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

Between Rashid Al-Dhaheri (R-ace GP), Alex Ninovic (Rodin Motorsport), Sebastian Wheldon (MP Motorsport) and Kean Nakamura-Berta (Prema), the 2026 FREC season could be particularly close. This Saturday, in Spielberg, the first of the three weekend races was won by the protégé of the driver development program. WilliamsHowever, he didn't lead the entire race. Overtaken by Rashid Al-Dhaheri in the opening kilometers, the Japanese rider ultimately showed patience to regain the lead at the halfway point. Briefly pressured by Alex Ninovic, the leader remained composed thereafter, asserting his dominance over the Red Bull ring.

Having already won the Formula Regional Middle East this winter, the driver competing under a British license this year is the clear favorite. That said, he found himself shielded from the battles unfolding mainly behind the leading pack. For several minutes, a fight developed between Frenchman Alexandre Munoz (ART Grand Prix), Reza Seewooruthun (Rodin Motorsport), and Alexander Abkhazava (MP Motorsport), among others. While the French F4 champion held eighth position for a long time, late braking by both the Ariège native and the British driver entered by Rodin ultimately ended their respective races. While the Rodin driver was forced to retire, the ART driver plummeted to 13th place, likely suffering a problem as a result of this duel. Probably unsettled by his opponent's controversial restart, using track limits in the first few kilometers, Alexandre Munoz nevertheless remains the best rookie in this first event.

Among the other French drivers on the grid, Andrea Dupé (VAR) avoided the pitfalls but finished 18th, while Jules Roussel (CL Motorsport) struggled with traffic and ultimately finished 27th. Gabriel Gomez (Rodin Motorsport) retired within the first three minutes of the race after being hit at Turn 3, as did Saqer Almaosherji (G4 Racing), who suffered a spectacular but not dangerous roll. Race 2 will now begin at 16:30 PM (French time) and will be run under the reverse grid rule for the top 12. Alexandre Munoz will start from third position.

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FREC – Spielberg (Austria)
The classification of Race 1