FRECA 2025: Enzo Deligny, Jin Nakamura and Akshay Bohra are back with R-ace GP

17 Apr 2025

R-ace GP FRECA 2025 lineup Enzo DELIGNY Akshay Bohra Jin Nakamura

17 April 2025 – The 2025 season of the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine (FRECA) gets underway in just two weeks’ time at Misano, Italy. R-ace GP will enter a trio already well known to the public: Enzo Deligny, Jin Nakamura and Akshay Bohra.

Having competed in FRMEC this winter under the team’s colours, the three drivers are continuing their collaboration with R-ace GP for this European campaign. This continuity reflects their mutual confidence and their shared ambition to achieve solid results from the very first rounds.

Car #11: Jin Nakamura

“I’m happy that my first year in EU starts with R-ace GP. I will enjoy this season and build a lot of experience.”

Car #23: Enzo Deligny

“Let’s build on a strong Middle East campaign to have an even better one in Europe!”

Car #31: Akshay Bohra

“I’m looking forward to the European season with R-ace GP. We’re going to have fun, learn and do our best!”

To follow our performances throughout the season, check out our Facebook and Instagram pages!

The 2025 FRECA calendar

Round 1: 3-4 May at Misano (Italy)

Round 2: 17-18 May at Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium)

Round 3: 7-8 June at Zandvoort (Netherlands)

Round 4: 5-6 July at Hungaroring (Hungary)

Round 5: 19-20 July at Paul Ricard (France)

Round 6 : 2-3 August at Imola (Italy)

Round 7: 6-7 September at the Red Bull Ring (Austria)

Round 8: 20-21 September at Barcelona (Spain)

Round 9: 4-5 October at the Hockenheimring (Germany)

Round 10: 25-26 October at Monza (Italy)

For more information on FRECA, click here.

Michelin Le Mans Cup: R-ace GP’s three LMP3s in the top 10 at Barcelona

08 Apr 2025

Michelin Le Mans cup Barcelone R-ace GP #86 Duqueine D09

April 5, Barcelona – The R-ace GP squad, which entered three Duqueine D09s, got off to a rocky start this weekend at the first Michelin Le Mans Cup meeting of the season. Despite good progress and encouraging qualifying, a podium finish slipped through the team’s fingers. The #86 and #85 finished 5th and 8th overall, while the #88 finished 6th in the PRO/AM category.

Free practice and qualifying

On Friday April 4, the #85, #86 and #88 showed a clear progression after the results from official testing earlier in the week. The #85 and #86 finished in the top 6 overall, and the #88 in the top 3 of the PRO/AM category.

This progress was confirmed in qualifying the following day, with Hadrien David (#85) securing 3rd place and Joel Granfors (#86) 5th. On the PRO/AM side, Romano Ricci (#88) achieved the best qualifying result of his career with 6th place. The three LMP3s were therefore serious contenders for the podium, both overall and in the PRO/AM category.

The race

At the start, Hugo Schwarze in the #85 took the lead. But his manoeuvre resulted in a contact with a competitor which led to a drive-through penalty, relegating him to the top 15. In the #86, Joel Granfors maintained his position in the top 5. Romano Ricci in the #88 climbed up to third place in the PRO/AM category.

After more than an hour of racing and the mandatory pit stop, the race was interrupted by a red flag. On the restart, Fabien Lavergne (#88) was 4th in the PRO/AM category. In the overall standings, Edgar Pierre (#86) continued to defend his 4th place, while Hadrien David (#85) was 8th.

The #86 finally crossed the finish line in 5th place, ahead of the #85, still 8th. In the PRO/AM category, the #88 finished 5th but a penalty dropped it back to 6th place.

A fightback expected at Paul Ricard

More work needs to be done before the new Duqueine D09 reaches its full potential. That’s the conclusion of the R-ace GP team after this first weekend. ‘We’re now focused on the upcoming tests at Paul Ricard, where we’ll have to assess and develop our performance as a team,’ commented R-ace GP boss Thibaut de Mérindol.

The second round of the season will take place at Le Castellet on May 3.

To watch the race, click here.

Michelin Le Mans Cup 2025: who are the six R-ace GP drivers?

