The second qualifying session of the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine at Imola, host of the sixth round of the 2025 season, saw Akshay Bohra shine as he secured his first-ever pole position in the series. The R-ace GP driver delivered a standout performance in Group B, setting the fastest overall lap of 1:38.503. It’s a significant milestone for Bohra, who continues an impressive weekend after his podium finish in Race 1 and strong pace throughout the event.
Bohra led a competitive Group B ahead of his teammate and Race 1 winner Enzo Deligny, who was just over two tenths behind. Matteo De Palo (Trident Motorsport) followed closely in third, posting a 1:39.115 after an intense battle for the front rows. Ruiqi Liu (Trident Motorsport) showed solid form in fourth, ahead of Jack Beeton (Prema Racing) and Jin Nakamura (R-ace GP). Michael Belov (CL Motorsport) ended the session seventh, with Hiyu Yamakoshi (Van Amersfoort Racing) placing eighth, a notable comeback after being involved in an incident on Saturday that forced him to retire. Dion Gowda (Van Amersfoort Racing) and Tim Gerhards (Saintéloc Racing) completed the top ten.
In Group A, it was championship leader Freddie Slater (Prema Racing) who came out on top, narrowly missing the overall pole by just 0.027s with a best time of 1:38.530. The British driver will start from the front row, aiming to defend his 28-point lead in the standings. Nikita Bedrin (Saintéloc Racing) took second in the group, 0.385s off the pace, while Pedro Clerot (Van Amersfoort Racing) was third with a time of 1:38.926. Evan Giltaire (ART Grand Prix) secured fourth, followed by a late charge from Kacper Sztuka (G4 Racing), who snatched fifth place in the dying moments of the session. Rashid Al Dhaheri (Prema Racing) followed in sixth, ahead of Taito Kato (ART Grand Prix). Edu Robinson (G4 Racing) placed eighth, with rookie Ean Eyckmans (RPM) and Zachary David (CL Motorsport) completing the top ten.
The grid is now set for Race 2, scheduled to get underway at 14:00 local time. As always, fans can follow the action live on the official YouTube channel and via international TV networks, including ACI Sport TV (Sky Channel 228).
