Sebastian Wheldon heads the 2026 Formula Regional European Championship (FREC) Drivers’ Standings after a standout second round at Zandvoort, where two victories moved the MP Motorsport driver to the top of the championship on 82 points.
Wheldon entered the weekend fourth in the standings after Spielberg, but a dominant home round for MP Motorsport transformed both championship battles. He claimed pole for Race 1, converted it into victory, and then followed it up with another win in Race 2 after a close fight with Kean Nakamura-Berta.
Reno Francot now sits second in the Drivers’ Standings on 70 points, while Rashid Al Dhaheri remains third on 60. Nakamura-Berta is fourth on 55 after recovering from a difficult Race 1 to finish second in Race 2.
In the Teams’ Standings, MP Motorsport has taken firm control with 126 points, moving 38 points clear of PREMA Racing and R-ace GP, who are tied on 88.
Wheldon takes control after double Zandvoort victory
Wheldon was the clear winner from the Zandvoort round. After showing strong speed in Qualifying 1, the MP Motorsport driver secured pole for Race 1 and then held off late pressure from Salim Hanna to claim his first FREC victory.
He then backed that up in Race 2, where he fought Nakamura-Berta for the lead and held firm after a late Safety Car created a final-lap shootout. His second win of the weekend gave MP Motorsport another victory on home soil and confirmed his move to the top of the championship.
The results move Wheldon to 82 points, giving him a 12-point lead over Francot. After scoring 30 points in Spielberg, his Zandvoort weekend has now made him the early championship leader.
His rise also reflects MP Motorsport’s strength across the round. With Zhenrui Chi and Alexander Abkhazava also scoring, the team has opened a clear advantage in the Teams’ Standings.
Francot remains second after consistent points haul
Francot leaves Zandvoort second in the Drivers’ Standings on 70 points. Although he lost the championship lead to Wheldon, the CL Motorsport driver still produced another consistent weekend.
After leading the standings following Round 1 at Spielberg, Francot remained firmly in contention at Zandvoort. He finished fourth in Race 1 before taking third in Race 2 after defending from Al Dhaheri during the closing stages.
That consistency keeps him within striking distance of Wheldon. Although the gap has grown to 12 points, Francot remains ahead of Al Dhaheri and Nakamura-Berta in the championship fight.
With CL Motorsport sitting fourth in the Teams’ Standings on 70 points, Francot’s points remain central to the team’s early-season position.
Al Dhaheri and Nakamura-Berta stay in title contention
Al Dhaheri remains third in the Drivers’ Standings on 60 points after another solid round for R-ace GP. He finished fifth in Race 1 and fourth in Race 2, adding valuable points across both races.
Although he did not reach the podium at Zandvoort, Al Dhaheri’s consistency keeps him 22 points behind Wheldon and just 10 points behind Francot. He also remains five points ahead of Nakamura-Berta.
Nakamura-Berta sits fourth on 55 points after a mixed weekend. He showed strong qualifying pace across the round, but Race 1 was compromised by a grid drop and a later 10-second penalty for contact with Yuki Sano.
However, the PREMA Racing driver recovered strongly in Race 2. Starting from pole, he led the early stages before finishing second behind Wheldon. That result helped him remain firmly inside the top four in the Drivers’ Standings.
Chi, Hanna and Olivieri climb after strong Zandvoort performances
Behind the leading four, Zhenrui Chi now sits fifth in the Drivers’ Standings on 32 points. The MP Motorsport driver scored in both races, finishing eighth in Race 1 and fifth in Race 2. His weekend helped strengthen MP Motorsport’s lead in the Teams’ Championship.
Hanna follows closely in sixth on 31 points. His second-place finish in Race 1 was one of PREMA Racing’s strongest moments of the weekend, although Race 2 proved more difficult as he finished 14th.
Emanuele Olivieri is seventh on 28 points after a standout Zandvoort round for R-ace GP. He finished third overall in Race 1 and sixth in Race 2, also continuing to build momentum in the rookie battle.
