R06 Hungaroring – FRECA Race Preview
The Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine is entering round six of 2022 this weekend at Hungaroring with PREMA Racing in the lead among both teams and drivers. The event is expected to be extremely challenging. Not only the 4.3-kilometer venue is one of the most physically impacting, with a relatively short lap and high-load corners paired with the heat and humidity typical of the area.
Dino Beganovic is still heading the pack with a hefty advantage, but the 18-year-old Swede, who has scored three wins, has seen the resurgence of teammate Paul Aron. However, the Ferrari Driver Academy member has been outstanding earlier in the championship.The Estonian has achieved four wins, including three in the last four races, and has climbed up to second place after a difficult start of the year. Being one of the few drivers in the field with prior experience at the twisty Budapest circuit, he looks to continue his charge.
The fact of running on a new racetrack for many drivers might reduce the rookie disadvantage for Sebastian Montoya. The 17-year-old Colombian American comes from two rookie wins at Zandvoort but set his sights on the overall podium having already two fourth places overall under his belt. On the other hand, Hamda Al Qubaisi has made significant progress so far this season, as the Emirati female racer continues to make the transition to Formula Regional competition.
Rene Rosin – Team Principal
“We have been very successful this season, but as we saw, this championship is incredibly competitive, and it doesn’t take much to lose the edge and with that, valuable points. We are also just about to enter the second half of the season. While it feels a lot of things have happened so far, there is still a very long way to go and with the Hungaroring being a new addition to the championship, speeding up the approach and development will be extremely important. We already showed that we can win races with Beganovic and Aron, and we want to see Montoya fight for a podium finish and possibly more soon, while we are welcoming the progress that Hamda has been making in this tough new series. Although it’s not going to be easy, we are really looking forward to the weekend as we see it as a possible indication of the potential for the final part of the year.”
Weekend Timetable
Friday, July 8th, 2022
09:07 – Free Practice 1
14:10 – Free Practice 2
Saturday, July 9th, 2022
09:00 – Qualifying 1 Gr.A
09:20 – Qualifying 1 Gr.B
13:55 – Race 1
Sunday, July 10th, 2022
09:55 – Qualifying 1 Gr.A
10:15 – Qualifying 1 Gr.B
16:40 – Race 2
Source | Photo: PREMA Racing