Colapinto Takes First Victory of 2021 in Opening FRECA Encounter at Red Bull Ring

Franco Colapinto finally took his first Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine victory of the season in the opening race at the Red Bull Ring.

The MP Motorsport driver, one of the pre-season favourites for the title, got a great launch off the line to maintain his advantage after starting from pole position to take the win despite pressure from behind from R-ace GP’s Hadrien David.

There was an early safety car as Léna Bühler, Tommy Smith and series debutant José Garfias collided at turn three on lap one.  Bühler’s R-ace GP car was left stranded in the middle of the track and Smith’s JD Motorsport likewise on the outside of the turn, but Garfias was able to continue, although the Monolite Racing driver fell to the back of the field.

Colapinto was able to control the restart ahead of David, while Prema Powerteam’s Paul Aron slotted into third ahead of Arden Motorsport’s Alex Quinn.  The order inside the top five stayed the same throughout the race, although no one was able to truly make an escape.  The top five was rounded out by current championship leader Grégoire Saucy of ART Grand Prix.

G4 Racing’s Michael Belov finished sixth after making a pass on FA Racing’s Gabriel Bortoleto, but the latter will be happy to score points for the first time since the opening race of the season, with seventh his best result to date.

Perhaps the most entertaining battle in the field was the one over eighth place, with Arden’s William Alatalo, R-ace GP’s Zane Maloney and Isack Hadjar, ART Grand Prix’s Gabriele Mini and Van Amersfoort Racing’s Mari Boya all involved.

Maloney had a great restart after the early safety car to move up ahead of both Mini and Hadjar to run ninth, but he could not pressurise Alatalo into a mistake.  Alatalo ultimately ended eighth ahead of Maloney, while Hadjar initially finished tenth. 

However, a post-race two-place penalty for the Frenchman relegated him to twelfth, promoting Boya into tenth and the final point after the Spaniard found a way ahead of Mini late in the day.

The race ended behind the safety car after a late incident involving FA Racing’s Alexandre Bardinon, with the Frenchman stopping at the side of the track with a broken suspension.  Also a retiree was series returnee Gianluca Petecof, with the KIC Motorsport driver suffering with a mechanical issue that forced him into the pits before the end.

The safety car closed up the pack at the finish, with Colapinto taking the win with David and Aron completing the podium, while Bortoleto took his first rookie class victory.

Red Bull Ring Race 1 Result