16 September 2026 – R-ace GP has rounded off its first season in the Formula Regional European Championship (FREC) in the best possible way! At Hockenheim in Germany, the team clinched the Team Championship title, whilst Emanuele Olivieri took the Drivers’ Championship. A week earlier, the Italian driver had secured the Rookie title at Imola.

Free Practice

On Friday, Emanuele Olivieri (#73) finished fifth in the first session before stepping up his pace to set the second-fastest time in Free Practice 2.

Yuki Sano (#12) followed a similar trajectory. After finishing thirteenth in Free Practice 1, the Japanese driver made a significant improvement to finish third in the second session.

Meanwhile, Rashid Al Dhaheri (#71) missed much of Free Practice 1 due to a mechanical issue and could only manage P30. The Emirati driver finished the second session in tenth place.

Qualifying 1

On Saturday morning, Emanuele Olivieri set the fastest time in Group 1 with a lap of 1:34.424. Yuki Sano was further down the order, whilst Rashid Al Dhaheri set the fourth-fastest time in Group 2.

The three drivers secured positions of P2 for Olivieri, P7 for Al Dhaheri and P24 for Sano on the starting grid for Race 1.

Race 1

After being involved in a collision right from the start, Emanuele Olivieri was forced to retire.

Meanwhile, Rashid Al Dhaheri put in a superb performance. Having started from seventh on the grid, he gradually worked his way up the field and ultimately secured third place on the podium.

Starting further back on the grid, Yuki Sano also battled hard throughout the race and crossed the finish line in fourteenth place.

Despite Olivieri’s retirement, Al Dhaheri’s podium finish provided R-ace GP with the points needed to secure the 2026 FREC Team Championship title. A second title (following the Rookie title at Imola) is therefore guaranteed even before the final race of the weekend!

Qualifying 2

On Sunday morning, Emanuele Olivieri finished second in Group 1, whilst Yuki Sano made significant progress compared to the first qualifying session and set the third-fastest time. Rashid Al Dhaheri, meanwhile, finished seventh in Group 2.

The three drivers thus secured their places on the grid: P4 for Emanuele Olivieri, P6 for Yuki Sano and P13 for Rashid Al Dhaheri.

Race 2

The final race of the season lived up to all expectations. Following an intense battle on the track, Emanuele Olivieri fought his way through the leading pack and crossed the finish line in second place.

Behind him, Yuki Sano also put in a superb performance. Starting sixth, the Japanese driver finished in fourth place.

Rashid Al Dhaheri, meanwhile, had a more difficult race and finished in twelfth place.

Double title for Emanuele Olivieri: Drivers’ Champion and Rookie of 2026

With the points scored in this final race, Emanuele Olivieri holds a 9-point lead in the championship and has thus secured the title of FREC 2026 Drivers’ Champion.

This adds yet another title to his list of achievements, following the Rookie title he won a week earlier at Imola.

An exceptional season for R-ace GP

Having brought the FRECA chapter to a close in 2025 with the Team title, R-ace GP has kicked off the FREC season in the best possible way, securing the Team Champion, Drivers’ Champion and Rookie Champion titles!

This achievement crowns eight rounds and several months of fierce competition, as well as the hard work of the entire team and the three drivers.

To watch the races, click here.

Next event: Macau

The European season is now over for R-ace GP, but 2026 isn’t quite over yet!

Next event: the Macau Grand Prix, from 19 to 22 November, at the legendary Guia circuit. Stay tuned to find out the R-ace GP line-up soon!

7 September 2026 – Following a short summer break, the Formula Regional European Championship (FREC) resumed this weekend at Imola, Italy. It was a successful return to competition for R-ace GP, which secured two podium finishes, including a victory from Emanuele Olivieri. With an additional win in the Rookie category, the Italian also clinched the Rookie Champion title.

