The Yas Marina Circuit set the stage for an electrifying conclusion to the 2024 Formula 2 season, with the championship title battle going down to the wire. Gabriel Bortoleto of Invicta Racing seized the crown while for Ollie, it was a weekend of strategy and relentless pace as he finished strong, delivering points in both the Sprint and Feature races.
Qualifying
The session started with promise for Ollie as he stormed into the top five early on, evening sitting third fastest just eight minutes in. Despite putting in solid lap times, the competition was fierce, and others found crucial tenths, pushing Ollie down to P11 by the middle of the session.
A red flag in the closing minutes interrupted his rhythm, leaving him just 3 minutes to secure a faster time. Ultimately, Ollie qualified P15.
Sprint Race
Starting P14 after his Prema Racing teammate Kimi Antonelli pulled out of the race weekend due to sickness, Ollie wasted no time in making moves. By the end of the opening lap, he’d jumped into P10 in a chaotic start to the race that saw rapid shifts across the field.
With the car now finding its rhythm, Ollie methodically worked his way up to P7, then P6 before snatching P5 on Lap 18, applying pressure on the pack ahead. A dramatic moment then unfolded when two drivers collided in a spin, opening the door for Ollie to capitalise on P4 which was where he crossed the line.
Ollie received a five-second penalty for exceeding track limits too many times on Lap 19 which was applied after he finished the race, meaning he finished the race in P5. However, Paul Aron was disqualified after the FIA found that the Hitech Pulse-Eight team had modified Aron's car in breach of technical regulations. His disqualification moved Ollie back up to P4.
Feature Race
Starting the final race of the season, and of his career in Formula 2, Ollie was determined to finish on a high note. By Lap 6, he was already up to P11, chasing the pack with unrelenting focus.
Opting for an early pit stop and therefore back in P13, Ollie had it all to do, steadily climbing back through the field to P11 by Lap 23. As others completed their stops, Ollie’s strategy began to pay off as his tyres were now to temperature and Ollie found pace in the Prema car for the final time. Climbing to P5, Ollie crossed the line less than 3 seconds shy of P4, delivering yet another strong finish to cap off a challenging Formula 2 season.
Looking Ahead
With the Formula 2 season now complete, Ollie’s focus turns to Formula 1, where he’ll step up to the pinnacle of motorsport with MoneyGram Haas F1 Team in 2025.
Next season promises to be a historic one as Formula 1 celebrates its 75th anniversary. From the live season launch event in London in February to the first Grand Prix in Melbourne, Australia, 14-16 March, anticipation is already building for a year of incredible milestones. The countdown is on!
