Spielberg – Race 2: Heroic comeback by Rashid Al Dhaheri, Alexandre Munoz falters on the grid

Race 2 of the Formula Regional European Championship, at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, was chaotic to say the least. Rashid Al Dhaheri ultimately took the victory, while Frenchman Alexandre Munoz will rue his poor start.

Published 25/04/2026 à 17:20

Mathieu Chambenoit

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Spielberg – Race 2: Heroic comeback by Rashid Al Dhaheri, Alexandre Munoz falters on the grid

© ACI Sport

The unpredictable scenario of Race 2 produced an equally unexpected result. Although he didn't cross the finish line in first place, Emirati driver Rashid Al Dhaheri (R-ace GP) delivered a truly impressive performance. Starting from eleventh position due to the reverse grid rule, the driver who had qualified second on Friday behind favorite Kean Nalamura-Berta left no doubt about his dominance. Unlike his rival, a member of the Prema team, the protégé of the junior program... Mercedes Benz He climbed through the field to ultimately take the win. While a podium finish seemed within his grasp, victory was secured after the leader, Dion Gowda, received a penalty. The VAR driver was found guilty of a false start, incurring a five-second penalty.

Unfortunately for Frenchman Alexandre Munoz, the opposite happened. Starting third, the ART Grand Prix driver suffered the throes of a car which was known to have clutch problems. Stalled on the grid, immobilized for several seconds, the driver from Ariège restarted last behind the safety car (an incident occurred in the opening meters). Finishing 19th, he still managed to demonstrate his pace, but will need to drive more cautiously on Sunday to try and score his first points.

In total, five retirements were recorded in this race. The first accident occurred right at the start/finish line, as Alexander Abkhazava (MP Motorsport) and Marcus Saeter (G4 Racing) collided while battling at the start. The second incident, involving Enea Frey (CL Motorsport), Miguel Costa (RPM), and Sager Almaoshergi (G4 Racing), highlighted the desire of many drivers on the grid to push the limits in the final sector. All three ended up on the grass, concluding a dramatic day that promises an evening of debriefings in many garages in preparation for Sunday's final race.

ALSO READ > Spielberg – Race 1: Nakamura-Berta wins, French struggle

This Sunday, Race 3 will be broadcast live from 16:40 PM (French time), following Q3 in the morning which will determine the starting grid order. Having struggled on Saturday, the French drivers, Jules Roussel (CL Motorsport) and Andrea Dupé (VAR), will need to regroup – as will Alexandre Munoz – whose ambition will be to be at the front before leaving Austria.

FREC – Spielberg (Austria)
The classification of Race 2

Mathieu Chambenoit

Responsible for the single-seater categories (F2, F3, FRECA, Eurocup-3, F4...), I enjoy discussing F1, Endurance, or MotoGP.

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