FRECA | 2025 Round 9 | Hockenheim | Qualifying 2 | Deligny claims Pole, De Palo shines in Group B - Motorsport

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The second qualifying session of the 2025 Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine (FRECA) at Hockenheim delivered another tense and unpredictable battle across both groups. With dry conditions and a fiercely competitive field, drivers pushed the limits in search of pole position, producing a session defined by fine margins, track limit infringements, and decisive late laps. In Group B, Matteo De Palo resisted heavy pressure from Pedro Clerot and Evan Giltaire to secure the top spot, while in Group A, Enzo Deligny produced a commanding performance to claim the fastest time overall, despite facing a grid penalty that will affect his starting position for Race 1. The combined classification highlighted the intensity of the championship fight, with De Palo, Deligny, Slater, and Bohra all featuring at the sharp end of the order as the weekend builds towards two crucial races.

De Palo leads Group B despite competition from Clerot and Giltaire

The second qualifying session of the 2025 FRECA weekend at Hockenheim saw Group B drivers tackle a dry track for 15 minutes. The early exchanges proved lively, as competitors worked to bring their tyres up to temperature and re-familiarise themselves with the German circuit. Trident’s Ruiqi Liu initially set the pace before Van Amersfoort Racing’s Hiyu Yamakoshi went faster. Soon after, Trident’s Matteo De Palo, second in the championship and fighting Freddie Slater for the title, moved into third place, ahead of team-mate Nandhavud Bhirombhakdi.

On the next lap, De Palo surged to the top, while Pedro Clerot advanced to second. Bhirombhakdi slipped down the order as Dion Gowda claimed third and CL Motorsport’s Enea Frey took fifth. With six minutes remaining, De Palo extended his advantage with purple times in Sectors 2 and 3. At the same time, RPM’s James Egozi briefly climbed to fourth before dropping to 14th when officials deleted his lap for exceeding track limits.

Further drama unfolded as ART Grand Prix’s Evan Giltaire moved into third, relegating Prema’s Jack Beeton. Track limit infringements disrupted many drivers, making clean laps crucial. Clerot slid into the gravel but recovered to hold second, although his tyres suffered.

In the final minutes, Clerot mounted a challenge but ran wide, ending his hopes of displacing De Palo, who remained on top despite not improving his best. Giltaire set the fastest final sector but stayed third. Meanwhile, Saintéloc Racing’s Nikita Bedrin gained eighth by using a tow from Beeton, who finished 11th. Egozi, despite earlier struggles, recovered well to take fourth, ahead of Gowda in fifth.

Results for Group B in Qualifying 2:

Matteo De Palo – 1:34.933
Pedro Clerot
Evan Giltaire
James Egozi
Dion Gowda
Ruiqi Liu
Kacper Sztuka
Nikita Bedrin
Hiyu Yamakoshi
Nandhavud Bhirombhakdi
Jack Beeton
Saqer Al Moaosherji
Enea Frey
Édouard Borgna

Deligny the top performer in Group A

The Group A drivers began their 15-minute qualifying session immediately after Group B set the opening order. Like their counterparts, the 14 competitors spent the early laps bringing their tyres up to temperature and re-acquainting themselves with the Hockenheim circuit. Edu Robinson established the first benchmark, narrowly ahead of Prema Racing’s Rashid Al Dhaheri. Championship leader Freddie Slater slotted into third, with his main rival, R-ace GP’s Enzo Deligny, in fourth.

Soon afterwards, Al Dhaheri rose to the top of the timesheets, as Slater advanced to second and Deligny to fourth. Robinson slipped to fifth, with R-ace GP’s Akshay Bohra just behind. With just under eight minutes remaining, Bohra delivered a strong lap to move into first, while Deligny improved to third, close behind Al Dhaheri.

The final six minutes produced the fiercest exchanges. Bohra reclaimed the lead with a fastest Sector 3, while team-mate Jin Nakamura surged to second. Prema’s Yuanpu Cui briefly held third before ART Grand Prix’s Taito Kato and Kanato Le pushed him down to fifth. With five minutes on the clock, Deligny struck back, setting the best Sector 1 and seizing the overall lead. Slater responded with the quickest Sector 2 but could only manage third, just behind Bohra. Robinson, meanwhile, ran wide and briefly triggered a yellow flag.

In the closing stages, few improved further. Deligny held on to secure pole position with a time of 1:34.897, his second of the weekend. However, a grid penalty carried over from the previous round will demote him for Race 1. Bohra claimed second, while Slater settled for third. Nakamura finished fourth after failing to capitalise on quick opening sectors, and Kato rounded out the top five.