Dennis Hauger finished with a formidable maneuver and rapped third place in the Formula 2 main race in Saudi Arabia on Saturday.
Thus, there was no repeat of Friday’s strong triumph in Jeddah. But the ending was phenomenal.
Then Hauger took his first win of the season when he was awarded the victory in the sprint race after Richard Verschoor was disqualified as a result of a fault with the gas pedal.
On Saturday, victory went to Brazilian-American Enzo Fittipaldi. He won by a clear margin.
Ekspert grows
During Saturday’s race, the safety car had to be on the track several times, including when Hauger teammate Franco Colapinto spun with twelve laps to go. The engine of Colapinto’s car stopped, and thus the race was over.
That made Viaplay commentator Atle Gulbrandsen shake his head.
– It is completely tragic that these cars cannot be started by the driver. We are in 2024, and it costs 25 million to run such a season, and then the car cannot be started. It’s ridiculous, he said.
For Dennis Hauger, the safety car episodes did not come at the most favorable times.
Hauger has struggled to hit the start in the season opener, but on Sunday the Aurskog boy got off to a good start. He defended his sixth place, but things gradually got more complicated.
Last chance
Hauger is starting his third season in Formula 2. It is no secret that it will be absolutely decisive for what opportunities open up further in his career. There will not be a fourth season at the second highest level in the Formula circus.
The Norwegian stepped up in the Formula 2 circus ahead of the 2022 season after winning Formula 3 the year before. In his debut season, the boy from Aurskog finished in 10th place as a Prema driver, before he moved to MP Motorsport ahead of last year.
The 2023 season ended with eighth place overall after highly variable results.
The next World Championship round in Formula 2 takes place in Melbourne, Australia, from March 22 to 24. A longer break then awaits before the circus moves to Italian Imola in mid-May.
(©NTB)