Yuki Sano became the sixth different polesitter of the 2026 season after securing top spot in Qualifying 1 at the Hungaroring, which this weekend hosts Round 5 of the eight-event FIA Formula Regional European Championship campaign.
The R-ace GP driver, who arrives in Hungary fresh from his maiden podium finish at Monza where he claimed third place, topped Group A with a 1:37.760 to secure pole position for the opening race of the weekend. Joining him on the front row will be Rodin Motorsport's Reza Seewooruthun, who emerged quickest in Group B and finished just 0.025s shy of Sano's benchmark.
GROUP A
Kabir Anurag was the first driver to produce a representative lap time, setting a 1:38.435, marginally quicker than the best effort recorded by Saqer Almaosherji during Friday's second Free Practice session.
R-ace GP’s Rashid Al Dhaheri then became the first driver to break into the 1m37s, jumping to the top of the timesheets with a 1:37.933 - over half a second clear of the ART Grand Prix driver and also ahead of CL Motorsport's Reno Francot, who moved into second with a 1:38.117.
With just 30 seconds remaining on the clock, Al Dhaheri improved once again. A gain of 0.169s in Sector 1, combined with a repeat of his previous final sector performance, saw him lower the benchmark to a 1:37.779. However, with the chequered flag already out, Sano delivered a stunning final effort. Benefiting from an exceptional middle sector, the Japanese driver edged his team-mate by 0.019s to snatch top spot and secure pole position.
Francot initially completed the Group A top three ahead of G4 Racing's Marcus Saeter, with championship leader Sebastian Wheldon rounding out the top five for MP Motorsport. However, following post-session scrutineering, the Dutch driver was disqualified due to a technical infringement.
GROUP B
Emanuele Olivieri immediately established himself at the head of the field with a 1:38.323, over a quarter of a second quicker than Seewooruthun's opening effort. Jan Przyrowski (RPM) was among the first drivers to respond, moving into second place just 0.025s behind the Italian R-ace GP driver.
Olivieri then improved further, lowering the benchmark to a 1:37.936. Behind him, MP Motorsport's Alexander Abkhazava briefly moved into second position before being displaced by PREMA Racing's Tomass Stolcermanis.
The decisive moment came in the closing stages as Seewooruthun produced an impressive final lap to stop the clocks at 1:37.785, moving to the top by 0.151s ahead of Olivieri and remaining there until the chequered flag.
Stolcermanis eventually finished third ahead of G4 Racing's Saqer Almaosherji, who had already shown strong pace after topping Friday's second Free Practice session. Completing the Group B top five was Rodin Motorsport's Australian driver Alex Ninovic.
Yuki Sano (R-ace GP): “It was a really good lap and the car was amazing. I'm very happy to have taken pole position. This is my first pole in Europe, which makes it even more special for me. At the beginning of the season I struggled a little, but after taking my first podium with P3 at Monza and now securing pole position here, I feel that we are making good progress and moving in the right direction. R-ace GP has always been strong at the Hungaroring and having my team-mates close to me on the grid gives us confidence for the race. Starting from pole is a great opportunity, although I know this afternoon's race won't be easy, especially in these conditions. The target is clear: I start from P1 and my focus is to stay in P1 and fight for the win."
Reza Seewooruthun (Rodin Motorsport): "I'm very happy to be starting from the front row. It's been a tough season so far, probably the toughest start to any season I've experienced, so this result means a lot. The pace has always been there, especially during the Thursday and Friday sessions, but we just hadn't managed to put everything together in qualifying until now. To do it here at the Hungaroring, and in such hot and challenging conditions, makes it even more satisfying. Tyre management is definitely going to be one of the key factors in the race."
Race 1 is scheduled to get underway at 18:20 and will run over 30 minutes plus one lap, with live coverage available in more than 200 territories worldwide, including on ACI Sport TV, as well as via the championship's official YouTube channel, @fiaformularegionaleu.
Full broadcast details are available here.
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