Things are going well at R-ace GP in the early stages of the 2023 Formula Regional Championship by Alpine, with the French team now boasting 75% of all the winner’s trophies from the opening two rounds. Their German racer Tim Tramnitz took two victories from two starts in Barcelona to leap into the championship lead.

Speaking with Feeder Series after picking up his second P1 trophy on Sunday morning, the beaming German detailed how he achieved the first clean sweep of the FRECA season.

By Jim Kimberley

Tramnitz was delighted with his performance in Round 2 of FRECA at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. “I think it was one of the best weekends I’ve ever had,” he said. “It gives me a lot of confidence, to be honest, and a really good feeling.

“Huge thanks to the team. They were really on it from Friday onwards, all the time. The car was really good. We kept on working on the setup all the time and managed to improve again from yesterday from Race 1 to Race 2. Really good job from the team.”

Not only did Tramnitz take both wins, but he also took P1 in each of his qualifying groups, leading to a P2 start on Saturday evening’s race and pole for Sunday’s Race 2. An incredible start in Race 1 helped to snatch the lead from PREMA Racing’s Andrea Kimi Antonelli, but topping the timesheets to start from the front row twice is where Tramnitz’s weekend was won, with a bit of degradation monitoring.

“I think it’s all about staying calm, and tyre management is very important. And for sure, the qualifying as well, and I think our one-lap pace was really strong already in Imola and now again. And yeah, quali is really important.”

A great getaway was an area of focus for the new championship leader. Speaking to Feeder Series after Race 1, he said,”After Imola, I really tried to work on my starts because, I mean, I pretty much lost the race at the start.

“Today, everything worked out, and I think the practice paid off, so yeah, I’m really happy to secure P1.”

‘The target is to win the championship’

Tramnitz has certainly started the season with fire in his belly after a P6 finish in the curtain-raising event and pole in Imola’s second race before a safety car restart crash ended what could’ve been a podium trip. With two poles and two wins, inevitably, we had to ask whether title hopes were already starting to enter the 18-year-old racer’s thought process.

“Of course, a little bit, but anyway! Of course, the target is to win the championship and to fight for the title, but anyway, it’s a very long championship, and everything can happen in this championship, so I’m just looking from race to race.

“Now I’m getting focussed on Hungary. I was good there last year, and the team was really good there, as well, so, yeah, I’m really looking forward.”

They’ve really managed to help me in terms of getting to know everything even better

Tim Tramnitz on the support he receives from his team, R-ace GP

He’s not wrong, with Hungary representing the high-water mark in a rookie season good enough for P15 in the championship standings. It was P4 there in 2022, so Tramnitz is right to feel confident in a car and team he has rapidly adapted to for 2023’s visit.

“For sure, I’ve learned a lot more,” he details to us when asked how he reflects on how he was as a driver 12 months ago. “Also, with the help of the team, they’ve managed to really help me in terms of getting to know everything even better and just getting more confidence in myself as well.

“We work really well together.”

Hear more from Tim Tramnitz in the next episode of the Feeder Series Podcast, which launches 24 May.

Header photo credit: Sebastiaan Rozendaal / Dutch Photo Agency