FRECA: Naël and Badoer fastest in Barcelona's final test sessions

The afternoon in Barcelona unfolded with the last two sessions of the tests, marking the official start of the 2024 Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine season. The penultimate session kicked off right after the lunch break, with Sainteloc Racing’s Theophile Naël setting the pace, recording the best time of 1:37.583. Close behind the French driver, Brando Badoer (Van Amersfoort Racing) performed well, finishing less than three-tenths of a second off the pace. Another series newcomer, Thailand’s Bhirombhakdi Nandhavud (KIC Motorsport), also impressed by clinching third place ahead of his teammate Costa Toparis. Not to be overlooked was the Italian Matteo De Palo, who behind the wheel of a Sainteloc Racing car, secured the fifth-best time.

The concluding session was dominated by Badoer with a time of 1:36.713, who today marked the second-best time over these two days of testing. In the afternoon, the driver from the Dutch squad edged out Naël by just under a tenth, with the latter finishing second as the session came to a close. Tuukka Tapponen also shone, leading the trio of R-ace GP cars with Enzo Deligny and Zachary David finishing fourth and fifth, respectively. Pedro Clerot (Van Amersfoort Racing) continued to show strong form in sixth, ahead of De Palo, while Ivan Domingues (Van Amersfoort Racing), Roman Bilinski (Trident), and Enzo Peugeot (Sainteloc Racing) completed the top 10.

Despite the impressive pace shown by drivers in the afternoon, the fastest time recorded over the two days of testing was set by James Wharton, who this morning clocked the best time of 1:35.614 in a Prema Racing car.

The international series will resume action at Paul Ricard for the second official test of the year on the 16th and 17th of April.