The Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine lands in Italy this weekend on the winding asphalt ribbons of the Mugello Circuit, setting the stage for the fifth double event of the season. The undulating Tuscan landscape will provide the perfect backdrop for over 30 single-seaters ready to put on a show for the series enthusiasts, who can witness a new chapter in a season where the battle for the title is more alive than ever.
The two contenders of the moment are the Ferrari Driver Academy’s Rafael Camara and Tuukka Taponen. The former, racing for the Prema Racing team, boasts 159 points with four victories and three podiums. The Finnish driver, on the other hand, at the wheel of an R-ace GP single-seater, has 113 points thanks to a win in the Netherlands and a recent double win at the Hungaroring. Also worth keeping an eye on is the Venetian driver Brando Badoer (Van Amersfoort Racing), who arrives in Tuscany with a strong streak of consecutive results, having finished second in the last three races.
Simultaneously, another standout this season is Williams Academy driver Alessandro Giusti, in his second year in the series, showcasing his skills with ART Grand Prix. Giusti climbed the podium twice during the Zandvoort round, followed by a recent fourth place in the first Hungarian race. The French driver currently holds fourth place in the standings, ahead of his compatriot and teammate Evan Giltaire. The latter had a strong start to the season, winning Race 2 at Hockenheim and achieving other useful results, currently placing him fifth overall ahead of James Wharton (Prema Racing) and securing the top spot in the rookie standings.
In this category, RPM driver Noah Strømsted is looking for redemption after a point-less previous round in Hungary. However, he continues to hold second place in the class and sixth in the overall standings, ahead of other rookies Ivan Domingues (Van Amersfoort Racing), Enzo Deligny (R-ace GP), and Pedro Clerot (Van Amersfoort Racing), who complete the championship’s top 10.
The Italian weekend programme will begin on Thursday with Pre-event Collective Tests lasting 2 hours at 09:00 and 14:05. Friday will see the 50-minute Collective Test at 09:50 and 13:40, while the first qualifying session is scheduled for Saturday at 08:30, with the first race at 14:00. On Sunday, the second official session will be at 08:30 and the final race at 14:05. As usual, both qualifying and races will be broadcast live on the championship’s official YouTube channel.