It was a race full of twists and action in the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine, which this afternoon concluded the Paul Ricard round under the rain. Alessandro Giusti (ART Grand Prix) was a prophet in his own land, starting from the fifth position on the grid and, with an excellent race pace, secured an important victory. The Williams Academy driver stood on the top step of the podium exactly one year after his first championship victory, also achieved at Le Castellet, adding to his other two victories (Red Bull Ring and Monza 2023) for a total of four wins in the series.
The second race also gave Ugo Ugochukwu (Prema Racing) his best finish of the season, showcasing a brilliant comeback from sixth position on the grid to the runner-up spot. The McLaren Driver Development driver, thanks to an excellent pace, managed to secure the podium in the final stages, overtaking his teammate Rafael Camara and Kanato Le (G4 Racing). Camara, after leading the race at the start under safety car conditions, was overtaken in the final laps and finished seventh. The podium was completed by Noah Strømsted (RPM), who also won the rookie trophy. The Dane was the protagonist of a significant comeback, climbing from fifteenth to third, overtaking Le in the final stages, who nonetheless achieved his best race finish.
Le Castellet (FRA), July 18-21, 2024 – FRECA Round 6 at Circuit Paul, France. Start race 2.
Another impressive performance came from Evan Giltaire of ART Grand Prix, who also climbed the ranks from nineteenth to fifth. Enzo Deligny (R-ace GP) also recovered well from a challenging start, where he spun but managed to finish sixth. The determination of the Red Bull Junior Team driver was evident throughout the race.
Rounding out the top ten were Zachary David (R-ace GP), Ivan Domingues (Van Amersfoort Racing), and James Wharton (Prema Racing).
The only race neutralization occurred following a contact between Tuukka Taponen (R-ace GP) and Enzo Peugeot (Sainteloc Racing), which forced the former to retire with his car stuck in a dangerous position. The Finnish driver’s race was uphill, also involved earlier in another contact with Brando Badoer (Van Amersfoort Racing) while battling for fourth place. The Italian was forced to retire, leaving both without points in the title fight against Camara, who remains firmly in the lead with 210 points. Regret also for Michael Belov (Trident), who, after starting from the front row, was involved in a contact at the start, forcing him to retire.
The Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine will return to action after the summer break in about a month and a half at the Imola track (September 6-8).
Le Castellet (FRA), July 18-21, 2024 – FRECA Round 6 at Circuit Paul, France. Alessandro GIUSTI #10, ART Grand Prix.
Alessandro Giusti – ART Grand Prix
“The key moment of the race was the start. I had a good first lap where I was already in second position after the first sector. Afterwards, I had to manage a car that was simply fantastic. I caught up to Camara and after the safety car, I overtook at the first corner to secure the win. It was all fantastic; starting fifth and winning here at Paul Ricard in France makes me really happy.
Ugo Ugochukwu – Prema Racing
“It was the first time racing in the rain this weekend, so I didn’t know what to expect. At the beginning, I realized I felt comfortable in these conditions. The pace was good, allowing me to reach second position.”
Noah Strømsted – RPM
“It was a really good race. We showed a good pace at the start, starting from fifteenth position. I managed to recover some positions in the first laps and reached the podium after the safety car, thanks to a particularly performant car.”