The opening round of the 2026 Formula Regional Middle East (FRME) Trophy at Yas Marina provided an immediate statement of intent for the new season. Across three races, the field faced sharply contrasting conditions, ranging from controlled, strategic battles to heavily disrupted contests shaped by Safety Cars, red flags and penalties. As a result, the standings after Round 1 reflect not only outright speed, but also adaptability, composure and decision-making under pressure. With those factors in mind, the Drivers’, Rookie Cup and Teams’ classifications already offer valuable insight into the emerging competitive order.
Drivers’ Championship: Early momentum established with Al Dhaheri in the early lead
After three contrasting races at Yas Marina, the Drivers’ Championship already shows clear momentum shifts. Rashid Al Dhaheri leads the standings on 53 points, and he does so through consistency as much as outright pace. Although he narrowly missed victory in Race 1, he recovered strongly with fifth in the chaotic Race 2 and then controlled Race 3 from pole to flag. As a result, he leaves Round 1 as the benchmark for execution under pressure.
Behind him, Christian Ho sits second on 44 points, reflecting a weekend built on opportunism and race intelligence. While he finished only eighth in Race 1, he capitalised perfectly on Race 2’s disruption to take victory and then added a solid third in Race 3. Consequently, Ho emerges as the most adaptable driver of the field so far.
Alexander Abkhazava holds third with 33 points, but his tally masks a weekend of extremes. He dominated Race 1 with defensive precision and pace, yet incidents and recovery drives in Races 2 and 3 limited his scoring. Nevertheless, his outright speed remains unquestionable.
Further down, Maximilian Popov, Alex Powell and Kean Nakamura-Berta form a tightly packed group. Popov’s podium and rookie win in Race 1 laid strong foundations, while Powell’s resilience culminated in second place and a rookie victory in Race 3. Meanwhile, Nakamura-Berta showed flashes of pace, including the fastest lap in Race 1, but retirements and incidents curtailed his points haul.
2026 FRME: Yas Marina: Driver Standings after Round 1
- Rashid Al Dhaheri – 53 points
- Christian Ho – 44 points
- Alexander Abkhazava – 33 points
- Maximilian Popov – 27 points
- Alex Powell – 26 points
- Kean Nakamura-Berta – 22 points
- Alex Ninovic – 21 points
- Miguel Costa – 19 points
- Salim Hanna – 12 points
- Kabir Anurag – 12 points
- Taito Kato – 10 points
- Zhenrui Chi – 7 points
- Francisco Macedo – 6 points
- Andrija Kostic – 4 points
- Artem Severiukhin – 2 points
- Kai Daryanani – 2 points
- Maxim Rehm – 2 points
- Yuki Sano – 1 point
- Gerrard Xie – 0 points
- Dion Gowda – 0 points
- Reza Seewooruthun – 0 points
- Andre Dupé – 0 points
- Jan Przyrowski – 0 points
- Sebastian Wheldon – 0 points
- Yuhao Fu – 0 points
- Giovanni Maschio – 0 points
- Alceu Feldmann Neto – 0 points
- Michael Belov – 0 points
- Jules Roussel – 0 points
- August Raber – 0 points
- Matteo Giaccardi – 0 points
- Enea Frey – 0 points
Rookie Cup: Consistency rewards Popov, with Powell chasing
In the Rookie Cup, Maximilian Popov leads with 52 points, and his advantage reflects consistent finishing rather than headline chaos. He avoided major trouble across all three races and repeatedly placed himself in the right position to score heavily, especially when others faltered.
Alex Powell follows on 40 points, and his trajectory trends sharply upward. After steady points early in the weekend, he delivered a composed drive in Race 3 to secure second overall and rookie honours. Therefore, he positions himself as Popov’s most credible challenger heading into the next round.
Miguel Costa and Kean Nakamura-Berta occupy third and fourth respectively. Costa’s Race 2 rookie victory boosted his total significantly, even though retirements in Race 3 halted his momentum. In contrast, Nakamura-Berta’s speed never translated into sustained scoring, which leaves him needing cleaner weekends going forward.
Lower down the order, Kabir Anurag and Salim Hanna sit level on points. Both drivers maximised survival during the most disrupted race of the weekend, particularly in Race 2, and they now benefit from others’ misfortune rather than pure pace alone.
2026 FRME: Yas Marina: Rookie Cup Standings after Round 1
- Maximilian Popov – 52 points
- Alex Powell – 40 points
- Miguel Costa – 35 points
- Kean Nakamura-Berta – 33 points
- Kabir Anurag – 26 points
- Salim Hanna – 26 points
- Artem Severiukhin – 20 points
- Andrija Kostic – 18 points
- Sebastian Wheldon – 14 points
- Andre Dupé – 13 points
- Maxim Rehm – 12 points
- Jan Przyrowski – 12 points
- Jules Roussel – 5 points
- Yuhao Fu – 2 points
- August Raber – 1 point
- Enea Frey – 0 points
- Matteo Giaccardi – 0 points
Teams’ Championship: MP Motorsport sets the pace with two race wins
In the Teams’ Championship, MP Motorsport leaves Yas Marina firmly in control on 77 points. This advantage stems directly from balance across its nominated drivers. Abkhazava’s Race 1 win combined with Ho’s Race 2 victory delivered maximum early returns, and consistent top-six finishes elsewhere ensured no wasted opportunities.
R-ace GP sits second on 54 points, and its position relies heavily on Al Dhaheri’s excellence. His pole positions, fastest laps and Race 3 victory underline a team-driver combination that already functions at a championship level. However, the points gap highlights the importance of depth across both nominated drivers.
Mumbai Falcons Racing Limited holds third with 34 points, largely thanks to Nakamura-Berta’s early pace and Anurag’s steady accumulation. Although incidents limited their ceiling, they remain well placed in the fight for the top three.
Behind them, Trident and Pinnacle Motorsport remain closely matched. Trident’s weekend fluctuated sharply due to penalties and non-starts, while Pinnacle benefited from Powell’s late surge. As a result, both teams leave Yas Marina with unanswered questions but clear potential.
2026 FRME: Yas Marina: Rookie Cup Standings after Round 1
Ahead of each event, each team nominated two drivers who accumulated the teams’ points
- MP Motorsport – 77 points
- R-ace GP – 54 points
- Mumbai Falcons Racing Limited – 34 points
- Trident – 31 points
- Pinnacle Motorsport – 26 points
- ART Grand Prix – 22 points
- Rodin Motorsport – 21 points
- RPM – 19 points
- CL Motorsport – 7 points
- Van Amersfoort Racing – 6 points
- G4 Racing – 2 points
Overall outlook after Round 1
In summary, Round 1 established clear patterns. Drivers who combined aggression with restraint, such as Al Dhaheri and Ho, reaped the rewards. Conversely, raw pace without consistency proved costly in a weekend defined by interruptions.
Looking ahead, the standings suggest no runaway championship yet. Instead, they reveal a finely balanced field where composure under disruption may prove just as decisive as outright speed as the season unfolds.
