The Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine sprang into action this morning at Paul Ricard, the stage for the second pre-season collective test of the year. Commanding the track during the morning session was Rafael Camara of Prema Racing, who clinched the fastest lap with an impressive time of 1’57”321. Nipping at his heels was teammate James Wharton, who was just under sixty milliseconds behind. Wharton, the fastest from the initial Barcelona tests two weeks prior, showed his consistent form once again. French driver Evan Giltaire of ART Grand Prix snagged the third fastest time, although a technical issue in the final moments brought his car to a halt on the track, prompting the session’s sole red flag.

Noah Strømsted also delivered a strong performance, recording the fourth-quickest time driving for RPM. The Danish driver led the pack for a significant part of the session, outpacing Frenchman Théophile Naël of Sainteloc Racing, as well as Van Amersfoort Racing‘s duo Pedro Clerot and Brando Badoer. Rounding out the top 10 were Enzo Deligny (R-ace GP), Roman Bilinski (Trident Motorsport), and Tuukka Taponen (R-ace GP).

The international series will hit the track again this afternoon for the second session scheduled from 13:00 to 17:00.