Round 7 of the 2025 Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine (FRECA) at Spielberg delivered another weekend of drama and unpredictability. Across two races at the Red Bull Ring, Matteo De Palo stamped his authority with a dominant Saturday victory, Pedro Clerot controlled Sunday to perfection, and Freddie Slater regained the championship lead despite mixed fortunes. Meanwhile, Enzo Deligny’s consistent double podium and Jin Nakamura’s breakthrough performance further tightened the title battle.
Race 1: De Palo dominates from pole
Matteo De Palo seized the initiative in Race 1 with a commanding lights-to-flag performance. Starting from pole, the Trident driver built an early gap and maintained control even after a Safety Car period. His win proved crucial as Freddie Slater endured a rare off-day and finished outside the points.
Behind De Palo, Nikita Bedrin showcased resilience by defending his second position against Enzo Deligny, who completed the podium for R-ace GP. Clerot took fourth after a strong late charge, with Akshay Bohra settling for fifth.
Further back, Yamakoshi and Al Dhaheri secured sixth and seventh. The standout performance came from Nakamura, who surged from the back of the grid to eighth, producing one of the drives of the weekend. Giltaire and Eyckmans completed the points. By the end of the day, De Palo had vaulted into the championship lead, moving nine points ahead of Slater.
Race 2: Clerot in command
Sunday brought fresh twists as Pedro Clerot delivered a flawless drive from pole to claim his second victory of the season for Van Amersfoort Racing. The Brazilian resisted early pressure from Deligny before opening a decisive gap.
Deligny’s consistency rewarded him with another podium in second, while his teammate Nakamura celebrated his first podium of the year in third. Slater finished fourth on the road but gained vital points after Giltaire’s penalty for a false start dropped the Frenchman from fourth to seventh.
Al Dhaheri continued to impress with fifth and the fastest lap, while Beeton, Bedrin, Bhirombhakdi, Francot, and Giltaire completed the top ten. De Palo, however, suffered disappointment, retiring after first-lap contact and surrendering the championship lead.
Championship battle intensifies
By the conclusion of the Spielberg round, the standings had shifted once again. Slater reclaimed the top spot with a slender three-point advantage over De Palo. Clerot’s victory and Deligny’s consistency ensured both remain firmly in contention as the title fight heads towards Barcelona.
In the Teams’ Championship, R-ace GP surged into the lead, moving ahead of Prema Racing, while Van Amersfoort Racing’s momentum closed the gap further. With five teams and several drivers still in realistic contention, the 2025 FRECA season remains finely balanced.
Drivers’ standings after Round 7 (Spielberg) of the 2025 FRECA
- Freddie Slater – 198 points
- Matteo De Palo – 195 points
- Enzo Deligny – 173 points
- Pedro Clerot – 165 points
- Akshay Bohra – 118 points
- Evan Giltaire – 107 points
- Rashid Al Dhaheri – 91 points
- Hiyu Yamakoshi – 86 points
- Nikita Bedrin – 64 points
- Taito Kato – 59 points
- Jin Nakamura – 50 points
- Jack Beeton – 30 points
- Kanato Le – 24 points
- Dion Gowda – 22 points
- Michael Belov – 13 points
- Nandhavud Bhirombhakdi – 10 points
- Giovanni Maschio – 4 points
- Ruiqi Liu – 2 points
- Ean Eyckmans – 2 points
- Reno Francot – 1 point
Teams’ standings after Round 7 (Spielberg) of the 2025 FRECA
- R-ace GP – 330 points
- Prema Racing – 305 points
- Van Amersfoort Racing – 265 points
- Trident – 207 points
- ART Grand Prix – 187 points
- Saintéloc Racing – 64 points
- CL Motorsport – 13 points
- RPM – 7 points
