The penultimate round of the 2025 Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine (FRECA) at Hockenheim delivered two intense races that reshaped the championship picture. With the battle for both the Drivers’ and Teams’ Championships reaching a critical point, Freddie Slater and Matteo De Palo continue to trade blows at the top, while Enzo Deligny remains within striking distance ahead of the season finale at Monza. Wet weather, strategic gambles, and penalties defined a weekend that leaves everything to play for in the final round of the year.
Race 1: Slater takes command in a wet-to-dry thriller
Prema Racing’s Freddie Slater claimed his sixth victory of the season in a dramatic Race 1 that began under a safety car due to wet conditions. Both he and De Palo entered the round level on points, making the stakes especially high.
Enzo Deligny had initially secured pole with an impressive 1:33.989, but a four-place grid penalty carried over from Barcelona demoted him down the order, promoting De Palo to pole position. At the start, the Italian led the field behind the safety car before launching cleanly when racing began. Bohra held second, while Slater quickly climbed to third, passing Giltaire with a decisive move through the stadium section.
The opening laps were eventful, with Nandhavud Bhirombhakdi spinning Michael Belov, while Jin Nakamura and Pedro Clerot battled for sixth. As the track dried, Slater closed on Bohra, eventually overtaking the Indian driver for second with a well-timed move down the inside.
The defining moment came when Slater and De Palo went wheel-to-wheel for the lead. Slater attempted a switch-back manoeuvre, forcing De Palo to outbrake himself and run wide. Bohra momentarily inherited first place before Slater reclaimed the position with a bold overtake. From there, the British driver controlled the race to the chequered flag, taking a commanding victory ahead of Bohra and De Palo.
The result handed Slater a 10-point advantage in the championship, setting up a crucial Race 2 showdown.
Race 2: Deligny strikes back as weather chaos unfolds
Race 2 was heavily influenced by weather and strategy. Light rain delayed the start, forcing Race Control to shorten the running time to 28 minutes. Enzo Deligny started from pole after topping his qualifying group, while De Palo joined him on the front row.
Deligny made a perfect start, holding the lead into Turn 1. Behind, Nikita Bedrin and Ruiqi Liu collided in dramatic fashion, with Bedrin’s Trident car ending up on top of Liu’s Saintéloc Racing machine. The incident brought out an immediate Safety Car.
When the race resumed, Evan Giltaire attacked Taito Kato for third, briefly unsettling the order and allowing De Palo and Deligny to pull away. Slater, starting from the third row, fought hard for position but was unable to find clean air amid a busy midfield battle.
As rain began to intensify, several drivers gambled by pitting for wet tyres, including Yuanpu Cui and Rashid Al Dhaheri, while Prema Racing double-stacked their cars. However, worsening conditions prompted officials to red-flag the race, bringing proceedings to an early end.
Deligny was declared the winner ahead of De Palo, with Giltaire completing the podium. Slater finished fourth, limiting his championship loss but allowing De Palo to close the gap once again.
Drivers’ Championship: A close battle for the title in Monza
After nine rounds, Freddie Slater retains the lead with 263 points, just four points ahead of De Palo on 259. The pair have been inseparable throughout the season, trading victories and podiums almost every weekend. Enzo Deligny remains a mathematical contender with 233 points, though he will require an exceptional performance at Monza to mount a final challenge.
Pedro Clerot sits fourth on 212 points, narrowly ahead of Bohra and Giltaire, who continue to impress with consistent results. With a maximum of 50 points available in the Monza finale, the championship remains wide open between Slater and De Palo, setting up a winner-takes-all battle in Italy.
Drivers’ standings after Round 9 (Hockenheim) of the 2025 FRECA
- Freddie Slater – 263 points
- Matteo De Palo – 259 points
- Enzo Deligny – 233 points
- Pedro Clerot – 212 points
- Akshay Bohra – 155 points
- Evan Giltaire – 152 points
- Rashid Al Dhaheri – 95 points
- Hiyu Yamakoshi – 86 points
- Taito Kato – 83 points
- Jin Nakamura – 71 points
- Nikita Bedrin – 64 points
- Dion Gowda – 32 points
- Jack Beeton – 32 points
- Kanato Le – 30 points
- Michael Belov – 21 points
- Nandhavud Bhirombhakdi – 20 points
- Giovanni Maschio – 4 points
- Ruiqi Liu – 2 points
- Ean Eyckmans – 2 points
- Reno Francot – 1 point
Teams’ Championship: A multi-way fight at the top
The Teams’ Championship also remains finely balanced heading into the Monza finale. R-ace GP leads with 439 points, maintaining a solid margin over Prema Racing in second. Despite a minor scoring discrepancy, Prema’s tally of 374 points keeps the Italian outfit within reach, with a maximum of 136 points still available in the final round.
Van Amersfoort Racing sits third on 322 points, followed by Trident and ART Grand Prix, who continue to battle for the top five. R-ace GP’s consistency across both De Palo and Deligny has been their key strength, while Prema’s scoring has been concentrated around Slater’s frequent victories.
Teams’ standings after Round 9 (Hockenheim) of the 2025 FRECA
- R-ace GP – 439 points
- Prema Racing – 3744 points
- Van Amersfoort Racing – 322 points
- Trident – 282 points
- ART Grand Prix – 256 points
- Saintéloc Racing – 64 points
- CL Motorsport – 21 points
- RPM – 7 points
Setting the stage for a thrilling Monza showdown
The 2025 FRECA season now heads to Monza for the decisive tenth and final round. With only four points separating Freddie Slater and Matteo De Palo, the Drivers’ Championship will be decided on Italian soil, where both have shown race-winning form before. R-ace GP holds the upper hand in the Teams’ Championship but cannot afford complacency with Prema still in contention. After a tense weekend at Hockenheim, all eyes turn to Monza, where the championship will be settled in what promises to be a thrilling finale to an unforgettable season.
