Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine returns to Zandvoort
The stage is set for the third of ten double-header events this season in the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine, taking place this weekend at the Zandvoort circuit, which also hosts the Dutch Formula 1 Grand Prix. This prestigious venue is among the highlights of the season, as the international series will be competing during one of the main DTM events, historically drawing a large number of enthusiasts to the stands of the track located on the shores of the North Sea.
Among the more than 30 cars ready to put on a show, the series leader Rafael Camara will be present. Driving for Prema Racing, he leads the championship standings with 93 points, thanks to three victories so far this season, including a recent double win at Spa Francorchamps. Close behind the Ferrari Driver Academy’s front-runner is Evan Giltaire (ART Grand Prix), who won the second race at Hockenheim and recently placed sixth in the second Belgian race, securing the top rookie spot. Another prominent rookie, Noah Strømsted (RPM), scored a fourth and a second place at Spa, along with a double rookie win, putting him just three points behind Giltaire and third in the overall standings with 30 points.
Tuukka Taponen (R-ace GP), also a Ferrari Driver Academy member, shares the same points tally, having secured a silver medal in the first German race and a solid fifth place in Race 2 at Spa. James Wharton (Prema Racing), also with 30 points, rebounded from a challenging start at Spa, where a qualifying incident kept him out of the first race, but he clinched the third podium spot in the second race. Brando Badoer, another contender to watch this weekend, is driving for Van Amersfoort Racing and currently holds sixth place in the championship, consistently scoring points in the first four races. Similarly fast is Portuguese driver Ivan Domingues, also with Van Amersfoort Racing, who is third in the rookie standings and seventh overall, just ahead of Williams Academy driver Alessandro Giusti (ART Grand Prix), trailing by three points. Completing the top 10 are Roman Bilinski (Trident), who recently achieved his first pole position and a second-place finish in Belgium, and Red Bull Academy’s Enzo Deligny (R-ace GP).
Notably absent from the grid will be Doriane Pin (Iron Dames), who is forced to miss the Dutch round due to health reasons. However, her teammate Marta Garcia, the reigning Formula 1 Academy champion, will be present. Garcia is coming off her best race finish of the season, with a fifteenth-place result in Race 2 at Spa.
The Zandvoort weekend will kick off with the Pre-Event Collective Test on Thursday, followed by the Collective Tests on Friday at 8:05 AM and 3:00 PM, each lasting 50 minutes. Saturday’s schedule includes the first qualifying session at 10:25 AM, with Race 1 starting at 5:50 PM. On Sunday, the second qualifying session is set for 9:35 AM, and Race 2 will take place over 30 minutes plus one lap at 3:05 PM. As usual, both the qualifying sessions and races of the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine will be broadcast live on the official YouTube channel.