Hadrien David and Isack Hadjar took the final two victories of the 2021 Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine season at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza as R-ace GP showed good speed throughout the weekend at the temple of speed.
There was a frightening accident as Prema Powerteam team-mates Dino Beganovic and David Vidales crashed while battling for the lead in race two, while JD Motorsport were set to say goodbye to the category after the event. G4 Racing gave a debut to New Zealand racer Callum Hedge, while KIC Motorsport gave Konsta Lappalainen a run as a wildcard entry.
Race 1 – David leads R-ace GP 1-2-3
David took pole position for Saturday’s opening race at Monza, and he led from start to finish for his second victory of the season to add to his win at the Circuit Paul Ricard in May.
Behind him, the early challenge came from MP Motorsport’s Franco Colapinto who, from third on the grid, passed 2021 champion Grégoire Saucy into the first turn, before the two would switch places heading into the final turn a few laps later.
Colapinto’s chance of a podium then all but disappeared as he ran wide a lap later at Lesmo and allowed Hadjar through into third, with the Argentine then unable to avoid a slide down to eighth place in the remaining laps.
Hadjar and Saucy then began to battle for second, with the two drivers touching at turn one on lap thirteen. Hadjar would take to the escape road and re-join behind the Swiss racer, but a couple of laps later, a mistake at the same turn by Saucy allowed Hadjar to pass for second.
It looked as though the top three were set, but Zane Maloney had other ideas and was able to find a way ahead of Saucy at turn one on the final lap, holding off the ART Grand Prix driver until the chequered flag to give R-ace GP a podium lockout.
Behind the leading four, Prema Powerteam’s Dino Beganovic claimed fifth having made early gains from eleventh on the grid. He was able to keep touch with the four up front but did not have the pace needed to challenge for a position higher, but the Swede did manage to finish ahead of team-mates David Vidales and Paul Aron.
Colapinto ended eighth, while FA Racing’s Gabriel Bortoleto and G4 Racing’s Michael Belov completed the top ten ahead of MP Motorsport’s Kas Haverkort and Van Amersfoort Racing’s Francesco Pizzi.
ART Grand Prix’s Gabriele Mini retired from the race and all but ensured Hadjar would be the rookie champion in 2021, while Andrea Rosso (FA Racing), Mari Boya (Van Amersfoort Racing) and wildcard entry Lappalainen (KIC Motorsport) also failed to finish.
Race 2 – Hadjar Wins Finale after Prema Drivers Collide
Hadjar took his second victory of the season in the final race of the year at Monza after capitalising on a collision that eliminated Prema duo Beganovic and Vidales from the race at the second chicane.
Two early safety cars and a red flag for an accident at the second chicane involving Patrik Pasma, Beganovic appeared to have the race under control, only to have his maiden FRECA win denied to him by a collision with his team-mate.
Vidales attempted to pass Beganovic heading into the second chicane, and both left their breaking late that resulted in both cutting the corner. However, as Vidales attempted to retake to the track, he hit a raised kerb and was launched into the air.
Vidales landed back on the track but was completely out of control with a damaged car, and he made heavy contact with his team-mate and pushed them both into the wall and into retirement.
Most of the field were able to avoid the incident, although Nicola Marinangeli’s difficult season with Arden Motorsport was ended as he ran wide and into the barriers at the first Lesmo corner after taking avoiding action.
The incident promoted Hadjar to the lead, and with the race then finishing behind the safety car, he was able to take the chequered flag to win, not only the race but also the rookie title.
Aron was able to give Prema something to cheer about with second place, but it was not enough for him to deny David second place in the Drivers’ Championship as the R-ace GP driver joined him on the podium to clinch the position by twelve points.
Haverkort had his best finish of the season in fourth for MP Motorsport ahead of Mini and Colapinto, the latter climbing from fourteenth on the grid to finish sixth.
Maloney ended seventh (and fourth in the final standings), while Belov, William Alatalo (Arden Motorsport) and Saucy completed the points scorers in a race where there were very few racing laps at speed due to the safety car and red flag interruptions.
