Round 8 of the 2025 Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine (FRECA) opened in Barcelona with a tense Race 1. Matteo De Palo delivered a decisive performance for Trident, beating Prema Racing’s Freddie Slater off the line and controlling the race from the front. Pedro Clerot completed the podium after showing strong pace in the second half of the contest.
De Palo takes control early
Starting alongside his main championship rival on the front row, De Palo knew the long run to Turn 1 would present his best chance to strike. When the lights went out, he executed a flawless launch and swept past Slater into the lead before the first braking zone. From there, the Italian immediately set about managing the pace and preserving his tyres.
“I knew the start would be my best opportunity, as my launches have been strong since the beginning of the season, and I was confident going into Race 1,” he explained afterwards. “I managed to get ahead of Freddie straight away, and from there it was all about managing the tyres, keeping a consistent pace, and avoiding mistakes.”
As the laps unfolded, De Palo’s composure allowed him to stretch his advantage to over three seconds. It was a measured drive that emphasised maturity as much as speed.
“The speed was good and we were able to build a solid gap of more than three seconds to take the win, which is a very positive result,” he added, reflecting on his fourth triumph of the year.
Even while celebrating, the Trident driver identified room for refinement. “Qualifying could have been better this morning, as I felt we had the potential for overall pole, but we’ll work hard overnight to fine-tune a few details and hopefully fight at the front again tomorrow. If it rains, I expect to be competitive as well, but we’ll only know once we get on track.”
Slater struggles from pole
For Slater, the race began in frustration. Pole position should have given him the advantage, but a slower getaway left him vulnerable to attack. Once De Palo slipped ahead, Barcelona’s reputation as a circuit where overtaking is difficult meant Slater’s opportunities were limited.
“The start wasn’t great and that really made the difference, because here in Barcelona it’s very difficult to overtake,” the Briton admitted.
He then shifted his focus to tyre management, knowing that degradation could shape the closing stages. “I tried to manage the tyre degradation as best as I could and focus on the right areas of the track to defend, but when you’re fighting at the front with such small gaps it’s always tricky to make a move. I made a slight mistake at Turn 13 but managed to hold the position until the end.”
Looking beyond Race 1, Slater highlighted the importance of improving his car’s consistency over a full distance.
“Our qualifying pace looks stronger than our race pace at the moment, so we’ll need to analyse the data and work on the little details overnight to improve. It’s not about big gains, just a few tenths that can add up over the race distance. Tomorrow’s conditions could also be interesting if the rain arrives. We haven’t had much running in the wet this year, so it would be a bit of an unknown for everyone.”
Clerot pressures the leaders
Van Amersfoort Racing’s Pedro Clerot was another standout performer. After slipping back at the start, he regrouped and mounted a bold pass on Jin Nakamura to reclaim track position. Once clear, the Brazilian began to close down the leaders, showing that he had pace to match the front-runners.
“It was a good race overall. The start wasn’t ideal, but once things settled I had strong pace and managed to pass Nakamura with a nice move,” he said.
From there, Clerot adopted a methodical approach and though he could not snatch second, he remained optimistic.
“I focused on tyre management early on, then pushed more in the middle and towards the end, and I’m very happy with how we performed. We closed in on Matteo and Freddie, which shows the speed was there, even if I couldn’t quite get past for second. In the end, the important thing is scoring points and staying in the fight, and the championship is becoming really exciting with so many of us in the mix. Tomorrow will be another close battle, qualifying will be key especially if the rain comes, but I’m confident we can improve and fight again at the front.”
Gowda claims Rookie Win
Elsewhere, Dion Gowda kept his head down to secure rookie honours in 13th place for Van Amersfoort Racing. His race was less dramatic but still valuable in terms of experience and points.
“It was quite a tricky race with not much overtaking and I felt we lacked a little bit of pace, but overall it was okay and I’m happy to take the rookie win,” he reflected. “Qualifying could have gone a bit better, but the speed has been there and I’m looking forward to tomorrow. If the rain comes it could make things interesting, so hopefully we can put everything together and fight for another strong result.”
The battle continues
De Palo’s victory narrowed the gap to Slater in the standings and reaffirmed Trident’s challenge against Prema. With rain looming as a possible factor for Race 2, both drivers know that adaptability could prove decisive in shaping the next chapter of this tightly balanced title fight.
