While Isack Hadjar is fighting at the front in the 2024 Formula 2 championship, his teammate has not reached the same heights.
Pepe Marti is in his rookie season in the category after being promoted from Formula 3 last year. The Spaniard finished that season in fifth with three wins.
Marti, like his teammate Hadjar, is part of the Red Bull junior team and naturally with this backing, he has his sights set on reaching the pinnacle of motorsport.
However, the 19-year-old has not been able to adapt to Formula 2 from F3 as he has endured a difficult first season in the championship.
Pepe Marti will have to ‘give 100%’ in 2025 to keep his F1 aspirations alive
Marti enjoyed a brilliant start to the season, finishing on the podium in both races at the season opener in Bahrain. Since then, he has only claimed one more podium, that coming in the Sprint Race in Spielberg.
In fact, the Spaniard has only scored points five more times since Bahrain. Inconsistencies and accidents have not helped Marti’s campaign, with eight retirements across the year so far.
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Sitting 16th in the standings, Marti will be under pressure from Red Bull to deliver results and keep his F1 hopes alive, especially given that fellow Red Bull junior Arvid Lindblad will be joining Campos in 2025. The 17-year-old talent won four races in his debut season in F3 this year.
Speaking with Spanish publication SoyMotor.com, Marti admitted that 2025 is his last chance to reach F1 as he assesses his options for next year.
“Of course, there are other competitions that are always there, “ he said. “I have many friends who are now also racing in endurance racing, for example, or in IndyCar, and the truth is that they are also very attractive championships for a driver.
“But F1 is the best there is in the world, so for me it is what I am working on, it is what I am looking for. A lot of weight falls on 2025.
“In the end, it will probably be my last opportunity to enter F1, so I have to give 100% from now on to prepare for 2025 and give my best in any world.”
Pepe Marti is yet to be confirmed for a seat in 2025
With two rounds left in 2024, Marti will be certainly hoping for a better season next year in F2, if he is to remain in the category at all.
The Spaniard’s seat has not been confirmed for 2025, but with Hadjar most likely moving up from F2 and with Campos’ record of using Red Bull-backed drivers, teaming up with Lindblad next year seems quite plausible for Marti.
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But the 19-year-old will have to stay out of trouble next year. Of his eight retirements in 2024 so far, one of them was a mechanical issue, while four were crashes on the opening lap.
Adrian Campos Jr claims Marti could have avoided some of his accidents and there will be pressure to rectify these issues and grab consistent podiums. The Spaniard can get results, but they will have to be more regular in 2025.