Everything you need to know about the new features of the 2026 European Regional Formula

As in previous years, 30 drivers will be on the FREC starting grid. As in previous years, only one will win, but many will hope to move up to the big leagues and join the FIA ​​championship. F3 for the 2027 season.

New status for the FREC

This year in FREC, there are some changes. Although the ACI (Automobile Club d'Italia) remains the championship promoter, it has obtained FIA status for the 2026 season. In other words, what was known as FRECA due to the active participation of...Alpine The management of the championship is seeing its name evolve, as is its governance. Certainly, the FREC will not be aligned with the calendars of F1, but the stated objective is clear: to make the pyramid of the car for drivers coming from national F4 championships.

New single-seater: the Tatuus T-326

Out with the T-318 equipped with an engine Renault, make way for the T-326 with a block ToyotaWith its increased aerodynamics, the new FREC version aims to allow drivers to create closer races than those planned for 2025. Easier tracking and less frequent tire overheating are among the benefits. The first version of this new car was used in the Middle East championship this winter. While the races held in the United Arab Emirates and Qatar didn't necessarily result in more overtaking, it did seem that gaps couldn't be created as easily as before.

Especially since, starting this April, the FREC will allow teams to use the "push-to-pass" system, giving drivers a kind of boost from the cockpit to initiate an overtaking maneuver. Unusable this winter, this option could well shake things up at certain key moments in the races.

New format: one additional race per weekend

As in previous seasons, qualifying will continue to be held in two separate groups. To establish these groups, the organizers have opted for the numbered system used by the drivers. The first driver in numerical order will be in the same group as the third, fifth, seventh, and so on. The pole sitter is obviously the one who sets the fastest overall time in the session, while the second-placed driver will be the first in the other group. The third-placed driver will be the second in the pole sitter's group, and this will continue until the 30th.^e, at a rate of one place out of two per group.

On the other hand, the changes to qualifying will no longer be quite the same for three races in particular. Until 2025, Q1 determined the grid order for Race 1, while Q2 determined the order for Race 2. This year (only for Spielberg, Misano, and Monza), Q1 will determine the order for Race 1, but also for Race 2 by reversing the top 12 from Q1. Q2 will determine the order for Race 3. For the other race weekends, the 2025 format will apply.

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New grid: the faces of tomorrow

The most significant change this season is the driver grid, which has naturally undergone considerable evolution. Between a new competition format and the majority of drivers in the 2025 generation opting to continue at the next level, there are many new faces this year. The 30 selected drivers will be spread across ten teams (MP Motorsport and Rodin will be fielding single-seaters in this championship for the first time).

Among the favorites, we can naturally mention the Japanese player Kean Nakamura-Berta. Supported by WilliamsHaving signed with Prema, the reigning Italian F4 champion hopes to succeed Freddie Slater, who broke records with the same team last year. He won't be alone in the fight at the front, as Sebastian Wheldon – who left Prema for MP – showed promise during testing. Rashid Al-Dhaheri (R-ace GP), Nakamura-Berta's main rival in the Middle East series this winter, and Emanuele Olivieri, also with the French team and one of the top prospects of his generation, should not be overlooked either.

The French drivers will also need to be watched closely. Jules Roussel, ultimately signed with CL Motorsport, will be looking to build on his performance after winning the F4 World Cup in Macau last November, while Alexandre Munoz, driving for ART Grand Prix, is particularly anticipated given his French championship title. Having performed well in testing, the two FFSA F4 rivals are joined by Andrea Dupé, a VAR driver who competed in Italian F4 last year.

To kick off the season, it's time for the first Austrian round of the year, where the first trends could quickly emerge. Join us throughout the weekend to follow the action live on autohebdo.fr.

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