Paul Aron is battling for the Formula 2 championship with two rounds to go but is 36.5 points down on series leader Gabriel Bortoleto.
The Estonian has stuttered in recent races, failing to score a podium finish since the Red Bull Ring at the end of June.
Aron endured a very difficult spell over the season, taking one top-10 finish in four rounds from Silverstone to Monza. This was damaging to his title hopes as both Bortoleto and Red Bull junior Isack Hadjar won races in that time.
The Formula 2 championship is a series decided by fine margins. Aron has scored points after setting the pace in qualifying.
His four pole positions have awarded the Hitech driver eight championship points, although he hasn’t won a race.
Aron explained when speaking on the Chasing The Dream series that he had some difficulties ahead of the season, which put pressure on him.
Paul Aron feared he would be ‘forgotten’ if he underperformed in Formula 2
The junior ladder before Formula 1 is a difficult journey as drivers must be strong financially and consistently win races over several years.
Formula 2 is a very expensive championship and the final step before F1. Drivers also race under the added pressure of a Grand Prix weekend.
A competitive season in F2 could provide the opportunity to become a Formula 1 driver, although rookies can find it tricky to get a seat.
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Aron was dropped by the Mercedes junior programme in 2023 and admitted it was difficult to find a seat in Formula 2 for this season.
He said: “Coming into this F2 season, it was actually not very easy to find a seat. This was really a year where if I did well and shined, it would put me on the map and it would put me on the map well. And if I didn’t, I would just be forgotten.”
Paul Aron needs some luck to win the Formula 2 championship
Aron has a 36.5-point deficit to overturn with two rounds remaining, and there is very little margin for error for the Hitech driver.
The next round at the Lusail International Circuit is unknown as it is new to the calendar. Overtaking may be possible into Turn 1, although Pepe Marti feels qualifying will be very important in Qatar.
Aron can’t afford many errors as Bortoleto, in particular, has been driving well in recent races and secured a move to F1 with Sauber for next year.
A lacklustre qualifying from Bortoleto or Hadjar could open the door for Aron to close the gap. Zane Maloney sits third in the standings and won’t contest the final two rounds as he moves to Formula E.