Dennis Hauger has made a strong start to his third year of Formula 2, sitting fourth in the drivers’ standings as the season rolls into Barcelona. On the eve of the Spanish round, Hauger spoke to Feeder Series and other selected media at a press conference.

By Martin Lloyd

The Norwegian driver is aiming for a sustained championship challenge in 2024, having failed to achieve consistent podiums in his first two years of F2 competition. Heading into the Barcelona weekend, Hauger sits fourth in the drivers’ standings, but feels that he could be in a better spot.

“Looking at the pace I’ve had, it’s been good and it’s been strong. In terms of the championship, we definitely could have been in a better position, but we’re still in a decent position to do something good.”

Indeed, were it not for incidents in consecutive races, the gap to championship leader Paul Aron could be less than 24 points. In the feature race at Melbourne, Hauger crashed out of the lead on Lap 6. In the following event at Imola, he was an innocent victim in the multi-car collision before Turn 1 that also eliminated three other drivers.

Outside of these results and the feature race at Imola, Hauger has finished in the points positions of every race, and the MP driver is pleased with the speed that he has shown. He has also – outside of Imola – qualified in the top ten at every round. A higher level of performance is possible, and Hauger feels that this level is not out of reach.  

“The pace is really strong, and it’s just about keeping the momentum and consistency, especially going into a crucial part of the season where there’s going to be a lot of races. It’s important to keep that stability and I think that’s going to be a key part.”

Once Hauger finds consistency, he can be unstoppable. A run of six podiums in seven races during his title-winning FIA F3 season provided the foundation for his championship victory, and a similar run would give huge impetus to an F2 title bid. This is especially true as the championship battle is largely open as the season intensifies: the top four drivers are separated by just 24 points.

“I’m really keen on getting the championship this year, obviously that’s the goal, and I think we’re in a good position to fight for it.”

Currently, the 21-year-old sits behind Zane Maloney, Isack Hadjar and Aron in the standings, and Hauger is looking to the Estonian championship leader for an example of the results that he aims for.

“Paul is the top of the championship, he’s been consistent. The team has done a good job, overall we have some small things to work on to maximise the weekend. I want to work on that [maximisation] to make that happen this weekend and onwards, and I think we can do some good things.” 

Header photo credit: Dutch Photo Agency