FRECA | 2025 Round 2 | Spa | De Palo on top as ART Grand Prix surges forward - Motorsport

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The Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine (FRECA) returned to one of its most iconic battlegrounds for the second round of the 2025 season: Spa-Francorchamps. At 7.004 kilometres, the Belgian circuit is the longest on the calendar and remains one of the greatest tests for both car and driver. Its fast, sweeping corners, sharp elevation changes, and notorious weather variations mean Spa is never a straightforward weekend. A driver can go from hero to zero within a few laps, and teams must constantly adapt strategy as conditions shift.

Coming into Belgium, the championship picture was wide open. Evan Giltaire of ART Grand Prix held the provisional lead thanks to his victory at Misano’s Race 2, but Trident’s Matteo De Palo was only just behind, buoyed by a strong start to the year that included a win and a podium. Freddie Slater, in only his second FRECA event, had already attracted attention for his speed and composure, while Pedro Clerot and Rashid Al Dhaheri were also within striking distance. The rookies, particularly Prema’s Dion Gowda, were beginning to show signs they could unsettle the established order.

With all of this in mind, Spa promised to be more than just another round. It had the potential to redefine the early championship narrative.

Pre-Event Collective Tests: Session 1: Nakamura strikes first

The opening pre-event session set the tone on Thursday morning. In cool, difficult conditions — air temperature at just 9.4°C and the track at 16.9°C — grip was at a premium. Yet R-ace GP’s Jin Nakamura rose to the challenge, producing a 2’11.998 to lead the way. His lap was not only the quickest but also a signal that R-ace GP had arrived well-prepared. Teammate Akshay Bohra backed that up with second place, underlining the squad’s strength.

Freddie Slater, meanwhile, slotted into third, only half a second back. It was a performance that again demonstrated his adaptability, even in his first Spa weekend in FRECA machinery. Behind him, championship protagonists De Palo and Giltaire kept themselves firmly in the mix. The tight spread of lap times — with less than a second covering the top six — suggested a weekend of close competition ahead.

Pre-Event Collective Tests: Session 2: Deligny raises the bar

By the second session, track conditions had stabilised, and the drivers were finding rhythm. This time, it was Enzo Deligny who grabbed attention with a 2’11.195, comfortably lowering the benchmark. The Frenchman’s lap reflected his growing confidence after a steady Misano debut, and it gave ART encouragement that he could join Giltaire in the fight at the front.

Slater remained consistently near the top, once again finishing third, while Giltaire demonstrated strong pace in second. Bohra and De Palo followed closely, and Nakamura kept himself within contention. The key story of Session 2 was Deligny’s emergence — no longer just consistent, but genuinely capable of setting the outright pace.

Pre-Event Collective Tests: Session 3: Yamakoshi tops session but Deligny fastest on Thursday

The final pre-event test session brought another change at the top. This time it was Van Amersfoort Racing’s Hiyu Yamakoshi who struck late, posting a 2’11.376. The Japanese driver edged out De Palo and Clerot, while CL Motorsport’s Michael Belov impressed in fourth. Deligny settled for fifth but still held the fastest time of the day from his earlier run.

Taken together, Thursday’s three sessions produced three different leaders: Nakamura, Deligny, and Yamakoshi. This variety underlined the competitiveness of the field and hinted that qualifying and races would be finely balanced. No single driver or team appeared dominant, and the constantly evolving track kept everyone guessing.

Collective Test 1: Slater fires the first warning

When official collective testing began on Friday, Freddie Slater wasted no time in stamping his authority. His 2’11.031 lap was the fastest of the day and a clear statement that he had the pace to fight at the front. Deligny was only 0.093 seconds behind, reinforcing his consistency, while Nakamura continued his strong form in third.

De Palo, Giltaire, and Bedrin rounded out the top six, with less than three-tenths covering that pack. Such slender margins suggested that in both qualifying and the races, any mistake — a missed braking point, a poorly timed slipstream — could dramatically alter outcomes.

Collective Test 2: Bedrin joins the list of leaders

The evening session produced another name at the top: Saintéloc Racing’s Nikita Bedrin. His 2’11.125 lap underlined just how competitive the midfield was. De Palo and Gowda followed closely, proving Trident’s depth and Prema’s rookie strength.

Deligny kept himself firmly in contention in fourth, while Al Dhaheri’s fifth place hinted that his raw speed could soon translate into results. Belov impressed again in sixth. Slater, who had dominated earlier, only managed ninth this time, but his morning effort still left him the day’s benchmark.

With yet another driver topping a session, the picture was clear: Spa was going to reward consistency, opportunism, and bravery in equal measure.

Qualifying 1: Drama at the start sees session abandoned

Saturday morning’s first qualifying session never truly got going. Just minutes in, Akcel GP’s Saquer Al Maosherji crashed heavily, requiring barrier repairs too extensive to allow the session to resume. With the clock ticking and safety the priority, the stewards cancelled the session altogether.

