The 2025 Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine officially kicked off this morning at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya with the first pre-season collective test session, opening the fifth edition of the FIA-certified series. Under clear skies, teams and drivers began their on-track preparation for what promises to be another exciting and competitive season.

Setting the pace in the morning session was Zachary David, who stood out at the wheel of a CL Motorsport car. The team, making its official debut in the series this year, made an immediate impact with David clocking the best time of 1:37.104.

Right behind him was Matteo De Palo (Trident), just 0.108 seconds off the top, while Freddie Slater (Prema Racing) and Nikita Bedrin (Saintéloc Racing) followed closely in third and fourth place, separated by only four thousandths of a second. Pedro Clerot (Van Amersfoort Racing) completed the top five, showing solid pace ahead of Macéo Capietto, also representing the CL Motorsport colours.

Also inside the top ten were Nandhavud Bhirombhakdi (Trident), Kanato Le (ART Grand Prix), Hiyu Yamakoshi (VAR), and Rashid Al Dhaheri (Prema Racing), all within striking distance in a tightly packed field.

Other notable performances came from Taito Kato and Evan Giltaire (ART Grand Prix), Jack Beeton (Prema Racing), and Enzo Peugeot (RPM), while several newcomers — including Jin Nakamura, Akshay Bohra, and Tim Gerhards — continued their progression as they gained valuable mileage and experience in their first official outing.

Engines will fire up again this afternoon for the second test session, taking place from 14:00 to 18:00.

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