Camara controls race two at Zandvoort for fourth FREC win of 2024

Photo: FRECA

Prema’s Rafael Camara controlled Formula Regional European Championship race two at Zandvoort to claim a fourth win in six races this season.

Van Amersfoort Racing’s Brando Badoer resisted late pressure from ART Grand Prix’s Alessandro Giusti to take his first podium in second place.

Camara got away well from pole to hold the lead over Badoer. Race Performance Motorsport’s Noah Stromsted briefly took third from Giusti, who had a slow start, but the Williams junior regained the place around the outside of turn one.

Further down the order, VAR’s Ivan Domingues touched the rear-right tyre of Prema’s James Wharton in sixth, sending him into a spin and to the back of the pack. MP Motorsport’s Nikita Bedrin was the biggest upwards mover of the opening lap as he rose from 19th to 11th.

The safety car was summoned on lap two as KIC Motorsport’s debutant John Bennett came to a halt on track, and racing resumed at the end of lap three with a lot of action. Camara delayed accelerating until enterting the pit straight, which allowed him to go unchallenged. Giusti drew alongside Badoer under braking for turn one but could not get past.

Behind them, R-ace GP’s Tukka Taponen overtook Domingues for fifth and almost got Stromsted too around the outside of turn one, but had to back off. Domingues then tried to retaliate heading into turn two and they touched, resulting in Domingues dropping to seventh behind team-mate Pedro Clerot. Bedrin outaccelerated R-ace’s Enzo Deligny exiting turn three for 10th place.

The top three broke away as Stromstead struggled to keep up and came under pressure from Taponen.

On lap 11, Bedrin overtook Prema’s Ugo Ugochukwu around the outside of turn one. Taponen launched on Stromsted at the same corner the following lap, but the latter kept the inside line and accompanied the Ferrari junior through the runoff. Clerot tried to benefit from the momentum lost by Taponen, but that only led to him falling into the clutches of Domingues and Sainteloc Racing’s Enzo Peugeot behind.

Peugeot saw a gap on the inside of Domingues at turn nine and went for it. The pair went side-by-side into turn 10, where Domingues emerged ahead.

Taponen had another try on Stromsted on lap 12, but he was fended off again and Stromsted held fourth place to the finish.

On lap 18, Taponen exited turn eight slowly and Clerot dived to his inside at turn nine. It worked, leaving Taponen unsuccessfully trying to reclaim fifth at turn 10.

Domigues finished seventh, and Bedrin drove past Peugeot for eighth as they began the penultimate lap of the race. However, Bedrin ran wide at turn seven and Peugeot reclaimed the position.

After being last on lap one, Wharton completed a sensational but unrewarded recovery to finish 14th. Contact between MP’s Valerio Rinicella and Sainteloc’s Matteo de Palo at turn 10 as they fought for 16th place late in the race sent de Palo into retirement.

Race result (20 laps)