It has been a weekend full of excitement for the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine at the Hungaroring, where this morning’s second qualifying session saw Enzo Deligny secure his maiden pole position in the series. The R-ace GP driver clocked the fastest lap of the entire weekend, stopping the clocks with a remarkable 1:37.296.
The first group to head out on track was Group B, greeted by a dry circuit, some clouds, and an ideal ambient temperature of 24°C. Setting the early pace was Matteo De Palo (Trident), yesterday’s Race 1 winner and polesitter. As the session progressed, however, the Italian driver was edged out by Rashid Al Dhaheri, who, at the wheel of a Prema Racing car, set the benchmark time of 1:37.781, outpacing De Palo by 58 thousandths. Another strong performance came from Kanato Le (ART Grand Prix), who secured the third row thanks to the third-fastest time in the group. Dion Gowda (Van Amersfoort Racing) posted the fourth-quickest lap but was handed a two-place grid penalty after the session for failing to leave the racing line clear for a rival on a flying lap. Completing the top five in Group B was Evan Giltaire (ART Grand Prix).
Group A, in which Deligny ultimately prevailed to seal pole position, also featured standout performances from title contender Freddie Slater. The Prema Racing driver finished second, just over one-tenth behind the Frenchman, while Akshay Bohra claimed third in the final moments at the wheel of another R-ace GP car. Michael Belov delivered a strong showing as well, using his extensive experience in the series to put the new CL Motorsport entry on the fourth row, ahead of a determined Pedro Clerot (Van Amersfoort Racing) in fifth.
The final race of the weekend is scheduled for this afternoon at 15:40 local time, again run over 30 minutes plus one lap. As per championship tradition, the race will be broadcast live on the official YouTube channel and on TV networks covering the series, including ACI Sport TV (Sky Channel 228).
Enzo Deligny (R-ace GP)
“Obviously very happy with pole position here, as it’s really hard to overtake on this track. Qualifying is half the job done, so now I just need a good start. We made a strong step on the setup compared to yesterday, where we were struggling a bit. Big thanks to the team for the great work. Regarding the weather, I like driving in the rain, but when you’re on pole, you’d rather things stay calm, as you’re already in the best position. It’s been really warm so far, so I don’t expect rain. Every year FRECA is super competitive—there’s never a season without a strong grid. This year, a lot of drivers are capable of winning, and everyone is really close. It comes down to working well with the team and minimising mistakes.”
Rashid Al Dhaheri (Prema Racing)
“It was amazing. As a team, we developed a lot over the weekend and kept improving. I worked hard on my driving to find what suited this track and our car best. Yesterday we were already competitive, but today in qualifying we made another step, especially in the cooler conditions. We kept the last purple sector for the end, just to make it more exciting! Starting on the front row here is so important. Being in clean air helps manage tyres and keep a consistent balance, especially on such a technical circuit. We’ll focus on a good launch and try to stay ahead. Summing up the season so far, I’d say it’s been all about development. Of course, the goal is to fight for poles, wins and the championship, but the focus is always on improving as a driver.”
