Photo: FRECA
Hitech Grand Prix has announced four drivers for the upcoming Formula Regional Asian Championship including Gabriele Mini and a trio of rookies from Formula 4.
Mini, the 2020 Italian Formula 4 champion, will only compete in the first two rounds of the five-event series in the United Arab Emirates later this month before returning to Europe to prepare for his second season in the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine with ART Grand Prix.
“It will be interesting to discover a new team, new tracks and to kick off my 2022 season,” said the protege of Nicolas Todt’s All Road Management. “Although we are still in January, the winter break has already been too long so I’m looking forward to going racing again and to get more experience.”
Taking part in the first three rounds with Hitech will be Leonardo Fornaroli and Josh Dufek.
Fornaroli finished fifth in Italian F4 in 2021 after two seasons with Iron Lynx, while Dufek took seventh in both the Italian and German ADAC championships for Van Amersfoort Racing following a switch from Spanish F4.
Owen Tangavelou also has two years of F4 experience in his native France, where he was fifth in the 2021 championship, and will contest the final three rounds of the season in place of Mini.
Only taking part in three rounds will allow Fornaroli, Dufek and Tangavelou to still compete in the rookie classification in FRECA this year.
The 2021 FRECA rookie champion Isack Hadjar only entered the first three rounds of the championship then known as Asian Formula 3 at the start of last year, as did rival Dino Beganovic.
Fornaroli, Dufek and Tangavelou do not yet have seats confirmed on the FRECA grid, but all tested in the category with various teams through last November.
Hitech will announce drivers to replace Fornaroli and Dufek for the final two rounds at a later date.