FREC Race 1: Olivieri Takes P1

Formula Regional European Championship Race 1 at Imola delivered a tense and incident-filled opening contest, with Olivieri converting pole position into victory in a race repeatedly interrupted by Safety Car periods.

Olivieri led the field away from the front row alongside Evan Wheldon, with Matias Munoz and Valerio Giacardi starting from the second row. The race was immediately neutralised when cars #60 and #71 (Stolcermanis and Al Dhaheri) came together at Turn 8 on the opening lap. The incident was noted for investigation after the race.

Once the Safety Car came in at the end of Lap 3, Olivieri immediately settled into his rhythm. Wheldon briefly looked to the outside in an attempt to challenge for the lead, but the race leader calmly closed the door. By Lap 4, the field was tightly packed, with most drivers separated by just a few tenths.

Olivieri continued to demonstrate impressive pace, setting multiple fastest laps and recording a 1:42.396 at an average of 172.6 km/h on Lap 5. Behind him, the midfield provided plenty of wheel-to-wheel action, with drivers fighting hard through Imola’s technical sections. Giacardi slipped down to sixth, while cars were regularly venturing onto the gravel and struggling for grip at Turns 14 and 19.

The Safety Car returned on Lap 7 after a crash involving Rodin Motorsport’s Ninovic (#2), once again bunching the field together. Further down the order, Sano remained in P19, while Nakamura-Berta struggled in P17 following a disappointing start. Roussel, meanwhile, found himself only ninth despite showing promising pace during Friday’s practice sessions.

One of the biggest movers was Abkhazava, who had climbed to fourth by Lap 7.

Racing resumed on Lap 8, with Wheldon once again probing Olivieri around the outside. The leader remained composed, shutting down the opportunity and retained P1. The midfield continued to provide close, wheel-to-wheel racing as the tightly packed field battled for position.

Further drama arrived on Lap 10 when Costa (#5) went off into the gravel at Turn 17, triggering yellow flags and another Safety Car intervention. A recovery vehicle was deployed, with an incident involving cars #87 (Daryanani) and #5 also noted.

The Safety Car returned to the pits at the end of Lap 11, allowing Olivieri to immediately pull away. Wheldon remained within striking distance, with the gap hovering around 0.4 seconds, but despite the pressure, no move for the lead materialised.

As the race entered its final stages, Olivieri continued to extend his advantage. However, with just over a minute plus one lap remaining, another incident brought the Safety Car back onto the circuit. Cars #8 Przyrowski and #22 Lammers were involved in separate incidents at Turns 14–15, while #67  was forced into the gravel after contact with Przyrowski.

With the field unable to resume racing, the chequered flag fell behind the Safety Car.

Olivieri took the victory, with Wheldon finishing second, completing a controlled performance in a race where staying out of trouble proved just as important as outright pace. Despite the repeated interruptions, the opening FREC contest showcased the typically close racing of the championship — and provided plenty of drama around the iconic Imola circuit.