25 Mar 2025

25 March 2025 – Only a few days to go until the Michelin Le Mans Cup kicks off! For its second season in endurance racing, R-ace GP is setting its sights high with three Duqueine D09 LMP3 cars. Runner-up in its rookie season in 2024, the French team is more determined than ever to win the title in 2025. And to do so, it will be supported by some talented drivers.

Duqueine D09 #85 crew

Hadrien David (silver): French F4 Champion in 2019, FRECA Runner-Up in 2021, Michelin Le Mans Cup Runner-Up in 2024 (LMP3).

Hugo Schwarze (silver): RMC Wintercup Champion in 2022, Ginetta Junior Runner-Up in 2023.

Duqueine D09 #86 crew

Joel Granfors (silver): Aquila Synergy Cup and Formula Nordic Champion in 2020, BG3 Vice-Champion in 2022.

Edgar Pierre (silver)

Duqueine D09 #88 crew

Romano Ricci (bronze)

Fabien Lavergne (silver): ELMS Champion (LMGTE) and Michelin Le Mans Cup Runner-Up (GT3) in 2019, FFSA GT4 Runner-Up in 2020, Asian Le Mans Series Runner-Up (LMP3 category) in 2023.

To follow our results throughout the season, visit our Facebook and Instagram pages!

The 2025 Michelin Le Mans Cup calendar

Round 1: 5 April in Barcelona (Spain)

Round 2: May 3 at Le Castellet (France)

Round 3: Le Mans (France) on June 12 with two races

Round 4: Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium), 23 August

Round 5: September 13 at Silverstone (Great Britain)

Round 6: Portimao (Portugal) on October 18

For more information on the Michelin Le Mans Cup, click here.

‘’The reactivity of the team and drivers in FRMEC was exemplary,’’ stresses Thibaut de Mérindol, R-ace GP’s boss

07 Mar 2025

Crowned champion in 2024, R-ace GP returned to defend its title in Formula Regional Middle East. After a difficult start that slowed its performance, the team, more determined than ever, bounced back to finish second in the championship and third in the drivers’ standings.

‘’The first round in Abu Dhabi was a huge disappointment,’’ admits Thibaut de Mérindol, Team Principal of R-ace GP. The reason: the new tyre specifications, which gave the team a hard time and put the brakes on the hoped-for performances.

But by the third round in Dubai, R-ace GP had made an impressive recovery in the rankings. ‘’The reactivity of the team and drivers was exemplary,’’ says the team boss. ‘’It’s not easy to maintain a good state of mind when you get off to a bad start, especially in a short championship with one race following another. However, they were able to find solutions and recreate the momentum.’’

Drivers making progress

‘’Ugo [Ugochukwu] played a decisive role in the team,’’ he insists. ‘’He was the one who took on the role of leader and helped us turn the corner. We relied a lot on him.’’ The young American, who will continue his season in Formula 3, finished third in the drivers’ championship.

‘’Enzo [Deligny] has improved this season, but he still has a lot of work to do to reach the expected level and take on the role of leader. He can count on all the teams’s energy to support him and help him progress,’’ says Thibaut de Mérindol.

Jin Nakamura, meanwhile, has shown promising potential. ‘’He still needs to adapt culturally and technically to European motorsport, which is nothing like what he experienced in Japan. Here, he’s discovering a whole new way of working. His driving is still a little instinctive, but he has a real desire to learn and improve.’’

‘’Akshay [Bohra] struggled to bounce back after our difficult first weekend. But we saw his true worth, particularly during our tests last year. We know what he’s capable of once he regains his confidence’’, he concludes.

Lessons for the rest of the season

Despite a rocky start, R-ace GP has shown itself to be adaptable and resilient. While the title may have eluded them this year, the team will be taking away some solid lessons that will enable them to approach the rest of the season with ambition.

The European season kicks off in less than two months’ time, at the start of May. In the meantime, stay tuned on our social media – Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn – to find out more about our line-up in Formula Regional by Alpine (FRECA).

FRMEC season in numbers:

12 podium finishes.
4 wins.
4 second places.
4 third places.
259 points scored by the team starting from Round 3 (including 159 by Ugo Ugochukwu), making it the team with the most points scored over the last three rounds.
14 points difference with the leader of the team ranking.