Home Featured R-ace GP’s Isack Hadjar takes lights-to-flag first FREC win in Monaco

R-ace GP’s Isack Hadjar takes lights-to-flag first FREC win in Monaco

by Bethonie Waring

Photo: FRECA

Isack Hadjar dominated the opening Formula Regional European Championship race in Monaco with a lights-to-flag victory.

The R-ace GP driver held the race lead from team-mate Zane Maloney off the line, and was unchallenged for the remainder of the race.

Hadjar spent the first half of the race extending the gap to Maloney, only for the safety car to then eradicate that gap after Arden’s Nicola Marinangeli was spun around at the Nouvelle chicane.

Maloney couldn’t stick with Hadjar on the restart though, and he finished 7.401s down the road. Prema’s Paul Aron took third, holding off the third R-ace car of Hadrien David, who pushed him hard throughout the race.

Similarily, KIC Motorsport’s Patrick Pasma spent the race defending against Arden’s Alex Quinn, ultimately coming out on top to take fifth. David Vidales (Prema) and William Alatalo (Arden) took seventh and eighth.

It was a cautious race as though the track had mostly dried after the Formula 2 sprint race which started in wet conditions, there were still damp patches in places around the Monte Carlo streets. Most of the field was able to avoid any drama, though issues for JD Motorsport’s Eduardo Barrichello and Monolite Racing’s Jasin Ferati meant they pitted early on.

Championship leader Gregorie Saucy faced an uphill battle after qualifying only 10th. That was only made harder when he ran wide at the first corner late in the race, plummeting down the order and finishing 22nd.

His ART Grand Prix team-mate Gabriele Mini inherited 10th and tried to close onto the back of Van Amersfoort Racing’s Mari Boya in ninth, but ran out of laps before he could get close enough to make a move.

Race results (21 laps)

Pos Driver Team Time
1 Isack Hadjar R-ace GP 32m56.410s
2 Zane Maloney R-ace GP +7.401s
3 Paul Aron Prema +10.400s
4 Hadrien David R-ace GP +10.863s
5 Patrik Pasma KIC Motorsport +13.385s
6 Alex Quinn Arden +13.613s
7 David Vidales Prema +17.151s
8 William Alatalo Arden +17.700s
9 Mari Boya Van Amersfoort Racing +18.428s
10 Gabriele Mini ART Grand Prix +18.791s
11 Pietro Delli Guanti Monolite Racing +25.151s
12 Elias Seppanen KIC Motorsport +27.235s
13 Andrea Rosso FA Racing by MP +27.552s
14 Kas Haverkort MP Motorsport +28.037s
15 Francesco Pizzi Van Amersfoort Racing +28.726s
16 Thomas ten Brinke ART Grand Prix +29.139s
17 Dino Beganovic Prema +29.373s
18 Oliver Goethe MP Motorsport +31.040s
19 Axel Gnos G4 Racing +47.375s
20 Lena Buhler R-ace GP +47.675s
21 Alessandro Famularo G4 Racing +51.106s
22 Gabriele Saucy ART Grand Prix +52.890s
23 Gabriel Bortoleto FA Racing by MP +56.698s
24 Brad Benavides DR Formula +1m08.939s
Ret Nicola Marinangeli Arden
Ret Lorenzo Fluxa Van Amersfoort Racing
Ret Eduardo Barrichello JD Motorsport
Ret Jasin Ferati Monolite Racing
Fastest lap: Hadjar

Championship standings
1
Saucy 85   2 Aron 72   3 Quinn 56   4 Hadjar 52   5 David 39   6 Mini 37   5 Maloney 37   8 Alatalo 36   9 Vidales 37   10 Boya 17