Matteo De Palo once again underlined his speed at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya by finishing fastest in the afternoon session of the second collective test of the 2025 Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine (FRECA). His commanding 1:36.327 lap secured the top spot and confirmed Trident’s strong start to preparations. Notably, this result followed his earlier pace in the morning, which reinforced his consistency across the day.
R-ace GP responds, Trident doubles up
Enzo Deligny of R-ace GP emerged as De Palo’s closest challenger, finishing just 0.244 seconds behind. His pace demonstrated that R-ace GP remains within striking distance of the leading Trident entry. Deligny’s effort kept the pressure high, suggesting that the battle between the two outfits will remain close throughout testing.
At the same time, Trident strengthened its hand with Ruiqi Liu securing third place. This double presence in the top three highlighted the team’s depth. In addition, Nandhavud Bhirombhakdi contributed with fourteenth, ensuring all three of Trident’s cars were firmly in contention.
A tight pack behind
Nikita Bedrin of Saintéloc Racing maintained his impressive form by running at the front for much of the session before eventually finishing fourth. His consistency near the top underlined his adaptability to the Spanish circuit.
Behind the leading quartet, Pedro Clerot delivered a strong fifth for Van Amersfoort Racing, while Prema’s Freddie Slater followed in sixth, only 0.491 seconds adrift of De Palo. The close margin kept him within range of his championship rival and set the stage for a fascinating duel in the coming rounds.
ART Grand Prix delivered a balanced showing, with Taito Kato placing seventh and teammate Kanato Le narrowly missing the top ten in eleventh. R-ace GP also confirmed its competitiveness across its line-up, with Jin Nakamura securing ninth and Akshay Bohra finishing thirteenth.
Prema maintained a strong midfield presence as well, with Jack Beeton claiming eighth. Meanwhile, RPM celebrated Macéo Capietto’s return to the series with a solid tenth and added another top-fifteen position through Santiago Ramos in fifteenth.
Competitive grid shapes up
Although Trident ended the session with the clear advantage, the spread of teams inside the top fifteen revealed the depth of competition. From Prema’s consistency in the midfield to R-ace GP’s challenge at the front, several squads signalled their readiness to fight for victories. Consequently, the Barcelona test closed with a clear indication: the upcoming FRECA season promises fierce battles across the grid.
