Emanuele Olivieri described his maiden FIA Formula Regional European Championship (FREC) victory as a result he will remember for years after triumphing on home soil at Monza.
The R-ace GP driver converted pole position into victory despite four Safety Car periods repeatedly removing the advantage he built at the front. He controlled every restart, resisted early pressure from Kean Nakamura-Berta and crossed the line 1.910 seconds clear of Sebastian Wheldon.
Wheldon charged from seventh to second after capitalising on contact between Gabriel Gomez and Maksimilian Popov during the final lap. Meanwhile, Olivieri’s R-ace GP team-mate Yuki Sano recovered from 14th to third and secured his first FREC podium in Race 3.
Olivieri celebrates an unforgettable home victory
Olivieri entered the final race of the weekend from pole after setting the fastest qualifying lap of the Monza event. He immediately protected the inside line into the opening chicane and retained the lead ahead of Nakamura-Berta. However, the repeated Safety Car periods prevented the Italian from settling into a consistent rhythm. Each neutralisation brought his rivals back onto his gearbox and forced him to manage another high-pressure restart.
The intense heat added another challenge. Nevertheless, Olivieri maintained his concentration and repeatedly created enough space to protect first place.
“Honestly, winning here is something I will remember for many years to come. After a very difficult start to the championship, this is a great way to score some important points. It was a tough race because of the heat. With all the Safety Car periods, it was difficult to build a gap and get into a comfortable rhythm. I had to keep pushing all the time because the drivers behind were always close.
“Overall, I’m very happy with the race. The restarts were particularly important and I think I managed them well. The only tricky moment was the one with Kean. I felt some contact from behind, but I didn’t really see what happened to him afterwards. I hope he’s OK. In the end, I’m really happy with the result and with the way we managed the race.”
The victory delivered an important response after a challenging beginning to Olivieri’s campaign. It also followed the team’s overnight rebuild of his car after an incident ended his second race of the weekend.
Consequently, Olivieri transformed a difficult Saturday into a breakthrough Sunday. He claimed both the overall and Rookie victories while becoming the first Italian driver to win at Monza in the championship since Andrea Kimi Antonelli in 2023.
Early contact ends Nakamura-Berta’s challenge
Nakamura-Berta remained Olivieri’s closest rival during the opening phase. The PREMA Racing driver attacked after the first Safety Car period but could not complete a move at the restart. He tried again on lap three as the leading pair approached Lesmo. However, slight contact sent Nakamura-Berta off the circuit and ended his race.
Olivieri felt the contact from behind but did not see what happened to his rival afterwards. He continued at the front while race control deployed the Safety Car for a second time.
The incident also carried major championship consequences. Nakamura-Berta had won Race 1 and entered the final contest among the leading title contenders, but his retirement opened the door for Wheldon to return to the top of the standings.
Restarts define Olivieri’s path to victory
Olivieri led Gomez and Popov when racing resumed. He quickly opened a small advantage, but a third Safety Car period once again erased the gap after Marcus Sæter stopped on the circuit.
The race restarted with less than six minutes remaining. Olivieri maintained first place, while Gomez defended second from Popov and Wheldon continued his recovery through the leading group.
Another incident involving Rashid Al Dhaheri and Alexander Abkhazava then triggered the fourth Safety Car intervention. With the clock almost expired, race control released the field for one final lap.
Olivieri delivered another controlled restart and immediately created breathing room. His consistency during each resumption ultimately protected him from the slipstream and allowed him to complete his maiden victory without facing another direct attack.
Wheldon capitalises during the final-lap fight
Wheldon started seventh after MP Motorsport struggled to secure the qualifying result it wanted. Therefore, he needed an aggressive opening phase and strong restarts to move into podium contention. The American steadily gained positions and passed Jan Przyrowski for fourth during the middle of the race. He then closed on Gomez and Popov as the repeated Safety Car periods compressed the leading group.
On the final lap, Wheldon gained a run on the cars ahead and moved to the outside. His pressure forced the driver in front to defend, while Gomez and Popov made contact during their battle. Wheldon immediately took advantage and moved into second place.
“I started from P7. We knew qualifying hadn’t been as strong as we wanted, so we needed a good start to move forward. Throughout the race I was able to make up positions, especially on the restarts, which proved to be very important.
“On the final lap I was a little fortunate when the two drivers ahead made contact. I had a good run on the car in front and moved to the outside, forcing him to defend. That situation ultimately led to the contact between them, and I was able to take advantage and move up to second place.Overall, I’m very happy with the result and with the progress we made during the race.”
The result completed a strong recovery after post-race penalties cost Wheldon second place in Race 2. He responded by progressing from the fourth row and securing a valuable points haul in the weekend’s final contest. Moreover, Nakamura-Berta’s retirement allowed Wheldon to return to the championship lead. He left Monza seven points ahead of the PREMA Racing driver, while Race 2 winner Al Dhaheri also dropped behind him in the standings.
Sano navigates incidents to claim maiden podium
Sano faced an even greater recovery after starting 14th. The Japanese driver remained patient through the early incidents and gradually moved forward while several rivals retired or lost positions. The four Safety Car periods gave Sano repeated opportunities to remain connected to the leading group. However, they also created congested restarts and increased the risk of contact throughout the field.
Sano carefully navigated the incidents ahead and entered the final lap within reach of the podium. When Gomez and Popov became involved in their late battle, he positioned himself to benefit. He then passed Gomez in the closing moments and secured third place.
“I’m very happy with this result. Starting from P14, I didn’t expect to finish on the podium, so it’s a great outcome for me and the team. I was able to manage the race well and gradually make up positions. The final lap was particularly challenging because there were several incidents ahead of me, especially at the chicanes, and I had to be careful to avoid the cars involved. In the end, everything came together and I’m delighted to secure my first podium finish.”
Sano’s recovery gave R-ace GP two drivers on the podium and completed the team’s strongest result of the weekend. While Olivieri controlled the race from pole, Sano relied on careful management and decisive late progress to climb from the seventh row.
His first championship podium also followed a challenging Race 2, when a post-race penalty dropped him outside the points. The Race 3 recovery therefore provided an immediate response and demonstrated the pace that he had shown throughout the Monza event.
R-ace GP completes a landmark Monza result
Olivieri and Sano followed contrasting routes to the podium. Olivieri started from pole and controlled the race through every interruption, while Sano advanced from 14th and capitalised on the final-lap disorder.
Between them, Wheldon produced another recovery drive and used the opportunity ahead to secure second. His result also reshaped the championship picture after Nakamura-Berta’s early retirement.
However, Olivieri remained beyond reach at the front. He managed the heat, four Safety Car periods and constant pressure to secure his first FREC victory at his home circuit. The breakthrough result rewarded R-ace GP’s work across a difficult weekend and gave Olivieri a defining moment in his young career.
