Formula 1 is notoriously a difficult sport to get into, which is especially true for young talents in recent years.
The 2024 season marks the first time in the sport’s history that the driver line-up has remained the same from when the previous season ended, with no transfers occurring or rookies joining the grid.
Even winning the championship in Formula 2 – which is seen as the final step before F1 – is not enough to merit a seat in the pinnacle of motorsport. Since the category rebranded from GP2 in 2017, only three of its seven champions have made it to F1 the year after winning the title (Charles Leclerc, George Russell and Mick Schumacher).
Nyck de Vries and Oscar Piastri did make it to F1, but not immediately after their F2 title success. The latest two champions – Felipe Drugovich and Theo Pourchaire – have only had reserve driver roles and neither have competed in a Grand Prix.
READ MORE: How Oliver Bearman and Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s F2 rivals feel amid F1 opportunities
Marc Surer says Isack Hadjar and Gabriel Bortoleto ‘belong in Formula 1’
In the 2024 F2 season, it is Isack Hadjar who currently leads the championship with four rounds to go.
The Red Bull junior driver is 36 points ahead of McLaren junior Gabriel Bortoleto as the series heads to Monza at the end of the month.
The two young talents have been exceptional across the season, with Hadjar claiming four wins – the most of any driver – and a total of seven podiums, while Bortoleto has one win and four podiums having won the Formula 3 title last season at his first attempt.
Former F1 driver Marc Surer recognises the two drivers’ skills, and speaking with Formel1.de, the 72-year-old believes that they should be on the grid.
Discussing who should be promoted from F2 to F1, Surer said: “We actually have two in Formula 2.
“I always watch the races and Isack Hadjar is rich for Formula 1. What he shows there, we didn’t see that last year. Yes, there was a bit of behaviour there.
“We really had a hard time. We were more focused on Formula 3, [we] looked at where the big talents are.
“But now we have one and I have to mention Gabriel Bortoleto, who is also one of those who stands out from the whole field.
“So, the two actually belong in Formula 1, at least as a test. It’s a shame.”
READ MORE: Why Formula 2’s Isack Hadjar should already have earned a Formula 1 promotion with Red Bull
Isack Hadjar and Gabriel Bortoleto’s prospects of racing in F1 look fairly bleak
While Hadjar and Bortoleto’s talent is clear to see, their F1 prospects look pretty dull.
For Hadjar, the Frenchman stands a better chance due to the current drama surrounding Red Bull. With Sergio Perez and Daniel Ricciardo under pressure to keep their seats, there could be an opening at the main team and their junior team RB.
However, Hadjar is quite far down the Red Bull pecking order behind Ricciardo, Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson, making it unlikely for the championship leader to break into F1 next season.
As for Bortoleto, McLaren already have their line-up confirmed for the long-term in Piastri and Lando Norris. With the Brazilian’s future in F1 looking bleak, Bortoleto has said that McLaren will look to get him into other categories if F1 is not an option.