After the final Sprint Race of the season, rookie driver Paul Aron was finally knocked out of championship contention.
Aron came into the final weekend of the season in Abu Dhabi 25.5 points behind the championship leader Gabriel Bortoleto. He qualified third behind Bortoleto and just ahead of his other title rival, Isack Hadjar.
In the Sprint Race, Aron started from seventh, behind Hadjar. He made up a place on the opening lap and got past Hadjar, though Bortoleto jumped them both and began climbing the ranks to end up second overall. Aron continued at a steady pace, taking third place from his Hitech Pulse-Eight teammate Amaury Cordeel on Lap 17 of 23.
A third place finish in what was his ninth podium of the season gave the Estonian driver six points. He finished ahead of Hadjar, who ended sixth and received just three points, but Bortoleto’s second place put Aron 27.5 points off the lead and out of mathematical contention for the title.
Aron’s thoughts on the race
Speaking yesterday to the media Aron said that his plan for the Sprint was “just to enjoy the race and try to do the best I can.” He added: “In the end I am quite far behind these two guys. Now I am the sandwich between Gabriel and Isack Hadjar. I think I am going to have a lot of fun.”
After the race, however, he admitted that it wasn’t necessarily an enjoyable experience.
When asked by FormulaNerds if he had any of the fun he had been planning for in the race, he answered:� “To be honest the truth is, if you enjoy a race or not, it’s not fully in your control. I just want to be present, if I’m driving I want to have 100% of my focus on the race, not be thinking about the future or what the outcome of the race could be and all of that.
“I achieved that today and because of that I’m very happy and I think because I was fully present and fully focused on the race I could manage my tyres, which were struggling, better than I would have if I had thought about how my tyres are dropping, my pace is dropping, Gabriel is getting away, my championship is going, none of that is going to help.
“So in that sense I’m happy with the race, but I can’t say it was an enjoyable one. I struggled quite clearly compared to these two guys and I was just hanging on. Sometimes it goes like that. But obviously the result is very enjoyable, hanging on and bringing the points for myself and the team, another podium.
“That’s sometimes how it goes, but as long as I’m able to focus fully in the race and not be bothered about the outside stuff, which in the end doesn’t matter because I know the only way I’m going to be happy is if I feel that I took the best out of myself in the race. I think that was the case in this race, so in the end I’m happy. I would say I enjoyed the result more than the race itself.”
Reflecting on the season
Aron admitted that his chances at the title were a long shot, though he was disappointed to not have a chance going into the final race of the season.
“I kind of accepted that this title was not mine to take coming into this last round,” he said after the Sprint Race. “I think it was the right mindset because I was far enough. But it would have always been nice to go into that final round still knowing that there is the slightest chance, and going to sleep with some dreams. But it is what it is, Gabriel has done a very strong season.
“I’m also very proud of my season, I think as a rookie it’s never easy in Formula 2. I think the relationship I’ve had with Hitech this year has been very beneficial for both me and them. We’ve had a strong season, I think I’m leading the podiums now, finally. I’ve got the most poles, we’ve shown good pace throughout the year, but some things didn’t turn out how we wanted during the middle of the year, which cost us a lot of points and Gabriel was very consistent also with Isack and they pulled away.
“They’ve both done a very good year but I’m also proud of my season. Of course I would have liked to fight for the title till the very end, but it is what it is and I can’t say I’m not happy with the season.”
With just 5.5 points separately Bortoleto and Hadjar, they’ll be putting everything on the line in tomorrow’s Feature Race.
Aron, with no title to lose now, joked to the media about his plan for the last race of the year, saying: “Yeah I’m just going to send it now, and crash into everyone.”
Feature Image Credit: James Sutton – Formula 1/Formula Motorsport Limited via Getty Images