There may be eight F2 drivers all making their debut in Tønsberg at Round Two of the 2024 UIM F2 World Championship but all eyes will be firmly focused on one driver that narrowly missed the top spot of the podium there back in 2015 and then again the following year, that time by only three seconds.

On both of those occasions it was twice F2 World Champion Pierre Lundin taking the top honours, but back in 2015 it was Matthew Palfreyman who produced by far the ‘drive of the day’. The hard charging British driver had started from ninth on the grid, then clawed his way through the field up to second place, with some ‘never say die’ overtaking manoeuvres that had the Norwegian spectators screaming with excitement. As if that wasn’t enough the pair produced another enthralling battle the following year. Palfreyman was back to his best, pleasing the crowds with his bravado performance of driving that had earned him much praise the year before. He briefly lead the race from Lundin, when the Swede was caught out by the rough conditions but eventually had to settle for second.

This year he’s back but Palfreyman and the Kingfisher Fire & Security Team were not originally intending on travelling to Tønsberg. Instead they had planned to compete at the British Sprint Championship which is due to take place on the same weekend. When asked about that decision Team Manager and owner Ian Blacker said ‘We are all really proud of Matthew and what he achieved at the opening round of the World Championship. He drove and handled the boat really well.’ Blacker continued by saying, ‘Having made such a good start we’ve taken the decision to fully support him and give him the best possible chance of challenging for the world title by changing our plans and travelling to Norway.’

When asked about being given the opportunity to race once again in Tønsberg, Palfreyman said, ‘

I’m extremely pleased the team has decided to support me in this way, enabling me to compete there is much more than I expected. I really didn’t think there would be any chance due to the date clash. As the current World Championship leader it now gives me the best opportunity possible to secure as many points as I can in my battle for the 2024 title.’

So with Lundin long since retired from F2, who now could thwart Palfreyman’s chances of taking the top step of the podium. At the previous round, the Monaco based driver Giacomo Sacchi, who is amongst those heading to Tønsberg for the first time, out qualified him in the rough conditions. Perhaps it could be another debutant in the form of Sweden’s Mathilda Wiberg, who loves nothing more than throwing her Mølgaard into the corners and is probably looking forward to another ‘rough and tumble’ weekend on the water.

Then there are those you have recently become Tønsberg podium regulars like Team Abu Dhabi’s Rashed Al Qemzi. The reigning F2 World Champion finished in the top three back in 2017 and again at the last Norwegian Grand Prix held in 2019. Most people will though remember his huge start run crash with Frode Sundsdal during the 2018 race that both drivers were extremely fortunate to walk away from. The UAE racer will certainly be looking to kick-start his title defence in Tønsberg after a disappointing sixth place finish at the previous round.

Second place in this year’s championship is currently held by Edgaras Riabko. He has had mixed fortunes when he’s raced previously in what is generally regarded as the oldest city in Norway. Back in 2015 he was barely on the water when his Grand Prix finished after just three minutes. Last time out he recorded his highest placed finish of eighth place. Now with his 2024 mind set of ‘Just let me race’ the former Lithuanian Grand Prix organiser has the potential to put together a string of good results as he closes in on his first F2 world championship title.

Making her best ever start to the season was Mette Bjerknes who secured nine World Championship points, just missing a trip to the podium steps in the process. She described the opening round as a long, hard race through rough water conditions in thirty-five-degree heat. ‘I’m really proud to have finished in fourth place after starting from eleventh position on the pontoon. We still have improvements to make, but we’re definitely heading in the right direction.’ Although she now makes her home in the UK she will be guaranteed a warm welcome back to her homeland by the thousand of spectators gathered along the Tønsberg Pier.

One Norwegian name that’s missing from the entry list is that of the recently crowned Nordic F2 Champion Frode Sundsdal. Although a racer through and through he has decided to concentrate his efforts one hundred per cent on making the Tønsberg Båtrace as successful as he and his Tønsberg Motorsport Club colleagues can do.

‘The last time we held a round of the UIM F2 World Championship was back in 2019 when the former Prime Minister, Erna Solberg, took the opportunity to visit the race. There she met the President of the UIM, Raffaele Chiulli and our own Viking, Geir Magne Rørvik. This really helped solidify our reputation of putting on a superb free sports event for everyone and we believe that is one of the success factors that has made this a great public festival for Norway. I really hope that our international guests once again love the atmosphere at the Brygga and that we can create an unforgettable experience for all those who attend.’