Yuki Sano claimed his first European victory after converting pole position into 2026 FREC Race 1 success at the Hungaroring, completing another major step in his 2026 Formula Regional European Championship campaign.
The R-ace GP driver led team-mate Rashid Al Dhaheri to the chequered flag, while Rodin Motorsport’s Reza Seewooruthun completed the podium. Emanuele Olivieri added further strength to R-ace GP’s result by finishing fourth overall and taking the Rookie win.
The result continued Sano’s recent momentum after his maiden podium at Monza. It also gave R-ace GP a commanding one-two-four finish at a circuit where overtaking usually proves difficult and track position carries major importance.
Sano thanks R-ace GP for 2026 FREC Race 1 victory at the Hungaroring and targets another strong Sunday
Sano entered the Hungaroring weekend with growing confidence after his breakthrough podium at Monza. He then claimed pole in Qualifying 1 before controlling Race 1 from the front and resisting pressure from Al Dhaheri.
After the race, the Japanese driver described the win as a special milestone and immediately shifted his attention to Sunday’s Qualifying and race.
“I’m super happy. It’s my first win in Europe, which makes it even more special for me. I’d like to say a big thank you to the team, to everyone supporting me, and to TGR for their continued support. Tomorrow we have another qualifying session and another race, so the target is to do it all again and keep the momentum going.”
Sano’s comments underline how quickly his season has started to turn. After facing a challenging opening phase of the campaign, he now has a podium, a pole position and a victory from consecutive rounds. Moreover, his focus on “doing it all again” highlights the importance of maintaining form across a full FREC weekend. With another Qualifying session and race still to come, Sano now has the chance to turn a breakthrough result into sustained momentum.
Al Dhaheri highlights difficult overtaking and valuable points
Al Dhaheri completed R-ace GP’s one-two finish after gaining a place at the start. The Emirati driver moved into second early and then spent the race close to Sano, waiting for any possible opportunity at a circuit where passing often requires a major pace advantage or a mistake from the car ahead.
Although he could not challenge his team-mate for the win, Al Dhaheri emphasised the importance of the result for both the championship and the team.
“It was quite a tricky race. The Hungaroring is always a difficult circuit when it comes to overtaking, but luckily we managed to gain a position at the start and move up to second. From there, I tried to manage the pace and stay close to Yuki to see if any opportunities would come our way.
“Overall, though, I think the team did an amazing job this weekend to give us a car that was capable of performing at a very high level. Now the focus shifts to tomorrow, with another qualifying session and another race ahead, and we’ll try to do our best once again.
“Of course, this podium is important for the championship because of the points we scored, but for me it is also a reward for all the hard work that has gone into achieving this result, both from myself and from the team”.
Al Dhaheri’s race showed the value of a strong launch at the Hungaroring. He gained the position he needed at the start, then used R-ace GP’s pace to stay near the front while managing the rhythm of the race.
Seewooruthun sees Rodin podium as reward after tough start
Seewooruthun secured third for Rodin Motorsport after a strong Qualifying and a composed Race 1. The result gave him valuable points and offered a clear sign of progress after a difficult start to the season.
The Rodin Motorsport driver explained that the team had worked hard behind the scenes and praised the car window across the weekend.
“I’m very happy with the result and with the points we scored today. It’s been a tough start to the season, so it’s nice to be able to show the hard work that has been going on behind the scenes. The team has done an amazing job this weekend and the car has been in a really good window throughout. Now the focus is on doing it all again tomorrow, putting together another strong qualifying session and carrying on from where we left off today.”
Seewooruthun’s podium carries extra weight because it came after a difficult opening stretch. He had already shown pace earlier in the weekend, and Race 1 finally allowed him to convert that speed into a top-three result.
In addition, his reference to the car’s “really good window” points to the importance of set-up at the Hungaroring. With limited overtaking chances, drivers need confidence across a full lap and strong tyre management over the race distance.
Now, Seewooruthun heads into Sunday with a clear target. He wants another strong Qualifying session and another chance to build on the progress Rodin Motorsport showed on Saturday.
Olivieri praises R-ace GP after Rookie win and fastest lap push
Olivieri completed R-ace GP’s one-two-four finish and claimed the Rookie win. Although he had the pace to threaten the podium fight at points, the Hungaroring’s layout made progress difficult once the field settled into rhythm.
The Italian driver still found a way to maximise his race. In the closing laps, he focused on opening a gap behind and chasing the fastest lap point, which could prove important later in the championship.
“It was a really tough race. Overtaking opportunities are very limited here at the Hungaroring, so despite having strong pace it was difficult to make progress.
“Overall, though, the pace was very good and the team can be really proud of today’s result with a one-two-four finish. At the start I thought I might have a chance to challenge for third place, but once the race settled down it became very difficult to get close enough to make a move.
“In the final laps I focused on creating a gap behind and pushing for the fastest lap, which gave us an extra point for the championship. As we’ve seen, every point can make a difference over the course of the season. Overall, I’m very happy with the performance.”
Olivieri’s quote captures the challenge of racing at the Hungaroring. Even with strong pace, he could not easily attack Seewooruthun once the race stabilised. Therefore, he shifted his focus towards maximising points rather than forcing a low-percentage move.
That approach paid off. The Rookie win strengthened his own weekend, while the extra point for fastest lap added value to a result that already gave R-ace GP major reason for confidence.
R-ace GP carries momentum into Sunday
R-ace GP ended Race 1 with victory, second place, fourth overall, Rookie honours and an extra fastest-lap point. That combination gave the team one of its strongest results of the season so far.
Sano now carries the biggest momentum after his first European win, but Al Dhaheri and Olivieri also leave Saturday with strong points and clear confidence. Meanwhile, Seewooruthun’s podium gives Rodin Motorsport a positive platform after a difficult start to the campaign.
With another Qualifying session and race still ahead, all four drivers now have the chance to turn their Saturday performances into a stronger overall Hungaroring weekend.
