Photo: FRECA
Hadrien David will return to single-seater racing this weekend, contesting the Formula Regional European Championship round at Spa-Francorchamps for ART Grand Prix.
The 19-year-old Frenchman was championship runner-up as a rookie in 2021, winning two races, then was fourth in the standings last year with three victories. He also won twice from six races in the FRegional Asian Championship in 2022.
David raced as an Alpine Academy affiliate during that year, but lost his backing for 2023 and has not raced. The chance to return to FREC has come about after a doctor ruled out ART GP’s regular driver Charlie Wurz from competing due to him having laryngitis.
“I can’t believe it,” said Wurz. “I’m gutted but will be back in action very soon.”
Wurz, who started 2023 by becoming FRegional Oceania champion, has scored one point from his first six races in FREC.
Due to David’s experience, which comes to a signficantly larger 40 races in FREC, he will race as a non-points eligible wildcard entry at Spa.
“First of all, I would like to thank ART GP for this opportunity to get back behind the wheel in FREC,” said David.
“I am mentally and physically ready and I will be able to deliver 100% to bring all my experience and knowledge to the team because the package is identical to that of last year.
“My focus is entirely on ART GP: We need to progress from the first to the last session, explore all avenues and find answers to maximize our performance. They are a historic team, and I must thank them for this golden opportunity. I couldn’t dream of anything better than Spa for this mission because it’s a circuit that I love and where I secured several pole positions and podium finishes, so I can count on good benchmarks.”
ART GP team principal Sebastien Philippe added: “Hadrien’s experience and expertise in FREC are major assets for this project being a single meeting which will allow us to take stock and above all to open up prospects for the rest of the season.
“After winning the championship in 2021 and finishing runner-up last season, this year we haven’t managed to exploit the full potential of the car and Hadrien will help us trigger a new phase in our quest to return to the front of the field.”