Free practices

The weekend got off to a good start for Emanuele Olivieri (#73), who set the fastest time in free practice with a lap of 1:39.074. Rashid Al Dhaheri (#71) finished in P6, whilst Yuki Sano (#12) ended the session in tenth place.

Qualifying 1

Olivieri confirmed his excellent pace. The Italian set the fastest time in his group with a lap of 1:39.227 and secured pole position in the overall standings. Rashid Al Dhaheri finished third in his group, securing sixth on the grid, whilst Yuki Sano had a more difficult session and qualified in 27th place.

Race 1

Starting from pole, Emanuele Olivieri gave his rivals no chance in Race 1. The Italian secured another victory in the overall standings, as well as in the Rookie category.

With an impressive record of 15 podium finishes, including 10 victories, he became the first FREC Rookie Champion (under the series’ new format).

Meanwhile, Yuki Sano crossed the finish line in 17th place, whilst Rashid Al Dhaheri was unfortunately forced to retire.

Race 2

Rashid Al Dhaheri and Emanuele Olivieri both finished in the top 10, in 6th and 9th place respectively. Yuki Sano, however, was forced to retire.

Qualifying 2

On Sunday morning, Emanuele Olivieri once again set the fastest time in his group, this time securing P2 on the starting grid. Rashid Al Dhaheri qualified in P11 and Yuki Sano in P20.

Race 3

Emanuele Olivieri confirmed his consistency by securing another podium finish, taking second place at the finish. Rashid Al Dhaheri finished in 10th place, whilst Yuki Sano was once again forced to retire.

R-ace GP tops the Teams’ and Drivers’ standings

These excellent results also enable R-ace GP to retain the lead in the teams’ championship and take the lead in the drivers’ championship with Emanuele Olivieri.

The battle for the title will be decided next week at the FREC Grand Final, which will take place at Hockenheim in Germany.

To watch the races, click here.

20 July 2026 – The sixth round of the FREC championship took place this weekend at the Paul Ricard circuit, in France. A mixed meeting, with some excellent performances from Emanuele Olivieri (double podium and double win in the Rookie category), but more nuanced results for Rashid Al Dhaheri and Yuki Sano.

Free Practice

In FP1, Emanuele Olivieri finished 6th, ahead of Rashid Al Dhaheri in 7th and Yuki Sano in 21st. In FP2, Rashid Al Dhaheri took 3rd place, just ahead of Emanuele Olivieri in 4th, while Yuki Sano finished 17th.

Qualifying and Race 1

In Q1, Rashid Al Dhaheri qualified 4th, ahead of Emanuele Olivieri in 5th and Yuki Sano in 19th.

In the race, contact between Al Dhaheri and Olivieri dropped the Emirati driver to the back of the field. Emanuele Olivieri stepped onto the podium with a strong 2nd place and claimed victory in the Rookie category. Yuki Sano finished 9th, ahead of Rashid Al Dhaheri in 26th.

Qualifying and Race 2

In Q2, Emanuele Olivieri set pole position with a lap in 1:57.35. Unfortunately, a penalty forced him to start from fourth place. Rashid Al Dhaheri qualified 10th and Yuki Sano 23rd.

In the race, Emanuele Olivieri fought back into the top 3, securing another podium with a 2nd-place finish and a second Rookie category win. Rashid Al Dhaheri finished 6th, ahead of Yuki Sano in 18th.

Mixed results, but the title still within reach

Despite once again showing a strong level of performance, the team was unable to fully convert its potential into points, missing out on some important opportunities in the championship.

As the final rounds of the season approach, the fight for the title is intensifying. Rashid Al Dhaheri remains among the contenders for the drivers’ title, now joined by Emanuele Olivieri following his strong performances this weekend. This confirms the team’s competitiveness and promises an action-packed end to the season.

More determined than ever, the team is now focused on the upcoming rounds at Imola and Hockenheim, with the goal of converting performance into results and finishing the season in the best possible way.

To watch the races, click here.