The Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine returned to the track this morning for the second qualifying session at Paul Ricard, the fifth round of the season. With conditions remaining dry and stable, the fight for pole was once again intense, as the two title contenders Freddie Slater and Matteo De Palo were placed in different groups.
Group B was the first to go out on track, and it was Freddie Slater (Prema Racing) who immediately made his intentions clear. The British driver clocked a best time of 1:57.440, claiming the top spot in his group. Right behind him came Pedro Clerot (Van Amersfoort Racing), just 0.173s adrift, followed by Akshay Bohra (R-ace GP), who secured third in the group. Kanato Le (ART Grand Prix) and Hiyu Yamakoshi (Van Amersfoort Racing) completed the top five, with Nikita Bedrin (Saintéloc Racing) and Nandhavud Bhirombhakdi (Trident) close behind. Slater’s time ultimately proved to be the fastest overall, securing him his second consecutive pole position in France and his fourth of the season — further proof of a near-perfect weekend for the British driver, who now lines up for Race 2 with a slender three-point advantage over De Palo in the championship standings.
In Group A, it was Rashid Al Dhaheri (Prema Racing) who led the way with a fastest lap of 1:57.494, narrowly ahead of Matteo De Palo (Trident) by only 0.018s. Third in the group was Enzo Deligny (R-ace GP), followed by Evan Giltaire (ART Grand Prix) and Jin Nakamura (R-ace GP). Notably, rookie Ean Eyckmans (RPM) placed eighth in the group after another consistent run.
The weekend will conclude this afternoon with Race 2, scheduled to start at 12:30 local time. As always, the action will be streamed live on the official Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine YouTube channel and broadcast on selected TV networks, including ACI Sport TV (Sky Channel 228).
Freddie Slater (Prema Racing)
“It feels great to take a double pole this weekend. Going out first this morning meant the track wasn’t in perfect condition, but we made a solid overnight step with the car and it really paid off. The team did an excellent job and I managed to put everything together. This circuit seems to suit us well, so it’s all about capitalizing when we have the package. Yesterday’s win with the fastest lap, and now today’s pole – it’s been a strong weekend so far. I’m enjoying every lap around here, even with just two real push laps. If rain comes, we’ll adapt. The wet tyres can be tricky, especially in hot conditions, but we’ll manage whatever comes.”
Rashid Al Dhaheri (Prema Racing)
“Definitely a strong comeback after a tough Saturday. We had a few issues yesterday, but today we were able to reset and focus. The good thing about this championship is that you always get a new chance the next day. Mentally, it wasn’t easy missing the race, but I tried to concentrate on what I could control. We analyzed what to improve, and I’m glad it came together this morning. The session was very close at the end, but I’m confident we have a good base for the race ahead.”
