A dry track, for the first time this weekend, welcomed the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine drivers on Saturday morning at the Red Bull Ring, as they entered the eighth of ten double-header events in the 2024 calendar.
Once again, it was James Wharton (Prema Racing) who was ready for the challenge, setting the fastest time of 1’27″008 to claim his third pole position of the season. This is a great result for the Australian driver, who finished third in both races at Imola last weekend. Wharton has regained a strong connection with his #13 car, which also saw him claim a fine victory at Mugello earlier this year.
According to the championship format, Group A took to the track first this morning, featuring 15 cars, including pole-sitter Wharton, who had to fend off a very determined Brando Badoer. The Van Amersfoort Racing driver finished just 63 thousandths behind Wharton, securing a spot on the second row. Roman Bilinski (Trident) also had a strong showing, briefly taking the lead before finishing third, ahead of series leader Rafael Camara (Prema Racing), who will start from the fourth row in this afternoon’s race, alongside Nandhavud Bhirombhakdi (KIC Motorsport).
In the second group, Alessandro Giusti (ART Grand Prix) emerged on top, fresh off his victory in the second race at Imola. Giusti, who claimed both a pole and a win in Austria last year, will line up on the front row alongside Wharton. He managed to hold off rookie Pedro Clerot (Van Amersfoort Racing), who finished just 70 thousandths behind him. Also putting in strong performances were Théophile Naël (Sainteloc Racing) and Ugo Ugochukwu (Prema Racing), who finished third and fourth, respectively, at the close of the session.
The first race of the weekend is scheduled for 13:15 this afternoon, and it will be streamed live on the series’ official YouTube channel.
James Wharton – Prema Racing
“I was surprised when I didn’t see rain this morning. Having never driven on a dry track, we had to quickly adjust to new conditions, but we still managed to put together a really good lap. I encountered a bit of traffic in the second part of the session, but I’m happy to have secured my third pole position.
Alessandro Giusti – ART Grand Prix
“It’s great to be back here at the Red Bull Ring. The conditions so far haven’t been easy, with the first part of the weekend being wet, and today, for the first time, the track was dry, forcing us to find the right balance with new setups. In any case, I managed it quite well. Starting from second in the race is a good result, I think.”
