Formula Regional European Championship

Hadrien David Fastest as Thirty-Two Drivers Hit the Track for FRECA Testing at Imola

3 Mins read
Credit: Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine

Thirty-two drivers participated in the opening day of pre-season testing at the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari on Wednesday as preparations for the first season of Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine intensified.

The championship has been formed following the merger of Formula Renault Eurocup and Formula Regional European Championship, and it has seen a much-improved number of entries after the individual categories were struggling to fill the grid.

R-ace GP’s Hadrien David, dropped by the Renault Sport Academy at the end of 2020, ended the day with the fastest time overall, with the Frenchman topping both the morning and afternoon sessions at the home of the Emilia Romagna Formula 1 Grand Prix.

David’s best time of 1:38.523 was enough for him to hit top spot, although it was a close-run thing between him and ART Grand Prix’s Grégoire Saucy, with just 0.003 seconds separating the duo.

Such was the competitiveness of the field, the top twenty drivers were all within eight-tenths of a second of David’s time, with R-ace GP’s Zane Maloney and Isack Hadjar finishing the day third and fourth fastest, just 0.038 and 0.043 seconds respectively behind the best time.  For Hadjar, it ensured he concluded the day as the best rookie.

Fifth and sixth came two Arden drivers in William Alatalo and Alex Quinn, with KIC Motorsport’s Patrik Pasma seventh despite causing a red flag for spinning into the gravel at the second turn.

Van Amersfoort Racing also had a driver place inside the top ten, with Francesco Pizzi ending eighth ahead of Monolite Racing’s Pietro Delli Guanti and MP Motorsport’s Kas Haverkort.  Haverkort was the only driver in the test not yet confirmed to race in 2021, but the talented Dutchman is expected to take up the third seat at the team this season.

The leading Prema Powerteam driver was Ferrari Driver Academy star Dino Beganovic in eleventh, with the Swede finishing just ahead of ART Grand Prix duo Gabriele Mini and Thomas ten Brinke.  The other Prema drivers were fourteenth and fifteenth, David Vidales ahead of Paul Aron.

Gabriel Bortoleto was the best placed DR Formula driver in sixteenth ahead of FA Racing’s Andrea Rosso, while Franco Colapinto was only eighteenth for MP Motorsport, albeit only 0.738 seconds off the overall best time.

Elias Seppänen of KIC Motorsport and Lorenzo Fluxá of Van Amersfoort Racing completed the top twenty.

Only two drivers – Alexandre Bardinon and Nico Göhler – failed to improve their time from the morning session when testing resumed in the afternoon, while R-ace GP’s Léna Bühler failed to appear on the track after the lunch break after hurting her hand during the morning session.

As well as Pasma, Bardinon was another driver to cause a red flag by stopping on track, as was JD Motorsport’s Eduardo Barrichello.

Testing continues at Imola on Thursday with two more sessions for the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine drivers to ready themselves for the start of the new season.

POS.DriverNAT.TeamTimeGapLaps
1Hadrien DavidFRAR-ace GP1m38.52372
2Gregoire SaucySWIART Grand Prix1m38.526+0.003s67
3Zane MaloneyBARR-ace GP1m38.561+0.038s71
4Isack HadjarFRAR-ace GP1m38.566+0.043s55
5William AlataloFINArden1m38.728+0.205s58
6Alex QuinnGBRArden1m38.778+0.255s57
7Patrik PasmaFINKIC Motorsport1m38.821+0.298s62
8Francesco PizziITAVan Amersfoort Racing1m38.832+0.309s52
9Pietro Delli GuantiITAMonolite Racing1m38.852+0.329s68
10Kas HaverkortNEDMP Motorsport1m38.889+0.366s64
11Dino BeganovicSWEPrema1m38.900+0.377s69
12Gabriele MiniITAART Grand Prix1m38.909+0.386s69
13Thomas ten BrinkeNEDART Grand Prix1m38.964+0.441s66
14David VidalesESPPrema1m38.969+0.446s73
15Paul AronESTPrema1m39.026+0.503s63
16Gabriel BortoletoBRZDR Formula1m39.074+0.551s78
17Andrea RossoITAFA Racing1m39.105+0.582s77
18Franco ColapintoARGMP Motorsport1m39.261+0.738s51
19Elias SeppänenFINKIC Motorsport1m39.311+0.788s77
20Lorenzo FluxáESPVan Amersfoort Racing1m39.319+0.796s70
21Nicola MarinangeliITAArden1m39.591+1.068s62
22Oliver GoetheDENMP Motorsport1m39.604+1.081s63
23Brad BenavidesUSADR Formula1m39.657+1.134s61
24Mari BoyaESPFA Racing1m39.753+1.230s75
25Emidio PesceITADR Formula1m39.794+1.271s60
26Tommy SmithAUSJD Motorsport1m40.044+1.521s77
27Eduardo BarrichelloBRZJD Motorsport1m40.112+1.589s65
29Jasin FeratiSWIMonolite Racing1m40.163+1.640s74
28Alexandre BardinonFRAFA Racing1m40.172+1.649s59
30Axel GnosSWIG4 Racing1m40.216+1.693s78
31Léna BühlerSWIR-ace GP1m41.486+2.963s30
32Nico GöhlerGERKIC Motorsport1m41.699+3.176s48
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