FRECA Team Shines at Spa with First Podium and Rookie Success
The Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine (FRECA) team headed to the iconic Spa-Francorchamps circuit for the second round of the season. It was a weekend that had it all — from a first podium to first points and dramatic moments. All in all, it was a weekend with plenty of positives to take into the next round on home soil.
After the collective tests on Thursday and Friday, it was time for the first qualifying session on Saturday. However, due to barrier repairs following a crash in Qualifying 1 and a tight schedule, the session was canceled, and the starting grid for the first race was determined by the results of Collective Test 1. Pedro Clerot and Dion Gowda, who had already been out in the first group and used their tyres, received fresh rubber for the first race.
This canceled session didn’t work in the team’s favour, with Dion starting from P18, Pedro from P13, and Hiyu Yamakoshi — who didn’t even get to hit the track for qualifying — in P10. Hiyu had a fantastic race, making some great overtakes and finishing P5, securing valuable points. Dion also made up several positions and claimed his second Rookie win of the season. He initially crossed the line in P13 but received a one-place penalty after the race, dropping him to P14. Pedro had a tough start after going off track when encountering another car early on, dropping down the order. The Brazilian driver showed real determination to fight his way back, eventually finishing in P25.
Sunday’s qualifying session brought mixed emotions for the team. Hiyu and Dion delivered excellent performances, qualifying P2 and P9 respectively. Hiyu was even the fastest driver in his qualifying group. Unfortunately, the Japanese driver received a two-place grid penalty for impeding another driver, which dropped him to P4 for the race. Pedro was once again unlucky, suffering a crash that forced him to start the race from the back of the grid.
In Race 2, Hiyu fought his way through the field and even led the race for several laps. After a strong restart following a safety car period, the Japanese driver eventually crossed the finish line in P2, claiming his first podium of the season. Dion continued his strong weekend, finishing P5 — scoring his first overall FRECA points and another Rookie win. Pedro also showed impressive speed and fighting spirit, climbing eleven places to finish P16.
After this rather successful weekend, Hiyu sits P5 in the standings with 34 points. Even though Pedro didn’t score points this weekend, he remains P8 with 22 points. Dion sits in P12 with 10 points and is currently leading the Rookie Championship. The team holds a solid P5 in the Teams’ standings with 66 points.
With a healthy haul of points and plenty of valuable experience, the team now returns to Zeewolde to prepare for the next round — our home race at Zandvoort, taking place from June 6–8.
Pedro Clerot - FRECA driver, Van Amersfoort Racing:
“Overall, very tough and difficult weekend. No points scored, but some things went out of our control. Taking the positives for Zandvoort, which was the base. Head down and focusing on the next race.”
Dion Gowda - FRECA driver, Van Amersfoort Racing:
“Decent weekend in Spa. Good progress from Misano. Managed to get the first points of the season in race 2 and both rookie wins. So overall positive weekend, with still things we can improve on. We continue this momentum into the team's home race in Zandvoort.”
Hiyu Yamakoshi - FRECA driver, Van Amersfoort Racing:
“It was a very nice weekend finishing P2 and P1 in my qualifying group. Compared to Misano, we had really nice progress. Massive thanks for the team. Let’s keep pushing forward for the next round."