One of the most exciting Formula 2 championships in recent memory looks set to go down right to the wire in Abu Dhabi, as Gabriel Bortoleto and Isack Hadjar go to battle for winning honours.
At one stage in the season, it looked like Hadjar would manage a runaway victory, but his 40-point lead has been pegged back by a resurgent Bortoleto.
The Brazilian now leads the way by 3.5 points, while Zane Maloney (34.5 points behind) and Paul Aron (36.5 points behind) have outside shots at the crown too.
The upcoming Qatar stage is a crucial event for both drivers who are aware that a poor showing might completely scupper any chances of claiming the title.
Isack Hadjar or Gabriel Bortoleto – who is in better form?
Taking the last few races before the strange mid-season two-month break as an indicator, Hadjar failed to score in either Monza or Baku.
It’s where he managed to lose the entirety of his championship lead, as Bortoleto won despite starting from last place in the Monza feature race, and managed another 15.5 points on top of that.
In fact, since the feature race in Spain back in June, Bortoleto hasn’t finished lower than sixth in any main event, while Hadjar has gone scoreless on three separate occasions.
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The Frenchman simply cannot afford a third consecutive scoreless weekend, as Bortoleto – oozing with confidence after signing a Formula 1 contract with Sauber, will surely take advantage.
Neither have won a sprint race this year, an indication of their strong qualifying pace, so Sunday is what will matter most in the penultimate round.
Double-header to decide the fate of two young drivers
The aforementioned near two-month break will have provided the drivers with plenty of opportunity to prepare physically and mentally for the final two races.
They’re back-to-back, meaning that seven days will define the entire fate of the season, and determine who gets the most joy from more than a year of hard work.
But that’s not the only championship to be decided – with Campos and Hadjar gunning to close the gap to Invicta Racing in the teams’ standings too.
A gap of 35.5 points means that Hadjar will need assistance from teammate Pepe Marti, while Bortoleto won’t quite have to lean on Kush Maini so much.
It’s going to be a thrilling finale, but based on recent form, you’d have to say that Gabriel Bortoleto is riding the highs a bit better, but could Hadjar – a man fighting for a seat in Formula 1 fight back?