Camara storms to another FREC pole at Imola with late improvements

Photo: Dutch Photo Agency

Prema’s Rafael Camara was quickest in qualifying for Formula Regional Europe race two at Imola.

He ran in Group A, and it was Group B that headed out first. There was drama before any flying laps began, as Trident’s Ruiqi Liu squeezed past Race Performance Motorsport’s Giovanni Maschio and almost pushed him off.

Maschio immediately tried reclaiming track position, and did so at turn two as they then started their first lap at full speed.

Van Amerfoort Racing’s Ivan Domingues led the way initially, but ART Grand Prix’s Alessandro Giusti was the driver to beat when a representative pace was reached, setting a 1m41.154s.

Sainteloc Racing’s Matteo De Palo beat his benchmark by 0.043 seconds, then Giusti responded with a 1m40.290s.

R-ace GP’s Tuukka Taponen set a 1m40.408s to slot into second, ahead of team-mate Enzo Deligny and Prema’s Ugo Ugochukwu. Deligny was shuffled down to fifth nine minutes in, as Domingues went third fastest and G4 Racing’s Kanato Le got into fourth.

De Palo climbed back up to third with four minutes to go, setting a 1m40.562s, then Giusti lowered the pace to 1m39.769s. Race Performance Motorsport’s Noah Stromsted took second with a 1m40.206s, before Taponen posted a new 1m39.744s benchmark.

Deligny and Ugochukwu beat Stromsted, while Maschio spun. Giusti improved again to 1m30.825s with less than two-and-a-half minutes left on the clock, then Stromsted snatched top spot with a 1m39.797s.

Giusti could not respond, instead going off at the Villeneuve chicane, and the provisional poleman improved by 0.091s with 28s remaining. Ugochukwu improved to fourth, then Deligny took the spot before Domingues set a 1m39.953s to claim it.

The chequered flag waved, and Taponen and Giusti were setting personal best sector splits. Giusti crossed the line with a 1m39.609s, but first place went back to Taponen as he set a 1m39.490s. Stromsted pitted and stayed third, as Deligny improved to 1m39.866s in fourth.

A 1m40.349s from VAR’s Pedro Clerot was the first representative time of Group A, with Prema’s James Wharton and Camara in fifth and 12th after nine minutes. MP Motorsport’s Nikhil Bohra set a 1m40.297s to topple Clerot, before Sainteloc Racing’s Enzo Peugeot posted a 1m40.099s.

Clerot had the advantage again with five minutes to go, setting a 1m39.847s. ART GP’s Evan Giltaire went fourth fastest, with Wharton seventh and eighth after the second laps.

Wharton then picked up a tow from VAR’s Brando Badoer to jump to third, and a minute later Giltaire set a 1m40.055s to go second fastest as Camara sunk back to 11th.

Clerot scrubbed 0.085s off his own benchmark with just over three minutes to go, before Badoer and Camara shot to the top. Badoer set a 1m39.378s, leading Camara by 0.202s as Wharton also improved in fourth. On the next lap Clerot spun, Badoer and Wharton failed to improve, and Camara took provisional pole with a 1m39.319s.

He found more pace after the finish, setting a 1m39.171s. Wharton bettered Clerot but remained fourth due to R-ace’s Zachary David leaving it late to snatch third.

Qualifying results