joshua Duerksen that were next best. The Paraguayan driver filtered into second position on a 1:36.872, 0.499s down on Maloney’s effort.

Maloney found yet another improvement to move onto a 1:36.002 while Dennis Hauger then went second quickest for MP Motorsport, 0.235s down on the best time of the afternoon.

The Norwegian wasn’t quite finished though as he dipped into the 1:35s to take the lead from Maloney by just 0.006s with three minutes to go. The 1:35.996 was just good enough to top the session, bringing the 2023 FIA Formula 2 season to a close.

Gabriel Bortoleto ended the afternoon with the highest lap count, reaching 80 in his #14 Invicta Virtuosi Racing car.

DAY 3, MORNING SESSION

Position	Driver	Nat	Team	Time	Laps
1	Isack Hadjar	FRA	Campos Racing	1:35.958	38
2	Victor Martins	FRA	ART Grand Prix	1:36.048	53
3	Enzo Fittipaldi	BRA	Van Amersfoort Racing	1:36.074	38
4	Jak Crawford	USA	DAMS	1:36.128	44
5	Kush Maini	IND	Invicta Virtuosi Racing	1:36.255	44
6	Gabriel Bortoleto	BRA	Invicta Virtuosi Racing	1:36.277	30
7	Zak O’Sullivan	GBR	ART Grand Prix	1:36.301	41
8	Andrea Kimi Antonelli	ITA	PREMA Racing	1:36.351	39
9	Joshua Duerksen	PRY	PHM Racing	1:36.406	38
10	Oliver Bearman	GBR	PREMA Racing	1:36.407	39
11	Franco Colapinto	ARG	MP Motorsport	1:36.423	49
12	Juan Manuel Correa	USA	DAMS	1:36.605	42
13	Dennis Hauger	NOR	MP Motorsport	1:36.697	16
14	Paul Aron	EST	Hitech Pulse-Eight	1:36.754	52
15	Rafael Villagómez	MEX	Van Amersfoort Racing	1:36.824	56
16	Josep María Martí	ESP	Campos Racing	1:36.964	39
17	Amaury Cordeel	BEL	Hitech Pulse-Eight	1:37.036	52
18	Joshua Mason	GBR	PHM Racing	1:37.086	39
19	Zane Maloney	BRB	Rodin Carlin	1:37.116	30
20	Ritomo Miyata	JPN	Rodin Carlin	1:37.133	33
21	Oliver Goethe	DEU	Trident	1:37.477	27
22	Christian Mansell	AUS	Trident	1:38.896	31

DAY 3, AFTERNOON SESSION

Position	Driver	Nat	Team	Time	Laps
1	Dennis Hauger	NOR	MP Motorsport	1:35.996	40
2	Zane Maloney	BRB	Rodin Carlin	1:36.002	37
3	Joshua Duerksen	PRY	PHM Racing	1:36.872	50
4	Ritomo Miyata	JPN	Rodin Carlin	1:37.263	30
5	Amaury Cordeel	BEL	Hitech Pulse-Eight	1:37.271	47
6	Christian Mansell	AUS	Trident	1:37.602	48
7	Paul Aron	EST	Hitech Pulse-Eight	1:37.703	47
8	Juan Manuel Correa	USA	DAMS	1:38.002	50
9	Jak Crawford	USA	DAMS	1:38.320	50
10	Gabriel Bortoleto	BRA	Invicta Virtuosi Racing	1:38.329	80
11	Oliver Bearman	GBR	PREMA Racing	1:38.415	68
12	Victor Martins	FRA	ART Grand Prix	1:38.544	72
13	Andrea Kimi Antonelli	ITA	PREMA Racing	1:38.567	65
14	Enzo Fittipaldi	BRA	Van Amersfoort Racing	1:38.596	45
15	Zak O’Sullivan	GBR	ART Grand Prix	1:38.760	68
16	Oliver Goethe	DEU	Trident	1:38.787	40
17	Isack Hadjar	FRA	Campos Racing	1:38.791	68
18	Franco Colapinto	ARG	MP Motorsport	1:38.990	65
19	Josep María Martí	ESP	Campos Racing	1:39.178	67
20	Kush Maini	IND	Invicta Virtuosi Racing	1:39.799	48
21	Rafael Villagómez	MEX	Van Amersfoort Racing	1:39.817	53
22	Joshua Mason	GBR	PHM Racing	1:40.218	39

