Ferrari Driver Academy talent Tuukka Taponen became the 2024 Formula Regional Middle East Champion (FRMEC) in the final round at Dubai Autodrome. Victory in Saturday’s opening race of the weekend for R-ace GP’s 17-year-old Finnish star was enough to put him beyond reach of his only remaining title rival, Taylor Barnard, and for good measure, Taponen put on a dominant display in Sunday’s season finale to further underline his superiority with another win.

Three different drivers stood atop the podium during a thrilling Formula Regional Middle East Championship Certified by FIA (FRMEC) Round 3 at Dubai Autodrome, but it was a fourth who emerged from the action with an expanded points lead. While Taylor Barnard, Nikhil Bohra, and Rafael Câmara tasted glory on the weekend, in the longer game it is Tuukka Taponen who is looking ever more difficult to beat to the ultimate prize, with two events – comprising a total of six races – remaining.

The Formula Regional Middle East Championship certified by FIA (FRMEC) was the domain of the sensational Tuukka Taponen over the course of the second round on the full 5.281km Formula 1 layout of the Yas Marina Circuit. The 17-year-old Finn, who is backed by the Ferrari Driver Academy, topped both qualifying sessions and then drove his R-ace GP car to his first two victories in the category. 

Vietnamese-licensed racer Owen Tangavelou has joined MP Motorsport for the team’s second season in Eurocup-3. The talented 18-year-old who will embrace his Asian roots as he continues to climb the single-seater ladder is the third driver to be announced for a seat with the Dutch team in the fledgling series aiming to expand further into Europe in 2024.

Young Brazilian star Emerson Fittipaldi Jr is the latest to sign up with MP Motorsport for a twin-pronged assault on the Eurocup-3 series and the Formula Regional Middle East Championship (FRMEC), with his first FRMEC races coming up this weekend.

Spanish racer Bruno Del Pino Ventos will remain with MP Motorsport for a fresh assault on the Eurocup-3 series. By way of preparation, the 17-year-old will also take in a campaign in the Formula Regional Middle East Championship.

Indian American racer Nikhil Bohra has switched to MP Motorsport for a second season in the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine (FRECA) and the Formula Regional Middle East Championship (FRMEC). The New York City-born resident of Singapore has signed to join the Dutch outfit’s three-car team, with the previously announced Valerio Rinicella as one of his teammates.

Danish youngster Sebastian Øgaard is the first driver to hook up with MP Motorsport for an assault on the inaugural Eurocup-3 series. The Dutch outfit is one of the teams providing cars for this new stepping stone in between Formula 4, the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine (FRECA) and FIA Formula 3.

Abu Dhabi, February 19, 2023: Mercedes Formula 1 protégé Andrea Kimi Antonelli became the inaugural Formula Regional Middle East (FRMEC) champion during another thrilling weekend of action in the final round at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi. The 16-year-old Italian didn’t win any races, although he did take the chequered flag first in one of them. But a penalty for a collision with main title rival Taylor Barnard as they battled for the lead in race one converted victory into no points for Antonelli, and kept things at boiling point overnight before the deciding two races on Sunday.

Dubai, February 12, 2023: Thrilling racing on the Formula Regional Middle East Championship’s (FRMEC) return to Dubai Autodrome culminated in Andrea Kimi Antonelli taking an encouraging points lead into the final round next weekend at Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi. But such has been the unpredictable nature of the season so far, that nothing can be taken for granted. Antonelli may have shared the wins in Dubai with Pepe Martí and Nikita Bedrin, but it was Taylor Barnard who scored the biggest points total of the weekend and he is still very much in the picture for the title.

Round 3 continues with Races 2 and 3 of the Formula 4 UAE Championship and the Formula Regional Middle East Championship (FRMEC) at the new 5.609km Kuwait Motor Town.
 

Today starts Round 3 with race 1 of the Formula Regional Middle East Championship (FRMEC) at the new 5.609km Kuwait Motor Town. Alongside the F4 UAE Championship, the two series will debut open-wheel competition at the impressive, multi-discipline USD162 million motorsport facility with a combined grid just shy of 70 cars.

The first visit by the Formula Regional Middle East Championship Certified by FIA (FRMEC) to the new Kuwait Motor Town facility was a festival of the unpredictable and dramatic. Dino Beganovic, Taylor Barnard and Sami Meguetounif emerged as the three race winners. Yet, just as he did after the opening round at Dubai Autodrome, Andrea Kimi Antonelli came away as the series leader, despite not yet having won a race.

The Formula Regional Middle East Championship (FRMEC) will make history as the first single-seater series to race at the new 5.609km Kuwait Motor Town (KMT) this week. Alongside the F4 UAE Championship, the two series will debut open-wheel competition at the impressive, multi-discipline USD162 million motorsport facility with a combined grid just shy of 70 cars.

The inaugural round of the new Formula Regional Middle East Championship Certified by FIA (FRMEC) was certainly dramatic and unpredictable. When the dust settled at the Dubai Autodrome from three sensational races from the high-quality, international 27-driver field, a trio of young talents were celebrating victories – yet none of them are in the leading three positions in the championship.