After a disappointing 2023 F2 season with Van Amersfoort Racing, Juan Manuel Correa switched to DAMS Lucas Oil for 2024, partnering with his American countryman Jak Crawford. Unfortunately, Correa, whose single-seater career remains marred by the tragic 2019 accident at Spa-Francorchamps which claimed the life of Antoine Hubert and saw Correa himself sustain near-fatal injuries, would not enjoy much better luck in 2024. Despite claiming his first podium since that tragic 2019 season, he ultimately ended the season 18th in the standings with a measly 31 points. As Correa left F2 with two rounds left and has yet to sign with another team, this may prove a disappointing end to what could have been a promising career in formula racing.
Correa suffers a difficult start to the 2024 F2 season
Unlike 2023 where he scored his first points during the opening race of the season, Correa had to wait until Imola before he could get his championship fight underway. Correa’s 2024 season got off to a difficult start when he qualified P13, three places behind his teammate Crawford. Unfortunately, though Crawford would earn a podium finish the next day, Correa would not enjoy the same luck. He gained only a single place during the sprint race. He was the 12th across the line, almost 27 seconds behind race winner Zane Maloney. His luck would worsen the next day when he was forced to retire from the feature race on Lap 6 after an issue with his transmission.
Correa’s luck would not improve in Jeddah. After a difficult qualifying, which saw him finish P17, he was handed a three-place grid penalty for impeding PHM AIX Racing’s Taylor Barnard. This saw him start the race from the second-to-last row of the grid. However, Correa would not have the chance to fight his way into the points. He retired on Lap 15 after sustaining damage from a collision earlier in the race. Though he would go on to finish the feature race P14, this was only after the retirements of 6 competitors.
The American again missed out on points in Australia. Though he managed a strong performance during the sprint, he finished 11th despite a P20 start, he was unable to replicate this in the feature race and finished P14, 41.772 seconds behind race winner Isack Hadjar.
Correa earns first points in Imola
In Imola, however, Correa’s luck would change for the better, though this change was not immediately obvious. The then-24-year-old suffered a disappointing qualifying session. He ultimately ended the session P20, less than 0.1 seconds ahead of his teammate. He ultimately finished the sprint P15, behind his teammate, but ahead of Campos Racing’s Pepe Martí. His gain of positions, however, was helped by the first lap collisions of Staněk, Hadjar, Dürksen, Fittipaldi, and Hauger, and by Taylor Barnard’s eventual disqualification.
However, this disappointment was not a premonition of what would come in the feature race. Despite starting P20, Correa put in an excellent performance to make his way up the grid. He finished P8, earning himself his first four points of the season.
He would score points in Monaco after a brilliant P5 finish in the feature race.
Correa enjoys peak performance in Barcelona
The peak of Correa’s 2024 F2 season came in Barcelona. The American-Ecuadorian driver’s weekend got off to a positive start when he finished P8 in qualifying. However, he suffered disappointment in the sprint when, after crossing the finish line third, he was demoted to eighth after being handed a five-second time penalty for several track-limit violations. This would have been Correa’s first F2 podium since his 2019 accident.
Fortunately, the DAMS Lucas Oil driver did not have to wait to reclaim a spot on the podium. As if possessed, he managed a nearly flawless feature race the next day to finish third. This time, he kept his podium finish.
Correa’s 2024 season takes a downward turn after Barcelona
Unfortunately, Barcelona would be the last time that Correa would make it onto the podium. Following his successful weekend in Spain, his performance took a downward turn. He failed to score points in Austria and at Silverstone. His P8 finish in Hungary would bring his last points of the season, and though he only just barely missed out on points in the feature race at Spa, his luck did not improve. He would end his time in F2 with a disappointing Lap 5 retirement after experiencing engine problems in Baku.
With just two rounds remaining, Correa was replaced by fellow Prema Racing graduate Dino Beganovic.
