FRMET – Abu Dhabi: Christian Ho wins, a flurry of crashes in the peloton

While Christian Ho managed to win the second Formula Regional Middle East race at the Abu Dhabi circuit, after a hard-fought battle with Miguel Costa, that wasn't the main event of the day's first race. Although Race 1 was somewhat tame, if not overly cautious, from the drivers' perspective, it quickly descended into a series of accidents, leading to a red flag and the deployment of several safety cars.

Right from the start of the race, Reza Seewooruthun apparently stalled on the grid. Hit head-on by Michael Belov, the British driver and the other driver, caught off guard by the sudden stop, escaped uninjured, but their cars were completely destroyed by the force of the impact. The race was immediately red-flagged, and it didn't start until nearly thirty minutes later, under the safety car. It should be noted that Michael Belov will not participate in Race 3 due to severe pain in his right hand.

Shortly after the restart, two prominent drivers collided at the hairpin. In a particularly tight section of Yas Marina, Kean Nakamura-Berta, the Italian F4 champion and new academy driver, WilliamsAlex Powell and Jan Przyrowski collided, causing the Japanese driver to retire. Similarly, less than a minute later, Jan Przyrowski and Artem Severiukhin also collided, resulting in only a double spin for both drivers.

Embragues and accidents, both serious and general.

Reza Seewooruthun was pressed into the room and Michael Belov did not hear it, he heard it.

Red flag. pic.twitter.com/5zCBfHTwll

— Leonardo Estrado🏁 (Marco) (@EstradoLeonardo) January 18, 2026

Kato is paying the price for his rhythm

Further up the field, Taito Kato, the 2024 French F4 champion and ART Grand Prix driver in FRECA last year, seemed to be confirming his positive impressions from the previous day. Fast and attentive to acceleration, the French driver was attacking Miguel Costa for second place. Unfortunately for him, contact with the Brazilian, close to the barrier, forced Kato to retire after his front wheels became airborne. Worrying but ultimately without consequence, this accident added to a long list of incidents at the end of the race.

Y ahora esto de Miguel Costa.

We will leave the track at Taito Kato, which will cause a wheelie and shock against the protections.

Vaya level. https://t.co/MFxLR4QTBi pic.twitter.com/QzAZ5voOhH

— Leonardo Estrado🏁 (Marco) (@EstradoLeonardo) January 18, 2026

Race 3, the final stage of this weekend, will take place from 12:10 (French time).

FRMET (Regional Formula Middle East)
Race 2 ranking