In another action-packed contest that highlighted the close nature of FIA FREC, the value of the push-to-pass Race Mode system and the design of the second-generation Formula Regional Tatuus T 326 – developed by the Italian constructor in partnership with the FIA to encourage closer racing – UAE’s Al Dhaheri produced a fine drive to triumph for R-ace GP.
The Mercedes-AMG F1 Junior Programme member beat American Wheldon (MP Motorsport) for his second win of the FIA FREC season with Prema Racing’s Colombian driver Salim Hanna taking third for the second race in a row.
Hitting back from the disappointment of his first non-score of the year in Race 1 this morning, Al Dhaheri made the decisive move for the lead just prior to the third intervention by the Toyota GR Yaris Safety Car, which circulated until the chequered flag was waved to ensure victory for Al Dhaheri.
“Before was far from ideal, even this one we had a really good start, we were up there but then I got a bit in the gravel and we lost a couple of positions,” 18-year-old Al Dhaheri said. “The races at Monza are so unpredictable and actually anything can happen. I was a bit lucky with the safety car at the end because you don’t want to be leading at the restart, we were able to survive and it was quite a fun race.
“You have to be really careful, not being carried away by all the action happening around, keep a cool mind. It’s easier said than done and all of us have the same challenge and also the race has to come to us.
“The tow was crazy and we had a really good pace, we were also a bit lucky that the drivers behind got a bit far away, getting that right moment to overtake really came out perfectly.”
Van Amersfoort Racing’s Andrea Dupé led away from pole position on the reverse grid only for contact with fellow front-row starter Alexander Abkhazava (MP Motorsport) at the Variante del Rettifilo on lap one to delay both drivers and allow Maksimilian Popov to move in front.
But the Trident Motorsport driver’s advantage would last until the same corner of next lap when contact from behind by Alex Ninovic left the pair pointing backwards, Rodin Motorsport’s Ninovic handed a 10-second penalty for his part in the incident.
Dupé reclaimed the lead as a result with Reza Seewooruthun and Abkhazava disputing the runner-up spot for a time before Hanna and Wheldon made their moves to hold second and third respectively.
The safety car was deployed for the first time to allow volunteer marshals to recover Abkhazava’s stricken car. Although Dupé maintained his lead at the restart, Hanna was ahead by Variante della Roggia with Wheldon demoting the Frenchman to third at the first Lesmo corner and Al Dhaheri closing fast prior to the second safety car intervention, after Andrija Kostić and Alexandre Munoz collided at the Ascari Chicane.
Racing resumed with just under six minutes remaining, but Hanna’s hopes suffered a setback when he locked up his brakes at the entry to the Variante del Rettifilo and cut part of the exit, ceding the position to Wheldon, who then crossed over part of the kerbs at the Variante della Roggia.
Al Dhaheri and Dupé demoted Hanna in quick succession with Wheldon in the lead before Al Dhaheri snatched first place braking for the Variante del Rettifilo with a multi-car collision behind triggering a third safety car period, effectively handing Al Dhaheri victory.
Dupé scored his first FIA FREC points in fourth with CL Motorsport’s Reno Francot fifth, Yuki Sano sixth for R-ace GP and Chi Zhenui (MP Motorsport) seventh.
Race 1 winner Nakamura-Berta started 12th, dropped down to 19th after he was forced wide exiting the Ascari Chicane on lap one but fought back to finish eighth for vital championship points. Francesco Macedo (Van Amersfoort Racing) and the delayed Seewooruthun rounded out the top 10. Marcus Sæter was the top Rookie after Emanuele Olivieri was eliminated late on.
Qualifying 2 and Race 3 to follow on Sunday
Qualifying 2 and Race 3 are due to take place at 08:30 and 13:00 respectively on Sunday. All races are set to run for 30 minutes plus one lap and will be streamed live on YouTube as well as being broadcast by 70 networks across 200 territories worldwide.
FIA FREC explained
Taking over from the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine (FRECA) for 2026, FIA FREC enjoys the full support of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile, the global governing body for motor sport and the federation for mobility organisations worldwide.
Positioned one step above Formula 4 in the FIA Single-Seater Pyramid, FIA FREC, which is organised by FIA Member Club Automobile Club d’Italia (ACI), caters exclusively for the second-generation Formula Regional Tatuus T 326. All-new for 2026, the Pirelli-equipped car has been developed by the Italian constructor in partnership with the FIA and follows the aerodynamic philosophy deployed in Formula 1 to encourage closer racing. Its design also represents another step in terms of performance and safety.
The second-generation Formula Regional Tatuus T 326 features the new Race Mode push to pass system, which allows drivers to trigger full engine performance for a period of time when activated by a button pressed from inside the cockpit. The amount of time depends on how many times the button is pressed but each driver has a total of 100 seconds available per race. Race Mode’s introduction for the 2026 FIA FREC season is the result of extensive research and development managed by the FIA.
Click HERE for results. *Race 2 results remain provisional.
Comments
