As you can easily guess from its name, the first ‘little’ Formula of the year will start this weekend in Middle East. The FRMEC, the Middle East Regional Formula Championship 2024, will begin on January 12 in the United Arab Emirates.
Established in 2023 to replace the FRAC (Formula Regional Asian Championship) and relocated in Southeast Asia, the FRMEC is a Formula Regional Championship of all respect, often used to collect superlicense points and better prepare for the upcoming FRECA or F3 season.
Last year, the winner was the very same one who won the Formula Regional European about 6 months after doing so in Asia: the Italian Kimi Antonelli.
The cars used will be the same ones also used in FRECA, with a Tatuus chassis and a 270 horsepower Alfa Romeo engine.
All race weekends, the drivers will be busy on:
- Thursday or Friday with Testing (2 hrs)
- Friday with Practice (30 min), Qualifying 1 (15 min) and Qualifying 2 (15 min)
- Saturday with Race 1 (30 min) and Race 2 (30 min)
- Sunday with Race 3 (30 min)
Qualifying 1 will determine the starting grid of Race 1, while Qualifying 2 will determine the starting grid of Race 3. Race 2 starting grid will be obtained by reversing the top 10 classified of Race 1. The tenth will start on pole, the ninth from second place and so on…
The 2024 FRMEC Calendar
Unlike last year, this season we will see the category race on two tracks only, both located in the United Arab Emirates. In fact, the Kuwait circuit – where the Championship was held in 2023 – was removed from the calendar.
The stages of the new championship will be:
- Yas Marina (January 12-14)
- Yas Marina (January 19-21)
- Dubai (February 2-4)
- Yas Marina (February 9-11)
- Dubai (February 16-18)
The titles awarded at the end of the five weekends will be the ones for the Constructors, Driver and Rookie of the Year.
The Starting Grid for FRMEC 2024 Season
Mumbai Falcons
Rafael Câmara (BRA)
Arvid Lindblad (GBR)
Ugo Ugochukwu (USA)
James Wharton (AUS)
Evans GP
John Bennett (GBR)
Costa Toparis (AUS)
MP Motorsport
Nikhil Bohra (SGP)
PHM Racing
Brando Badoer (ITA)
Taylor Barnard (GBR)
Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak (THA)
Ruiqi Liu (CHN)
Pinnacle Motorsport
Alexander Abkhazava (KAZ)
Mari Boya (ESP)
Finley Green (GBR)
Giovanni Maschio (ITA)
R-ace GP
Tuukka Taponen (FIN)
Saintéloc Racing
Théophile Naël (FRA)
Matteo De Palo (ITA)
Pedro Clerot (BRA)
Many drivers are still waiting for official announcements. Among the young talents already confirmed and worth keeping an eye on, there are certainly those consistently monitored by F1 teams. Examples include Tuukka Taponen, a Finnish young driver born in 2006 and part of the Ferrari Driver Academy (FDA), and the Italian Brando Badoer, who will now be under McLaren’s watchful eye. Also, Théophile Naël, French talent born in 2007, triumphed in the 2023 Spanish Formula 4 Championship.
Last but not least, the Prema quartet (competing in this championship under the name and livery of Mumbai Falcons). On track, we will see James Wharton (champion of the 2023 Emirati Formula 4), Arvid Lindblad (RB Junior Team), and Ugo Ugochukwu (formerly the only McLaren Junior Team member), who finished fourth, third, and second in the 2023 Italian Formula 4, respectively. Alongside them is Rafael Camara (a prodigy of the FDA), who secured third place in FRMEC last year and will undoubtedly aim for the title in 2024.
All that’s left is to wish good luck to every young driver. May the best man win!
Article by Gaïa Vanucci. English translation by Noemi Maio and Miriana Straccia.
