The Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine resumed action this morning with the first official session of the Imola round, the seventh double-header of the season. On the legendary track located on the banks of the Santerno River, Rafael Camara clinched pole position in a thrilling session, setting the fastest lap time of 1’39″414 at the wheel of his Prema Racing car. This marks Camara’s ninth pole position over the 2023/2024 seasons, equaling the record set by Paul Aron.
Group A was the first to take to the track, with the Brazilian driver among the early contenders to break the 1’40” barrier. Also under the spotlight was his teammate James Wharton, who initially led the session. The Australian had to contend with a very determined Brando Badoer (Van Amersfoort Racing), who was the fastest driver on track during yesterday’s two test sessions and secured second place at the end of this morning’s qualifying session. He was later relegated to seventh position due to a penalty received in the final race at Paul Ricard for a collision with Tuukka Taponen. Wharton ultimately settled for third, ahead of Zachary David (R-ace GP), Théophile Naël (Sainteloc Racing), and Pedro Clerot (Van Amersfoort Racing), with Clerot emerging as the fastest rookie. Notably, Roman Bilinski made his return to the grid following his recovery from injuries sustained in a road accident, securing ninth place in his group for Trident.
In Group B, Alessandro Giusti (ART Grand Prix) continued his strong form from Paul Ricard, where he secured his fourth win in the series at the end of July. The Williams Academy driver showcased a fast and determined pace, securing a front-row start by beating Ferrari Driver Academy’s Tuukka Taponen (R-ace GP) by less than a tenth of a second. Enzo Deligny (R-ace GP), Matteo De Palo (Sainteloc Racing), and Ivan Domingues (Van Amersfoort Racing) completed the top five in Group B, which ended with a red flag following Doriane Pin’s (Iron Dames) off-track excursion that left her car stranded in the gravel.
At Imola, it was also confirmed that Ugo Ugochukwu (Prema Racing) has been definitively excluded from the Paul Ricard standings. The American driver had been disqualified for using a third engine, with the decision temporarily suspended pending verification of the engines in car number 3. Following the disqualification, the new Race 2 podium consists of Giusti, Noah Strømsted, and Kanato Le.
Now, all attention shifts to the first race of the weekend, scheduled for this afternoon at 15:25, which, as usual, will be broadcast live on the official YouTube channel of the championship.
Rafael Camara – Prema Racing
“After the summer break, it’s great to start like this. We’re focused on securing important points, and starting from the front row gives us the right determination to aim for a strong race.”
Alessandro Giusti – ART Grand Prix
“It’s really nice to return to Imola after a long break, where we had the right time to recover and prepare physically and mentally for this round. Now, I have very positive feelings for this final part of the season, where our goal is to win more races.”
