Rafael Camara delivered a masterclass performance today in the first race at Imola in the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine. Starting from pole, the Prema Racing driver showcased an unbeatable pace, claiming his eighth victory in the series organized by ACI Sport and Alpine Racing. This win allows him to equal the record set by Grégoire Saucy and Paul Aron. The Ferrari Driver Academy talent, who was also handed a five-second penalty for a jump start, executed a flawless race, setting multiple fastest laps and creating the necessary gap from his pursuers to take the top spot on the podium.
Behind the Brazilian, Tuukka Taponen (R-ace GP) secured second place, skillfully snatching the position from Alessandro Giusti (ART Grand Prix) in the opening stages. Giusti, who slipped to fifth, held onto the position until the checkered flag. James Wharton moved past the French driver into third place, staying close to Taponen, but the Finnish driver managed to maintain his position. The Red Bull Junior Team driver, Enzo Deligny (R-ace GP), also impressed with one of his best performances of the season, claiming the rookie win and finishing fourth overall. Brando Badoer (Van Amersfoort Racing) finished sixth behind Giusti, scoring valuable points for his championship campaign. Following the Italian driver in seventh and eighth were two Sainteloc Racing drivers, Théophile Naël and Matteo De Palo. Special mention goes to Roman Bilinski, who staged an impressive recovery drive, climbing from 16th to ninth, demonstrating the Trident driver’s determination and skill. Rounding out the top 10 was Pedro Clerot in another Van Amersfoort Racing car.
A safety car was deployed following a collision between Ivan Domingues (Van Amersfoort Racing) and Nikita Bedrin (MP Motorsport), with both cars stranded in the gravel at the Villeneuve chicane.
Rafael Camara – Prema Racing
“After being informed of the penalty, I pushed to the maximum. It wasn’t easy to maintain focus with so many laps still remaining, but we made it. The car was perfect, and I have to thank the mechanics, engineers, and the entire Prema team for the great job they did. Now, we’re focused on tomorrow’s qualifying with the goal of fighting for victory again.”
Tuukka Taponen – R-ace GP
“I had a good start, which allowed me to gain a position. After that, I tried to stay in Camara’s slipstream, but it wasn’t easy with tire management to consider. In any case, we secured important points with this second-place finish.”
James Wharton – Prema Racing
“I started fourth and finished third thanks to a strong start. It was a tough race, but we had good pace, which we aim to replicate in tomorrow’s qualifying.”
Enzo Deligny – R-ace GP
“I’m very happy with this fourth-place finish and the rookie win, which was the best I could achieve today given my pace. I’m also proud of holding off a strong group of determined opponents.”
The international series will return to the track tomorrow morning at 8:30 for the second qualifying session, which will be streamed live on the championship’s official YouTube channel.
