Race 1 of the 2026 FRME Trophy at the Yas Marina Circuit delivered a controlled yet fiercely competitive contest, as Alexander Abkhazava translated a hard-fought pole position into victory in the world debut race of the new Tatuus F3 T-326. Despite relentless pressure from Rashid Al Dhaheri throughout, the MP Motorsport driver executed a composed drive to secure the first win of the new era.
Clean start sets the tone at the front
At the start, Abkhazava reacted sharply and moved decisively across the track to deny Al Dhaheri a run into Turn 1. Meanwhile, Maksimilian Popov held firm on the outside line to retain third, despite sustained pressure from Kean Nakamura-Berta behind.
From the opening lap, the front four ran nose-to-tail. Al Dhaheri repeatedly used the slipstream on Yas Marina’s long straights to probe for a way past, most notably into Turn 6. However, Abkhazava defended assertively without weaving, forcing the Emirati driver to abandon each attempt.
Leaders break clear as battles form behind
As the race progressed, Abkhazava and Al Dhaheri gradually edged clear of the chasing pack. Although the gap remained small, the leader controlled the pace and consistently positioned his car to neutralise overtaking opportunities.
Behind them, Popov and Nakamura-Berta engaged in a tight battle for third, which also doubled as the fight for Rookie class honours. Nakamura-Berta applied constant pressure through the technical middle sector, yet Popov maintained clean exits and avoided mistakes to preserve position.
Further back, ART Grand Prix’s Taito Kato emerged from a close scrap with Alex Powell and Alex Ninovic to secure fifth place. Powell defended resolutely against Ninovic’s Rodin Motorsport entry, particularly through the final sector, and ultimately held sixth.
Christian Ho ran a measured race to finish eighth, while Maxim Rehm and Miguel Costa completed the top ten after maintaining steady pace and avoiding incidents. Just outside the points, Reza Seewooruthun and Andrija Kostic finished 11th and 12th respectively, earning front-row starts for the reversed-grid race.
Late lock-up ends Al Dhaheri’s final push
In the closing stages, Al Dhaheri remained firmly within striking distance and prepared a final assault. However, a lock-up at Turn 5 on the final lap ended his challenge. From there, Abkhazava maintained his rhythm and crossed the line to claim victory by 0.443 seconds.
Popov successfully resisted Nakamura-Berta to complete the podium, securing third overall and the Rookie class win. Nakamura-Berta followed closely in fourth, reinforcing the narrow margins that defined the race.
Race 1: Standings: 2026 FRME: Round 1: Yas Marina (Provisional)
- Alexander Abkhazava
- Rashid Al Dhaheri
- Maksimilian Popov
- Kean Nakamura-Berta
- Taito Kato
- Alex Powell
- Alex Ninovic
- Christian Ho
- Maxim Rehm
- Miguel Costa
- Reza Seewooruthun
- Andrija Kostic
- Artem Severiukhin
- Jan Przyrowski
- Salim Hanna
- Francisco Macedo
- Chi Zhenrui
- Mihael Belov
- Kai Daryanani
- Andrea Dupé
- Gerrard Xie
- Kabir Anurag
- Dion Gowda
- Yuki Sano
- Giovanni Maschio
- Jules Roussel
- Enea Frey
- August Raber
- Matteo Giaccardi
- Yuhao Fu
- Sebastian Wheldon
- Alceu Feldmann Neto
Pole position: Alexander Abkhazava
Fastest lap: Kean Nakamura-Berta
Winning driver: Alexander Abkhazava
Winning team: MP Motorsport
Rookie winner: Maksimilian Popov
