The Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine returned to action this morning for the first official session of the weekend, which saw Rafael Camara shine once again. He delivered an outstanding performance, setting the best time of 1:58.027, securing his fourth pole position of the year.
The Ferrari Driver Academy member, who currently leads the championship standings with 179 points, reclaimed the top spot on the grid, a position he last held during the second race at Zandvoort. The Prema Racing driver dominated Group A, the first to hit the track this morning, consistently staying at the top of the timesheets. Brando Badoer, who excelled in both collective tests yesterday, tried to challenge the Brazilian driver. The Van Amersfoort Racing driver ended the session less than three-tenths of a second behind Camara, securing a second-row start. Another strong performer in this group was Ivan Domingues, also from the Dutch team, who clocked the third-fastest time, just over two-tenths off his teammate. Domingues was also awarded the fifth Pirelli Racelience Award of the season for his strong performance at Mugello. Alessandro Giusti (ART Grand Prix) of the Williams Academy joined the top five, while Enzo Peugeot of Sainteloc Racing confirmed his fifth-row start.
Group B delivered excitement until the very last second, with Michael Belov setting the fastest time of 1:58.105. The Trident driver showcased excellent pace, securing a front-row start alongside Camara. Tuukka Taponen (R-ace GP) was edged out by Belov but still secured a second-row start, remaining a strong contender in the championship standings. James Wharton (Prema Racing), fresh off his first championship victory in the last Italian round, finished third, followed by teammate Ugo Ugochukwu and rookie Pedro Clerot (Van Amersfoort Racing), who rounded out the top five.
Fans of the international series can catch the first race of the weekend this afternoon at 13:05, broadcasted live on the official YouTube channel of the championship.
Rafael Camara – Prema Racing
“I believe we did a really good job and I am very happy with the result we achieved. It’s great to be back on pole. Now we are preparing everything to be ready for the race, where we aim to be just as fast. The team did an excellent job, which translated into a perfect car in qualifying. Now we are focused on the first race where I will give my best.”
Michael Belov – Trident
“The car was really good, and for this, I have to thank the Trident team for their efforts and the excellent work done, which allowed me to drive a fast car while having fun at the same time. Paul Ricard is a beautiful track where I have been on the podium both in 2021 and 2022, and it would be great to replicate this result again this year.”
