For Isack Hadjar, it was a completely different Formula 2 experience in 2024. After a challenging rookie season last year, the Frenchman has gone from strength to strength this season and has established himself as a comfortable leader in the championship.

Arriving in Monza, the Campos Racing driver has a 36-point lead in the standings over his closest rival Gabriel Bortoleto and is full of confidence after his last win at Spa-Francorchamps.

So what made the difference for the Red Bull Junior Team rider? He believes that 2023 was an important learning experience and that his performances this year are down to a revised mentality focused on consistency.

“I think I’ve kept my cool in the difficult moments this year – to bounce back, I’d say I’ve got a strong chin. I haven’t been on the podium for a year and a half and now to come back and lead F2 shows how much I’ve improved in that respect. It shows that I can come back really strong and that’s important.”

“After Jeddah I think I was 13th in the championship and things weren’t looking good. But then my championship really started in Melbourne. Since then we’ve scored the most points because we’ve been able to finish the most races.”

“I feel great. I haven’t changed my mindset about my weekend because I’m always here to win races, but it feels good and we deserve it as a team and for myself.”

The year 2024 did not start very promisingly for Hadjar. After battling for victory in Sakhir, he was the victim of a collision with Bortoleto on the first lap at Turn 1 in the main race, which took him out of the race after a corner.

Jeddah followed immediately, but his luck did not change as he ended up on the bench in both races before the end, preventing him from making it into the top 10 of the championship. However, his mentality never waned.

“It’s just up to me to deliver every weekend, and I think I’ve done that almost every weekend.”

Given Campos’ impressive start to the new era of F2 in the new car, Hadjar says it’s no surprise that he has been challenging for top honours more often than not.

“I think that was the most important thing that helped me. I was focused. In the difficult moments it was hard to analyse and not be angry. I knew I had an insane pace in both laps, but I was taken out and had a mechanical problem.

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“When everything is ready and there are no problems, you know you will be fighting at the top. And that’s exactly what happened.”

“Since then we have this really strong package, just like Hitech, we seem to have a really good car at every type of track. Then it’s just up to me to deliver every weekend and I think I’ve managed that almost every weekend.”

His impressive form also earned him a chance in F1 earlier in the season, when he lined up in the RB20 in the first free practice session of the British Grand Prix at Silverstone. He described the experience as “mind-blowing” and is looking to return there with more F2 performances before the end of the 2024 season.

“Silverstone was amazing. It was too short, but that motivates you to go back.”

“Silverstone was overwhelming. It wasn’t my first time in an F1 car but it kind of felt like it because I had only done two FP1 sessions up to that point. I hadn’t done many laps and the last time was seven months ago in Abu Dhabi so it felt like the first time.

“It was a track that was basically designed for these cars. The high speed was so surprising. I needed more laps to adjust, but I just had so much fun. It was too short, but that motivates you to get back in that car, you want to stay there.”

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Ahead of the resumption of racing, Hadjar says he expects strong competition from now until the chequered flag at Yas Marina, but he sees no reason why his success should wane. The Campos driver says he will not change his approach in the remaining rounds, even if the field continues to close in as drivers and teams gain a better understanding of the new car.

“We know that in F2 you can have a really full weekend and then the next weekend your rival is ahead. So it really is step by step.

“That’s what I’ve done so far this season, session by session. If you’re thinking about the points all the time, you won’t get them in the end. For me it’s about getting the most out of free practice and preparing for qualifying, which I’ve been good at so far this year.

“I got my first pole in F2, I feel like we are on a good run and we are aiming for a good qualifying, that is the goal. Most of the points will be scored on Sunday and so we will score a lot of points from here in the future.”

“The field is getting tighter and tighter. Since it’s a new car, everyone is starting to understand it better and you can see that the competition is getting bigger and bigger. We will have a fast package by the end of the season, that’s for sure. But I like the fact that it depends more on me.”

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Hadjar hopes his performances continue and he can add more wins to his 2024 record in his future F1 outing.

“My goal is Formula 1. If I want to secure a place, I have to perform every weekend. You have to give your best every time you are on the track. You have to be fast, you have to fight and make overtaking moves. I could count the points, take a safe approach every weekend and bring home the points, but that’s not what I’m trying to do here.”