Two races and two different winners marked the eight round of the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine at Barcelona, with Matteo De Palo climbing to the top step on Saturday, followed by Enzo Deligny sealing victory in Sunday’s finale.
It was a strong performance from the R-ace GP driver, who, starting from pole position, managed to hold off a determined pack to secure his third win of the season. The Frenchman successfully kept Pedro Clerot (Van Amersfoort Racing) at bay, with the Brazilian launching a late-race charge that pushed Deligny all the way to the chequered flag. Nonetheless, Clerot claimed another valuable podium finish, allowing him to leave Spain level on points with Deligny, both now tied in third place with 198 points in the standings.
Akshay Bhora also delivered a race to remember. After a strong qualifying session that placed him third on the grid, the R-ace GP driver thrilled fans with a heart-stopping final lap in which he fended off Evan Giltaire (ART Grand Prix) and Freddie Slater (Prema Racing) in a three-way battle for the final spot on the podium. Slater, who briefly moved into fourth and had set his sights on Bhora’s position, lost ground at Turn 12 and slipped back to fifth at the finish. The British driver still collected important points, which now see him tied at the top of the championship standings with De Palo, both on 226 points.
De Palo, racing for Trident Motorsport, had started from sixth but was passed by a determined Michael Belov (CL Motorsport), ultimately crossing the line in seventh. Rounding out the top ten were Taito Kato (ART Grand Prix), Jin Nakamura (R-ace GP) and Kanato Le (ART Grand Prix). A special mention goes to Dion Gowda (Van Amersfoort Racing), who claimed a double rookie win across the Spanish round.
A safety car was deployed following an incident at Turn 11 involving Giovanni Maschio, whose RPM car was left stranded in the gravel with damage to the left rear after contact.
After the race, a penalty was handed to Deligny, who will receive a four-place grid drop at the next round for not respecting the required minimum distance behind the safety car during the restart phase.
The ACI Sport and Alpine Racing-promoted series will be back in action in two weeks’ time, from October 3 to 5, at the iconic Hockenheimring, alongside the prestigious DTM event.
Enzo Deligny (R-ace GP):
“It was quite a tricky race with a lot of tyre degradation and Pedro pushing really hard, so it wasn’t easy. I tried to manage things well, not overworking the tyres and keeping the sliding under control, and in the end the pace was still strong. I’m really happy to take my third win of the season, especially as it’s the perfect way to bounce back after yesterday, when a small contact in the fight for the lead ended my race immediately. Of course that was tough for the championship, but now Pedro and I are right there together, and with four races still to go we’ll push hard to catch Matteo and Freddie. With all four of us so close on pace, everything is still possible.”
Pedro Clerot (VAR):
“I think we showed once again that we were the fastest car on track. Of course it’s a bit frustrating not to take the win, but I’m happy with the points we scored. For the second weekend in a row we’ve collected the most points overall, which proves the pace is there and that we are moving in the right direction. We’re getting stronger with every race, and the championship fight is fully on, I feel ready for it. Now I’m really looking forward to Hockenheim, one of my favourite circuits, where I’ve always been fast. Hopefully we can keep fighting at the front, score more valuable points, and take the battle all the way to Monza.”
Akshay Bhora (R-ace GP):
“It was a really tricky race where I was fighting from the very first lap, but in the end I’m happy we managed to bring home a strong result. After a difficult day yesterday and also a tough weekend at the Red Bull Ring, it feels good to bounce back. The battles towards the end were intense, but I focused on defending well, keeping it clean, and making sure I held my position until the finish.”
Dion Gowda (VAR):
“It was a tough race because overtaking here in Barcelona is never easy, but I made a good start, gained a couple of positions early on, and then managed to hold my place until the end. I’m happy to come away with another rookie win, which is really positive for the season. Now we head to Hockenheim, a track I’ve never raced at before but one that looks great to drive. I’ll prepare as much as possible with the simulator and with the team, and then we’ll see how things unfold in Germany and later in Monza.”
