Taponen takes first FREC win at wet Zandvoort after Wharton spin

Photo: Dutch Photo Agency

Tuukka Taponen took his first Formula Regional European Championship win in a wet first race at Zandvoort after James Wharton spun from the lead.

The start of the race was delayed by a stoppage in the preceding Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux race, and heavy rain fell as the FREC grid was forming, triggering a safety car start. More than 17 of the allotted 30 minutes had passed before the field was released from behind the safety car.

Wharton led from pole position and quickly built a gap over Taponen and Rafael Camara, but team-mate Ugo Ugochukwu hit trouble when he spun in Hugenholtz while battling Pedro Clerot for fifth.

Just one lap later, Wharton would spin in the same place, having already been two seconds clear of Taponen. He dropped down to 16th place, and could be investigated for crossing the path of Ivan Domingues as he tried to rejoin.

The safety car came back out soon afterwards so that the car of Valerio Rinicella could be retrieved from the gravel trap. Matteo de Palo, who had started one place behind Rinicella, also pitted to retire with front-right damage.

Just three minutes remained on the clock at the restart. Taponen got a good jump on his Ferrari Driver Academy colleague Camara initially, but a lap later they went side-by-side on the run to Tarzan. Taponen forced them both deep, potentially opening the door for Alessandro Giusti, but positions remained unchanged.

Camara dipped a wheel into the gravel later in the lap which helped Taponen hold on through the final tour as the FRegional Middle East champion clinched his first European win at this level for R-ace GP.

Enzo Deligny passed Pedro Clerot around the outside of Tarzan at the restart to take fourth, but got shuffled back behind Clerot, Evan Giltaire and Domingues at the end of that lap. He soon got back in front of Domingues to finish sixth.

Race result (13 laps)