After eight events and 19 races, Italian Olivieri, driving for the French R-ace GP squad, beat American Sebastian Wheldon, who won the deciding contest in Germany by finishing ahead of Olivieri for his fourth victory of the season, more than any of his rivals managed.
Briton Kean Nakamura-Berta was running second in Race 2 for Prema Racing only to be caught up, through no fault of his own, in a collision with RPM’s Race 1 winner Jan Przyrowski and dropped to seventh. Having closed to within seven points of Olivieri by finishing runner-up to Poland’s Przyrowski in yesterday’s opening counter, Nakamura-Berta dropped to third in the final standings.
Wheldon’s MP Motorsport team-mate Alexander Abkhazava completed the Race 2 podium in third. However, R-ace GP’s Rashid Al Dhaheri, who started the season finale fourth in the standings and still with an outside chance of the title, finished outside the points in 11th.
Formula 4 graduate Olivieri had secured the Rookie title at the previous event in Imola, while Thibaut de Mérindol’s R-ace GP but the Teams’ title beyond reach following Race 1.
“It still feels strange to say that I’m champion,” said Olivieri, who started the final race of the season in fourth position. “I’m honestly a bit speechless. The start of the season was very difficult, but R-ace GP believed in me and supported me throughout. I owe the team so much, and I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved together. The race today was tense, with four of us still in contention for the title. I knew I had the pace, so I focused on staying calm. I made a good start, then took advantage of the incident ahead to move into second. From there, I managed the race. I felt I might have had the pace to catch Sebastian, but there was no need to take that risk. Once again, the team gave me a brilliant car.“
Wheldon, who also stepped up to Formula Regional from Formula 4, started Race 2 on pole position alongside Nakamura Berta. He said: “It’s a great way to end the season. We had some very good weekends and some difficult ones, so I’m happy to finish with a win. Of course, I’m disappointed to miss out on the championship. I made mistakes in the middle of the season, and I know things could have turned out differently. Overall, though, it’s been a valuable learning experience. I feel I improved as the season went on, and that’s what you always want as a driver. I’m pleased with what we achieved this year, and I’m already looking ahead to next season.”
Relive the FIA FREC season decider on YouTube. Click HERE for the provisional results and click HERE for the provisional standings.
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.
*Subject to confirmation of the results by the FIA
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