Alex Ninovic drops to eighth on 27 points after a quieter second round for Rodin Motorsport. Dion Gowda sits ninth on 19 points, while Abkhazava completes the top ten on 14.
2026 FREC Drivers’ Standings after Round 2 (Zandvoort)
- Sebastian Wheldon (MP Motorsport) – 82
- Reno Francot (CL Motorsport) – 70
- Rashid Al Dhaheri (R-ace GP) – 60
- Kean Nakamura-Berta (PREMA Racing) – 55
- Zhenrui Chi (MP Motorsport) – 32
- Salim Hanna (PREMA Racing) – 31
- Emanuele Olivieri (R-ace GP) – 28
- Alex Ninovic (Rodin Motorsport) – 27
- Dion Gowda (Van Amersfoort Racing) – 19
- Alexander Abkhazava (MP Motorsport) – 14
- Reza Seewooruthun (Rodin Motorsport) – 9
- Maksimilian Popov (Trident Motorsport) – 8
- Kai Daryanani (Trident Motorsport) – 8
- Alexandre Munoz (ART Grand Prix) – 8
- Tomass Štolcermanis (PREMA Racing) – 7
- Gabriel Gomez (Rodin Motorsport) – 6
- Miguel Costa (RPM) – 4
- Francisco Macedo (Van Amersfoort Racing) – 2
- Yuki Sano (R-ace GP) – 1
- Andrea Dupé (Van Amersfoort Racing) – 0
- Andrija Kostić (Trident Motorsport) – 0
- Jan Przyrowski (RPM) – 0
- Marcus Saeter (G4 Racing) – 0
- Jules Roussel (CL Motorsport) – 0
- Enea Frey (CL Motorsport) – 0
- Mattéo Giaccardi (ART Grand Prix) – 0
- Kabir Anurag (ART Grand Prix) – 0
- Saqer Almaosherji (G4 Racing) – 0
- Giovanni Maschio (RPM) – 0
- Thomas Stauven (CL Motorsport) – 0
- Rahim Alibhai (G4 Racing) – 0
MP Motorsport strengthens Teams’ Championship lead
MP Motorsport leaves Zandvoort with a commanding lead in the Teams’ Standings. The team now sits on 126 points after Wheldon’s double victory and additional points from Chi and Abkhazava.
After Round 1, MP Motorsport already led the Teams’ Championship. However, its Zandvoort performance has now created a much clearer gap at the front. Wheldon’s two wins were decisive, while Chi’s consistent scoring added further strength to the team’s total.
PREMA Racing and R-ace GP are tied for second on 88 points. PREMA gained important points through Nakamura-Berta, Hanna and Štolcermanis, while R-ace GP benefited from Al Dhaheri’s consistency and Olivieri’s strong weekend.
CL Motorsport sits fourth on 70 points, with Francot responsible for its entire total so far. Rodin Motorsport is fifth on 42 points, ahead of Van Amersfoort Racing on 31.
2026 FREC Teams’ Standings after Round 2 (Zandvoort)
- MP Motorsport – 126
- PREMA Racing – 88
- R-ace GP – 88
- CL Motorsport – 70
- Rodin Motorsport – 42
- Van Amersfoort Racing – 31
- Trident Motorsport – 16
- ART Grand Prix – 8
- RPM – 4
- G4 Racing – 0
Zandvoort reshapes early FREC title fight
The Zandvoort round has significantly changed the early shape of the 2026 FREC season. Francot arrived as the championship leader, but Wheldon leaves with the advantage after a near-perfect weekend.
Despite that, the fight remains open. Francot, Al Dhaheri and Nakamura-Berta are still within range, while Chi, Hanna, Olivieri and Ninovic remain close behind in the chasing group.
In the Teams’ Championship, MP Motorsport has taken clear control. However, PREMA Racing and R-ace GP remain level in second, while CL Motorsport continues to rely on Francot’s consistency to stay in contention.
With Spa next on the calendar, Wheldon and MP Motorsport carry the strongest momentum, but the margins across the front of the field remain close enough to keep the championship battle firmly alive.
