Home Featured Mini fastest in FP2 for Imola Formula Regional Europe opener

Mini fastest in FP2 for Imola Formula Regional Europe opener

by Bethonie Waring

Photo: Formula Regional by Alpine

Gabriele Mini topped a shortened second free practice session at Imola ahead of the first round of the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine season.

The 50-minute session was cut short when red flags were brought out in the final five minutes of the session after Nicola Marinangeli came to a stop.

Despite the short time left in the session, flying laps had still been coming in. Mini had been at the sharp end of the field for most of the session, but it was only in the final minutes before the red flag that he set a 1m38.021s time and displaced Mari Boya.

Gregoire Saucy and Alex Quinn also found late improvements to put themselves second and third, Saucy just 0.071s behind his ART Grand Prix team-mate Mini.

Boya, who set the pace early in the session, was bumped down to fourth, ahead of David Vidales and William Alatalo.

Paul Aron and Zane Maloney had been at the sharp end of the field through most of the session, running third and fourth with 10 minutes left on the clock. As lap times fell in the closing stages of the session, they fell down the order, ending up seventh and eighth.

Dino Beganovic left it late to set his best lap of the session, jumping up from P20 to ninth late on.

Gabriel Bortoleto was back on the pace in FP2 following his late switch to FA Racing. After finishing the first session some six seconds behind the frontrunners, he spent most of FP2 in the top 10 and ended the session 10th overall.

Franco Colapinto, who will also be racing in the European Le Mans Series in Barcelona this weekend, and the third ART driver Thomas ten Brinke once again missed out on the session.

Free practice results

Pos Driver Team Time Gap Laps
1 Gabriele Mini ART Grand Prix 1m38.021s 20
2 Gregoire Saucy ART Grand Prix 1m38.092s +0.071s 17
3 Alex Quinn Arden 1m38.098s +0.077s 20
4 Mari Boya Van Amersfoort Racing 1m38.234s +0.213s 21
5 David Vidales Prema 1m38.548s +0.527s 21
6 William Alatalo Arden 1m38.634s +0.613s 17
7 Paul Aron Prema 1m38.750s +0.729s 20
8 Zane Maloney R-ace GP 1m38.833s +0.812s 23
9 Dino Beganovic Prema 1m38.842s +0.821s 19
10 Gabriel Bortoleto FA Racing by MP 1m38.924s +0.903s 20
11 Andrea Rosso FA Racing by MP 1m38.934s +0.913s 19
12 Patrik Pasma KIC Motorsport 1m38.969s +0.948s 19
13 Isack Hadjar R-ace GP 1m38.994s +0.973s 23
14 Eduardo Barrichello JD Motorsport 1m39.111s +1.090s 20
15 Kas Haverkort MP Motorsport 1m39.152s +1.131s 21
16 Pietro Delli Guanti Monolite Racing 1m39.160s +1.139s 18
17 Hadrien David R-ace GP 1m39.163s +1.142s 23
18 Lorenzo Fluxa Van Amersfoort Racing 1m39.172s +1.151s 18
19 Francesco Pizzi Van Amersfoort Racing 1m39.174s +1.153s 18
20 Emidio Pesce DR Formula 1m39.415s +1.394s 18
21 Brad Benavides DR Formula 1m39.445s +1.424s 18
22 Nicola Marinangeli Arden 1m39.465s +1.444s 18
23 Oliver Goethe MP Motorsport 1m39.694s +1.673s 20
24 Elias Seppanen KIC Motorsport 1m39.885s +1.864s 21
25 Axel Gnos G4 Racing 1m40.062s +2.041s 22
26 Tommy Smith JD Motorsport 1m40.117s +2.096s 20
27 Nico Gohler KIC Motorsport 1m40.192s +2.171s 20
28 Jasin Ferati Monolite Racing 1m40.250s +2.229s 19
29 Belen Garcia G4 Racing 1m40.368s +2.347s 22
30 Alexandre Bardinon FA Racing by MP 1m40.738s +2.717s 19
Thomas ten Brinke ART Grand Prix no time 0
Franco Colapinto MP Motorsport no time 0