FRECA resumes action in Zandvoort for the penultimate round of the season
About a month after the previous round in Monza, the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine is back in action this weekend at the prestigious Zandvoort circuit. This event marks the ninth out of the ten double-header races scheduled on the calendar.
In the Netherlands, all eyes will once again be on the battle for the series’ top position, currently held by Prema Racing‘s Andrea Kimi Antonelli. This year, the Italian driver has achieved four victories, including one at the Temple of Speed, as well as four podium finishes and four pole positions, accumulating 239 points. Ready to don his racing suit and helmet on the circuit hosting the Dutch Formula 1 Grand Prix is the Norwegian Martinius Stenshorne, who drives for the R-ace GP team. Stenshorne is currently in second place in the championship, 43 points behind Antonelli, and he also boasts four victories in the early part of the season, maintaining his lead in the rookie standings. Another contender to keep an eye on is Tim Tramnitz, who is closely trailing his teammate Stenshorne in the rankings by just 20 points. It has been a highly successful season for the German driver in his second year in the championship organized by ACI Sport and Alpine Racing. This year, he secured a double victory in Barcelona and stood on the podium on six other occasions. Adding to the excitement in the Netherlands is Brazilian driver Rafael Camara (Prema Racing), who recently claimed a strong second place at Monza, along with victories in Spa and at the Red Bull Ring. These achievements have placed him as one of the key players in the 2023 series, where he currently holds the fourth position in the overall standings.
Local driver Kas Haverkort (Van Amersfoort Racing), who secured a second-place finish in Race 1 in his home country last year after a thrilling on-track duel with Gabriele Minì, is also highly anticipated. Haverkort is currently holding the fifth position in the championship, ahead of Alessandro Giusti, a rising star from the G4 Racing team. Giusti has shown significant improvement throughout the season, establishing himself as one of the fastest drivers in qualifying with two pole positions and three victories to his name. Lorenzo Fluxa (Prema Racing), currently seventh in the championship, is in search of his first victory of the season, as is Sami Meguetounif, who trails behind the Spanish driver behind the wheel of an MP Motorsport car.
In the Netherlands, a field of 33 cars is expected to take to the track starting from Thursday, with two pre-collective test sessions, each lasting an hour and a half, with two more tests scheduled for Friday. Qualifying on day one of the race meeting is set to get underway at 10:10 on Saturday, 14th October, with the first of two 30-minute plus one lap races following at 15:35. On Sunday qualifying two will commence at 10:05. The second race will start at 15:45. Race one and two will be streamed live on the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine official YouTube channel.