It was another thrilling qualifying session in the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine at Hockenheim, the venue of the ninth double-header of the 2025 season.
Once again, on the 4.6 km German track, Enzo Deligny came out on top as the fastest driver. However, the R-ace GP talent will have to start from fifth on the grid due to the four-place penalty he received in Barcelona, where he failed to respect the minimum distance behind the Safety Car during the restart of Race 2. That means Matteo De Palo (Trident Motorsport), fastest in Group B, will take the first spot on the starting line for today’s Race 1.
The Italian was the first to take to the track this morning on a dry surface and immediately set strong lap times, eventually securing the best time of 1:34.933. Just behind him, Evan Giltaire (ART Grand Prix) took second, followed by Pedro Clerot (Van Amersfoort Racing), whose best lap was deleted for exceeding track limits on his flying attempt. Impressive performance also from RPM debutant James Egozi, who clocked a strong lap just over two tenths off the pace, earning himself a spot on the fourth row ahead of Dion Gowda (Van Amersfoort Racing), the fastest rookie and fifth in his group.
In Group A, Deligny stamped his authority with a 1:34.897, edging teammate Akshay Bohra (R-ace GP) by just under two tenths. With Deligny’s penalty applied, Bohra will join the front row for today’s race. Behind the Indian driver, Freddie Slater (Prema Racing) secured third ahead of a determined Jin Nakamura (R-ace GP). Positive runs also for ART Grand Prix pair Taito Kato and Kanato Le, who ended fifth and sixth in their group.
All eyes are now on Race 1 of the weekend, scheduled for this afternoon at 16:30. The race will be broadcast live on the TV networks covering the championship, including ACI Sport TV (channel 228 SKY), as well as on the official YouTube channel of the series.
Enzo Deligny | R-ace GP
“The team has done a fantastic job and the car is in a great window right now, so it’s always nice to be quick. This weekend we’re starting from the very front in tomorrow’s race, which is really important. The championship has been a bit tough for us with some lost points, so the goal is to win as many races as possible from here. For today I’ll start fifth, but if it rains anything can still happen at Hockenheim, so we’re confident. We showed in Barcelona that we’re fast in the wet as well, so whether it’s dry or raining we’re ready to fight.”
Matteo De Palo | Trident Motorsport
“It’s really important to be quickest in my group on both days, it gives me a lot of confidence for today’s race and also tomorrow’s. We’re heading into the final part of the championship, so every point matters, and the target is to build a margin before Monza. The fight is really close, so there’s going to be a lot of pressure at the last round, but for now the focus is on trying to win both races here at Hockenheim. As for the weather, in Germany it’s always unpredictable. We feel confident in both conditions. We’ve shown strong pace in the dry, so maybe that can be an advantage, but in the end the focus is on ourselves and doing our job.”
