Italian-licensed racer Nikita Bedrin has teamed up with MP Motorsport for a full-season attack in the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine. The 18-year-old who was born in Belgorod in Russia will have Nikhil Bohra and Valerio Rinicella as his teammates.
Bedrin’s signing follows after a season in which the prolific PHM Academy driver raced in both FIA Formula 3 and FRECA. The youngster starred in FIA F3 by claiming two podiums at the Hungaroring and Spa, and took yet another podium in the final FRECA round at Hockenheim. At the start of the season, Bedrin took part in the Formula Regional Middle East Championship, racking up a pair of wins and poles as a PHM driver. Bedrin will now once again combine campaigns in FIA F3 and FRECA, having already made his seasonal bow in FIA F3 in the series’ opening round in Bahrain. In FRECA, following successful tests at Mugello, Imola and Barcelona that saw him in the top-six in almost every session, Bedrin now joins the previously announced Nikhil Bohra and Valerio Rinicella in MP’s three-car squad.
“I’m really excited to go racing in FRECA with MP Motorsport”, said Bedrin. “MP know their stuff in this highly competitive championship, and we have been strong in testing. With my future for this season settled, I aim to work closely with the team to have the most positive start to our FRECA season when that gets going at Hockenheim in May. I welcome Nikhil and Valerio as my teammates, who both proved equally quick during our tests together. I’m confident that they will help us move forward as the season takes shape.”
“It’s great to have a driver with Nikita’s experience in our FRECA line-up”, said MP Motorsport’s team principal, Sander Dorsman. “He’s been a surprise package in both FIA F3 and FRECA last year, and we look forward to harnassing his unquestionable talent into consistent strong results right at the front in FRECA. With Nikita, Nikhil and Valerio, we have three drivers who are able to be on the pace from the start of the season, so our prospects for the 2024 season look particularly good.”
Bedrin graduated to single-seaters with a bang, immediately taking wins and claiming best rookie honours in both the 2021 Italian and German F4 series. More wins and podiums followed in 2022 before he embarked on his twin campaigns in FIA F3 and FRECA in 2023. In karts, Bedrin was the 2016 Russian Super Mini champion and the 2019 Italian OK Junior champion while also claiming first place in the 2020 WSK Super Master Series and the 2020 Champion of the Future series, both at OK level.