F2 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: Title for Théo Pourchaire, victory for Jack Doohan
In an intense battle with Frederik Vesti with 10 laps to go, Théo Pourchaire was finally able to score enough points to clinch the Formula 2 championship title. He is now the F2 champion in his third season, marking a first for a French driver since Pierre Gasly's GP2 title in 2016.
The last weekend of Formula 2 took place this weekend in Abu Dhabi, on the same circuit as the Formula 2 drivers. The stakes were high as Théo Pourchaire, the ART GP driver, had a “mere” 16-point lead over Frederik Vesti from Prema before the final race. Everything could therefore be decided this Sunday, with Pourchaire starting only 14th.
Jack Doohan brings home the victory
Jack Doohan had clinched pole position on Friday. The Australian driver, supported by the Alpine program, had secured first place ahead of Victor Martins, the second driver from the Alpine Academy. The positions remained unchanged throughout the race.
The start of the Grand Prix went well for most of the drivers except for Roy Nissany’s bad start, which allowed Théo Pourchaire to gain several positions in the first lap. The French driver had a different strategy compared to his main rival, Frederik Vesti from the Mercedes academy.
Starting on soft tires, Pourchaire is stuck in 11th place during his first stint against Bermann, Vesti’s teammate. He enters the pit early and manages to undercut the Prema driver. Thanks to a strong start to his stint and a clear track, he is able to catch up to Vesti. At the moment of Vesti’s pit stop, with 10 laps to go in the Grand Prix, Pourchaire is ahead, but with less performing tires. The two drivers are in 7th and 8th place. The battle between the two drivers will last for several laps.
Very clean, this battle will give the advantage to Vesti, but the Prema driver will not manage to climb higher in the standings than third place. Théo Pourchaire finishes in 5th place and therefore takes the title.
The title for Théo Pourchaire
Théo Pourchaire wins the Formula 2 title, his first promotion formula title after narrowly missing out on the Formula 3 title against Oscar Piastri, who is now a Formula 1 driver. The Frenchman almost didn’t race a third season in Formula 2, but in the end, it was necessary for him to accumulate enough experience and take the lead in a full F2 season.
This title of a French driver is the first in the history of the F1 promotion category since it was called F2. The last title was won in 2016 by Pierre Gasly, back then it was in GP2.
At the moment, Théo Pourchaire has confirmed that he will not be racing in F2 next season. As the champion, he has to leave F2 but will not be a Formula 1 driver as a regular driver. As a member of the Sauber academy, he is expected to move to the Japanese SuperFormula in 2024 before potentially securing a regular seat in F1 with Sauber in 2025, replacing Zhou from China.
Victor Martins on the podium and brings back the rookie title
Victor Martins, a rookie this year, made a strong impression. Teammate of Théo Pourchaire at ART GP, he helped the team win the team championship and, most importantly, claimed the first season rookie driver title. As a driver from the Alpine program, Victor Martins will be in Formula 2 next season. In the absence of Théo Pourchaire, who will not continue in F2, he could potentially compete for the championship as early as 2024.
The ranking of the Abu Dhabi F2 Grand Prix
Le classement du dernier GP de la saison de F2 pic.twitter.com/8pe6Xuyrvq
— Motors Inside F1 (@MotorsInside) November 26, 2023
