2026 | FREC | Zandvoort | Qualifying 1 | Nakamura-Berta goes fastest in Group A; Wheldon claims pole

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The 2026 FIA Formula Regional European Championship (FREC) continued at Zandvoort with an ultra-competitive Qualifying 1 session, as the field battled for pole position around the fast and technical Dutch circuit.

In Group A, it was Kean Nakamura-Berta who continued his impressive form by setting the fastest time of the session, showcasing strong pace throughout as he consistently improved lap after lap. However, it was Group B’s Sebastian Wheldon who ultimately secured overall pole position after delivering the quickest lap across both groups, putting himself at the front of the grid for Race 1.

2026 FREC: Zandvoort: Qualifying 1: Group A: Nakamura-Berta brings the pace out front

Kean Nakamura-Berta looked strong from the beginning of the session, alongside Gomez, as the drivers continued building pace around the circuit. As more rubber was laid down on track, Francot briefly rose to the top of the timings, with Ninovic slotting in just behind him.

However, Nakamura-Berta responded immediately, returning to the top of the timesheets with a 1:30.316.

With four minutes remaining, Ninovic improved to P2 after setting a purple middle sector, before being displaced shortly after by Štolcermanis.

Nakamura-Berta continued to underline his pace throughout the remainder of the session, consistently setting purple sectors lap after lap to extend his advantage at the front. Despite the top 14 drivers being covered by less than a second, he comfortably ended Group A fastest overall.

Group A Results: Top 10

#51 Kean Nakamura-Berta – PREMA Racing – 1:30.136
#60 Tomass Štolcermanis – PREMA Racing – +0.198
#73 Emanuele Olivieri – R-ace GP – +0.264
#69 Reno Francot – CL Motorsport – +0.307
#55 Dion Gowda – Van Amersfoort Racing – +0.329
#2 Alex Ninovic – Rodin Motorsport – +0.377
#33 Maximilian Popov – Trident Motorsport – +0.398
#4 Reza Seewooruthun – Rodin Motorsport – +0.470
#78 Gabriel Gomez – Rodin Motorsport – +0.470
#27 Matteo Giaccardi – ART Grand Prix – +0.535

2026 FREC: Zandvoort Qualifying 1: Group B:

Saeter and Muñoz set the early pace in the Group B session, but as more drivers started putting representative lap times on the board, the order quickly began to change. With eight minutes remaining, Roussel moved to the top of the timings, although his stint at the front did not last long.

Wheldon soon delivered a 1:29.943, the fastest lap of the weekend so far in FREC, moving himself into provisional pole position. The MP Motorsport driver looked comfortable out front as the session progressed, continuing to build confidence around the circuit.

Hanna, Muñoz and Abkhazava rounded out the top four in the group, although all three drivers remained over a tenth away from Wheldon’s benchmark time.