DAY 2, MORNING SESSION

Position	Driver	Nat	Team	Time	Laps
1	Zane Maloney	BRB	Rodin Carlin	1:35.783	38
2	Victor Martins	FRA	ART Grand Prix	1:35.888	59
3	Dennis Hauger	NOR	MP Motorsport	1:35.954	48
4	Josep María Martí	ESP	Campos Racing	1:35.984	52
5	Zak O’Sullivan	GBR	ART Grand Prix	1:35.993	54
6	Andrea Kimi Antonelli	ITA	PREMA Racing	1:35.995	48
7	Franco Colapinto	ARG	MP Motorsport	1:36.013	41
8	Jak Crawford	USA	DAMS	1:36.054	41
9	Enzo Fittipaldi	BRA	Van Amersfoort Racing	1:36.067	48
10	Gabriel Bortoleto	BRA	Invicta Virtuosi Racing	1:36.072	52
11	Isack Hadjar	FRA	Campos Racing	1:36.100	42
12	Oliver Bearman	GBR	PREMA Racing	1:36.101	53
13	Joshua Duerksen	PRY	PHM Racing	1:36.318	42
14	Richard Verschoor	NED	Trident	1:36.379	33
15	Juan Manuel Correa	USA	DAMS	1:36.382	37
16	Paul Aron	EST	Hitech Pulse-Eight	1:36.599	46
17	Ritomo Miyata	JPN	Rodin Carlin	1:36.637	42
18	Amaury Cordeel	BEL	Hitech Pulse-Eight	1:36.679	44
19	Rafael Villagómez	MEX	Van Amersfoort Racing	1:36.867	44
20	Oliver Goethe	DEU	Trident	1:37.078	37
21	Kush Maini	IND	Invicta Virtuosi Racing	1:37.163	25
22	Joshua Mason	GBR	PHM Racing	1:37.261	41

DAY 2, AFTERNOON SESSION

Position	Driver	Nat	Team	Time	Laps
1	Gabriel Bortoleto	BRA	Invicta Virtuosi Racing	1:36.381	53
2	Oliver Bearman	GBR	PREMA Racing	1:36.891	39
3	Enzo Fittipaldi	BRA	Van Amersfoort Racing	1:36.919	47
4	Andrea Kimi Antonelli	ITA	PREMA Racing	1:36.923	54
5	Franco Colapinto	ARG	MP Motorsport	1:36.978	50
6	Rafael Villagómez	MEX	Van Amersfoort Racing	1:37.280	52
7	Kush Maini	IND	Invicta Virtuosi Racing	1:37.502	26
8	Oliver Goethe	DEU	Trident	1:37.683	59
9	Richard Verschoor	NED	Trident	1:37.822	43
10	Dennis Hauger	NOR	MP Motorsport	1:38.280	52
11	Juan Manuel Correa	USA	DAMS	1:38.296	55
12	Jak Crawford	USA	DAMS	1:38.693	64
13	Zane Maloney	BRB	Rodin Carlin	1:39.320	45
14	Victor Martins	FRA	ART Grand Prix	1:39.413	66
15	Isack Hadjar	FRA	Campos Racing	1:39.414	60
16	Zak O’Sullivan	GBR	ART Grand Prix	1:39.418	71
17	Amaury Cordeel	BEL	Hitech Pulse-Eight	1:39.466	74
18	Ritomo Miyata	JPN	Rodin Carlin	1:39.636	37
19	Josep María Martí	ESP	Campos Racing	1:39.730	58
20	Joshua Duerksen	PRY	PHM Racing	1:40.006	25
21	Joshua Mason	GBR	PHM Racing	1:40.100	50
22	Paul Aron	EST	Hitech Pulse-Eight	1:40.352	72

