The 2026 Formula Regional Middle East (FRME) season continued to heat up after Round 3 at the Dubai Autodrome, as the standings reflect a significant shift in momentum. Rashid Al Dhaheri has extended his championship lead, but the fight for the title is far from decided. With the season now entering its middle phase, the competition is tightening, and the rookie and team battles are intensifying.
Drivers’ Championship: Al Dhaheri extends his lead
Rashid Al Dhaheri heads the Drivers’ Championship with 125 points, cementing his position as the championship leader after a solid performance in Dubai. His consistency and ability to capitalise on key moments have given him a clear advantage over his rivals. However, Kean Nakamura-Berta is breathing down his neck, sitting second with 101 points. Nakamura-Berta has maintained his position near the top of the standings thanks to his consistent finishes, despite not yet securing a win this season.
Alexander Abkhazava follows closely in third with 95 points, after a strong performance in Dubai where he secured pole position and fought for podiums. Maximilian Popov, with 68 points, has kept himself in contention, while Alex Ninovic, currently fifth with 66 points, has demonstrated impressive consistency.
Taito Kato and Alex Powell are tied for sixth place with 49 points each, a testament to their solid yet sometimes inconsistent performances. They will need to find more reliability in the coming rounds if they are to challenge for the top spots.
2026 FRME: Yas Marina: Driver Standings after Round 3
- Rashid Al Dhaheri – 125 points
- Kean Nakamura-Berta – 101 points
- Alexander Abkhazava – 95 points
- Maximilian Popov – 68 points
- Alex Ninovic – 66 points
- Alex Powell – 49 points
Taito Kato – 49 points - Jan Przyrowski – 46 points
- Salim Hanna – 45 points
- Christian Ho – 44 points
- Kabir Anurag – 40 points
- Sebastian Wheldon – 35 points
- Yuki Sano – 31 points
- Miguel Costa – 26 points
- Emanuele Olivieri 0 21 points
- Zhenrui Chi – 20 points
- Artem Severiukhin – 14 points
- Francisco Macedo – 12 points
- Jules Roussel – 7 points
- Maxim Rehm – 6 points
- Andrija Kostic – 4 points
- Reza Seewooruthun – 2 points
- Gerrard Xie – 1 point
Andrea Dupé – 1 points
Dion Gowda – 1 points - Enea Frey – 0 points
Jesse Carrasquedo – 0 points
Alceu Feldmann Neo – 0 points
Matteo Giaccardi – 0 points
August Raber – 0 points
Dion Gowda – 0 points
Michael Belov – 0 points
Yuhao Fu – 0 points
Reno Francot – 0 points
Kai Daryanani – 0 points
Giovanni Machio – 0 points
Rookie Cup: Nakamura-Berta continues to lead after strong weekend
In the Rookie Cup, Kean Nakamura-Berta has taken charge with 145 points, ahead of Maximilian Popov, who sits in second with 111 points. The race for the Rookie Cup remains tight, with Alex Powell (78 points) and Salim Hanna (73 points) closely following. Each of these young drivers has showcased moments of brilliance, but they will need to keep their momentum going as the season progresses.
Behind them, Kabir Anurag (79 points) and Miguel Costa (56 points) continue to impress, while Sebastian Wheldon (48 points) and Artem Severiukhin (47 points) remain in contention. The lower end of the Rookie Cup standings is still highly competitive, with a lot of points up for grabs.
2026 FRME: Yas Marina: Rookie Cup Standings after Round 3
- Kean Nakamura-Berta – 145 points
- Maximilian Popov – 111 points
- Jan Przyrowski – 90 points
- Kabir Anurag 0 79 points
- Alex Powell – 78 points
- Salim Hanna – 73 points
- Miguel Costa – 56 points
Sebastian Wheldon – 56 points - Artem Severiukhin – 48 points
- Andrea Dupé – 33 points
Emanuele Olivieri – 33 points - Jules Roussel – 29 points
- Maxim Rehm – 27 points
- Andrija Kostic – 22 points
- Enea Frey – 14 points
- August Raber – 4 points
Matheo Giaccardi – 4 points
Reno Francot – 4 points - Yuhao Fu – 3 points
Team Championship: R-ace GP pulls ahead
The battle in the Teams’ Championship is heating up, with R-ace GP now leading the standings with 175 points. Their success has been driven by strong performances from Rashid Al Dhaheri, as well as solid backup from teammates. MP Motorsport follows in second with 139 points, largely thanks to Alexander Abkhazava’s strong showings.
Mumbai Falcons Racing Limited is in third with 136 points, proving to be a formidable opponent. They continue to demonstrate solid qualifying and race results, keeping them in the hunt for the title. ART Grand Prix (89 points) and Trident (72 points) are locked in a fierce battle for fourth place, while RPM (72 points) remains closely behind.
Rodin Motorsport, with 68 points, and Pinnacle Motorsport (49 points) are still competitive, but they’ll need to capitalise on upcoming opportunities to make significant gains. The teams at the bottom of the standings, such as CL Motorsport and G4 Racing, will need a breakthrough performance to climb the ranks.
2026 FRME: Yas Marina: Team Standings after Round 3
Ahead of each event, each team nominated two drivers who accumulated the teams’ points
- R-ace GP – 175 points
- MP Motorsport – 139 points
- Mumbai Falcons Racing Limited – 136 points
- ART Grand Prix – 89 points
- Trident – 72 points
RPM – 72 points - Rodin Motorsport – 68 points
- Pinnacle Motorsport – 49 points
- G4 Racing – 21 points
- CL Motorsport – 20 points
- Van Amersfoort Racing – 13 points
Overall outlook after Round 3
As the season progresses, the gap at the top of the standings is beginning to widen, but it’s far from a foregone conclusion. Al Dhaheri’s commanding lead in the Drivers’ Championship is significant, but Nakamura-Berta’s consistency has kept him within striking distance. In the Rookie Cup, Nakamura-Berta’s lead is also formidable, but Popov, Powell, and Hanna are all positioned to pounce.
The Teams’ Championship is still highly competitive, with R-ace GP holding a strong position, but MP Motorsport and Mumbai Falcons Racing Limited are closely following. As the drivers and teams head into the next round, the pressure will only intensify, with each race presenting a new opportunity to climb the standings or fall behind.
The upcoming rounds will be crucial in shaping the final outcome of the championship, and every point counts. With the fierce competition across all categories, it’s clear that the 2026 FRME season is set to be one of the most thrilling yet.