According to FRECA regulations, the grid was therefore set using times from Collective Test 1. This handed pole to Freddie Slater, with Deligny alongside him on the front row. Nakamura and De Palo occupied row two, while Giltaire and Bedrin lined up just behind. It was a frustrating outcome for many, particularly those who had hoped to improve on their earlier times, but it meant Race 1 would start with the established frontrunners already well-placed.

Race 1: Slater seizes control in frenetic race

When the lights went out on Saturday afternoon, Slater briefly lost the advantage to Deligny, who launched superbly from the front row. But the British driver remained calm, using the slipstream and Spa’s long straights to execute a decisive move to retake the lead. From there, he controlled the race with composure beyond his years.

Behind him, Deligny held second for much of the race but eventually succumbed to pressure from Matteo De Palo, who delivered a well-judged overtake late in the distance. The move was significant: not only did it give De Palo valuable points, but it also kept him firmly in the title conversation.

Deligny nonetheless banked third, showing that his earlier testing form was no fluke. Giltaire, meanwhile, fought hard with Yamakoshi, eventually taking fourth. Al Dhaheri recovered to sixth after a tricky opening, while Bohra dropped to seventh following a mistake. Beeton, Le, and Kato completed the points.

Gowda again impressed in the Rookie class, earning top honours despite a penalty. The safety car interruptions added to the tension, and Nakamura’s stalled start served as a reminder of how unforgiving Spa can be.

Qualifying 2: Al Dhaheri on top despite damp conditions

Sunday’s second qualifying session was staged in typically unpredictable Spa conditions. Light rain beforehand left the circuit damp and treacherous, and drivers had to tread carefully.

In Group B, Yamakoshi initially set the pace but was later penalised, dropping him two places. Deligny, once again, was right there in contention, narrowly missing out on provisional pole.

Group A was disrupted by a red flag, breaking the rhythm for many drivers. But once the session resumed, Rashid Al Dhaheri rose to the occasion. The Prema driver delivered a stunning late lap of 2’10.987 to clinch overall pole position. Behind him, Kanato Le secured second in the group and a front-row start. Nakamura, Kato, and Gowda followed, all positioning themselves for a potential shot at big points.

Race 2: Deligny breaks through

Sunday’s race began in dramatic fashion. Al Dhaheri started from pole but was immediately challenged by Deligny, who launched brilliantly to grab the lead. Moments later, chaos struck: Slater, Pin, and Belov collided, triggering a Safety Car on the opening lap.

When the race resumed, Al Dhaheri regained momentum, sparking a thrilling three-way fight with Deligny and Yamakoshi. The trio traded places in rapid succession, Spa’s long straights and powerful slipstreaming making every lap unpredictable.

Midway through the race, contact between Nakamura and Al Dhaheri ended the latter’s hopes. Forced into retirement, Al Dhaheri’s frustration was compounded when Nakamura received a five-second penalty, dropping him from fourth at the flag to seventh in the results.

This reshuffled the order: Kato inherited third after a determined drive, while Le secured fourth. Gowda’s rise to fifth confirmed yet again that the rookie is no longer just a class contender but a genuine overall threat. De Palo, starting from deeper in the field, worked his way up to sixth — crucial damage limitation for the championship picture.

At the front, Deligny held firm. Managing two Safety Car restarts and fending off constant pressure, he demonstrated maturity and racecraft. Yamakoshi secured second, proving his Misano pace was no outlier, while Kato’s podium highlighted ART Grand Prix’s depth.

For Deligny, the breakthrough victory, coupled with his Race 1 podium, marked him as the standout performer of the weekend. His 40-point haul catapulted him into the championship conversation.

Championship implications

The second round at Spa significantly reshaped both the drivers’ and teams’ standings. In the Drivers’ Championship, Matteo De Palo now leads with 66 points, climbing from second at Misano after a consistent Spa weekend. Freddie Slater made the largest jump, vaulting from just 18 points to 58 thanks to his Race 1 victory and strong pace; despite crashing out in Race 2, he now sits only eight points off the lead. Misano winner Evan Giltaire, who had topped the standings on 43 points, collected only modest results in Belgium and now sits third on 55. Enzo Deligny, meanwhile, transformed his campaign with his maiden win, rising from 13 points to 53 and moving into fourth overall.

Hiyu Yamakoshi also enjoyed a breakthrough, climbing to 34 points and into the top five. Behind him, Taito Kato (26) and Rashid Al Dhaheri (23) remain firmly in the midfield fight, though Al Dhaheri’s Race 2 retirement cost him valuable ground. Pedro Clerot slipped from fourth after Misano to eighth overall with 22 points, while Jack Beeton (19), Nikita Bedrin (16), and Kanato Le (14) all hold steady positions. Notably, rookie Dion Gowda entered the top 15 with 10 points after his strong Spa showing.

The Teams’ Championship is equally close. ART Grand Prix now leads with 94 points, overtaking Trident, who sit second on 88. Prema Racing (81) and Van Amersfoort (74) are close behind, while R-ace GP (68) remain within striking distance. Only 26 points separate the top five, leaving the title battle wide open.

With just two rounds completed, Spa confirmed that multiple contenders are emerging, and consistency may prove more decisive than outright race wins in the fight for both championships.