DAY 1, MORNING SESSION

Position	Driver	Licence	Team	Time	Laps
1	Victor Martins	FRA	ART Grand Prix	1:36.852	35
2	Enzo Fittipaldi	BRA	Van Amersfoort Racing	1:36.960	37
3	Jak Crawford	USA	DAMS	1:37.006	34
4	Juan Manuel Correa	USA	DAMS	1:37.091	37
5	Franco Colapinto	ARG	MP Motorsport	1:37.105	38
6	Zane Maloney	BRB	Rodin Carlin	1:37.120	30
7	Dennis Hauger	NOR	MP Motorsport	1:37.163	33
8	Isack Hadjar	FRA	Campos Racing	1:37.263	33
9	Zak O’Sullivan	GBR	ART Grand Prix	1:37.394	33
10	Oliver Bearman	GBR	PREMA Racing	1:37.522	43
11	Amaury Cordeel	BEL	Hitech Pulse-Eight	1:37.810	28
12	Gabriel Bortoleto	BRA	Invicta Virtuosi Racing	1:37.979	33
13	Josep María Martí	ESP	Campos Racing	1:38.068	35
14	Richard Verschoor	NED	Trident	1:38.094	20
15	Andrea Kimi Antonelli	ITA	PREMA Racing	1:38.124	44
16	Joshua Durksen	PRY	PHM Racing	1:38.168	33
17	Paul Aron	EST	Hitech Pulse-Eight	1:38.171	29
18	Kush Maini	IND	Invicta Virtuosi Racing	1:38.214	37
19	Rafael Villagómez	MEX	Van Amersfoort Racing	1:38.550	35
20	Joshua Mason	GBR	PHM Racing	1:38.582	39
21	Oliver Goethe	DEU	Trident	1:38.663	27
22	Ritomo Miyata	JPN	Rodin Carlin	1:39.201	33

DAY 1, AFTERNOON SESSION

Position	Driver	Nat	Team	Time	Laps
1	Oliver Bearman	GBR	PREMA Racing	1:36.092	37
2	Andrea Kimi Antonelli	ITA	PREMA Racing	1:36.257	37
3	Victor Martins	FRA	ART Grand Prix	1:36.394	43
4	Richard Verschoor	NED	Trident	1:36.425	29
5	Amaury Cordeel	BEL	Hitech Pulse-Eight	1:36.644	41
6	Dennis Hauger	NOR	MP Motorsport	1:36.690	56
7	Paul Aron	EST	Hitech Pulse-Eight	1:36.801	39
8	Zak O’Sullivan	GBR	ART Grand Prix	1:36.820	42
9	Isack Hadjar	FRA	Campos Racing	1:36.876	38
10	Enzo Fittipaldi	BRA	Van Amersfoort Racing	1:36.891	52
11	Oliver Goethe	DEU	Trident	1:36.959	47
12	Gabriel Bortoleto	BRA	Invicta Virtuosi Racing	1:37.044	46
13	Juan Manuel Correa	USA	DAMS	1:37.170	37
14	Josep María Martí	ESP	Campos Racing	1:37.463	32
15	Rafael Villagómez	MEX	Van Amersfoort Racing	1:37.511	54
16	Jak Crawford	USA	DAMS	1:37.567	39
17	Kush Maini	IND	Invicta Virtuosi Racing	1:37.644	28
18	Ritomo Miyata	JPN	Rodin Carlin	1:37.796	43
19	Joshua Mason	GBR	PHM Racing	1:38.172	42
20	Zane Maloney	BRB	Rodin Carlin	1:38.416	47
21	Joshua Durksen	PRY	PHM Racing	1:39.137	53
22	Franco Colapinto	ARG	MP Motorsport	1:39.699	61