Two poles from two at the Red Bull Ring in the FIA Formula Regional Championship opener for Kean Nakamura-Berta. The Prema Racing driver, after dominating Friday's qualifying, was the fastest in the Sunday's sessions to secure the top spot on the grid for the final race of the weekend, setting the best overall time of 1:25.246. CL Motorsport's Dutch driver Reno Francot led the way in Group B, earning a front-row start.
Group B
The first reference time was set by Sebastian Wheldon with a 1:26.513. The MP Motorsport driver unleashed even more pace on his next lap, ripping off another three tenths to improve further. Right behind, Alexandre Munoz surged to second, just 0.040s off the pace.
Wheldon then improved again, posting a 1:26.043, but was immediately beaten by Reno Francot. The CL Motorsport driver became the first to break the 1:26 barrier, firing in a 1:25.655. Wheldon hit back with a 1:25.741, but remained second as Francot held firm at the top. Also making an impression was Yuki Sano, who took third at the chequered flag in the leading R-ace GP entry. Just under three tenths covered the top six, with Munoz fourth ahead of Reza Seewooruthun (Rodin Motorsport), and Race 2 winner Rashid Al Dhaheri (R-ace GP).
Group A
With the track significantly quicker, Zhenrui Chi (MP Motorsport) set an early benchmark of 1:25.902 in the opening stages of the session. Alex Ninovic then surged to the top with a 1:25.592. But Kean Nakamura-Berta soon raised the stakes with a 1:25.246, over half a tenth quicker than his own Friday best lap time to grab the pole position. Behind him, just over a tenth and a half adrift, Alex Ninovic secured second, edging Salim Hanna – Nakamura-Berta’s team-mate – by just 0.019s. Dion Gowda (Van Amersfoort Racing) and Jan Przyrowski (RPM) completed the top five.
Kean Nakamura-Berta (Prema Racing): "A good way to start the day. We had a decent day in the office yesterday and then starting on pole is always helpful. The track felt a lot quicker than on Friday afternoon, which is what we were expecting with the cooler conditions this morning. The first group already showed that the pace was strong, and in our group we managed to find another half a second, which I wasn’t really expecting. But overall, it was good – the track was fast and the car felt great.”
Reno Francot (CL Motorsport): "Qualifying went really well. Taking pole in my group is obviously the best you can do. Unfortunately, the second group was a bit quicker, but the car feels really on rails, so I’m looking forward to the race. Let’s see if we can get a good start and maybe gain a position.”
The third and final race of the weekend will start at 16:40 CEST and will be broadcast live on the championship’s official YouTube channel @fiaformularegionaleu and on television by 78 different broadcasters across more than 200 territories. Where to watch.
