FRECA might have been one of the last junior single-seater series to start, kicking off in May at Hockenheim, but it has already completed one-fifth of its 2024 season. So who and what should you keep an eye on as the series heads to Zandvoort this weekend?

By Perceval Wolff

Can anyone stop Rafael Câmara?

Four races, three wins, and a colossal 60-point lead. Nineteen-year-old Rafael Câmara, racing for Prema, already has one hand on the title even though there are still 400 points available. Fifth last year and the highest returning driver, the Brazilian from the Ferrari Driver Academy has lived up to expectations.

Although there were talks during the winter season about promoting Câmara to Formula 3, Feeder Series understands the Ferrari Driver Academy insisted on having the Brazilian stay one more year in FRECA to clinch his maiden single-seater title. His start to the year has been stellar, with multiple overtakes when he didn’t start from pole, and impressive qualifying sessions, such as in Spa-Francorchamps, where he took pole with a seven-tenth gap. 

It would be very surprising to see the title slip away from Câmara’s hands, but anything can happen in motorsport. Multiple talents, especially rookie drivers, have already impressed in the first few rounds. If they keep up their progression, they could match Câmara’s pace at some point.

Can R-ace GP regain its mojo?

While it would be unfair to call the beginning of R-ace GP’s season disappointing, their overall performance has been somewhat underwhelming. Although the team sits second in the teams’ standings, the outfit that fought for both FRECA titles last year with Tramnitz and Stenshorne against the Premas of Antonelli and Câmara has struggled a little with race pace, especially at Spa-Francorchamps, where tyre degradation seemed to affect all three cars.

However, Tuukka Taponen and Zachary David have scored a podium each, and Enzo Deligny has scored points in all races. In 2022, following a change in the tyres, R-ace had a difficult start before finishing as the dominant team in the second half of the year with Hadrien David and Gabriel Bortoleto.

This year, the Formula Regional cars’ front suspensions were modified to facilitate handling and steering for female drivers. This change might explain the slight downgrade in R-ace’s performance. But history has shown that R-ace can bounce back.

Giltaire and Strømsted: One-round sensations or title contenders?

Besides Câmara, two drivers have shown their talent and quick adaptability. Rookie standings leader Evan Giltaire, racing for ART GP, is the only race winner other than Câmara thanks to his fantastic weekend at Hockenheim. Currently second in the standings, Giltaire might be closer to Câmara had a gearbox failure in the opening race not prevented him from grabbing another podium. His Spa-Francorchamps round was less impressive, but he still showed some steady improvement between Saturday and Sunday, scoring several points.

The same could be said for RPM’s Noah Strømsted. Despite not scoring any points at Hockenheim, he came very close by finishing 11th and 12th.  He then shone in changing conditions at Spa-Francorchamps, scoring 30 points in two races. Both drivers illustrate the high level of competitiveness in FRECA this year, with marginal gaps often making the difference between finishing in 12th place and second place.

Given Câmara’s advantage, it’s hard to say whether they will be title contenders. But they will surely be fighting for the rookie title alongside Ivan Domingues and Enzo Deligny, two other rookies in the top 10 in the overall standings.

Can Ugochukwu bounce back?

McLaren junior Ugo Ugochukwu, racing for Prema, has been the biggest disappointment so far, sitting only 17th in the standings while his teammates Câmara and Wharton are first and fifth. But it should be noted that the reigning Euro 4 champion has had his share of bad luck in qualifying and races.

Spa’s second qualifying seemed like a sunny spell in Ugochukwu’s cloudy start to the season. But after stalling on the grid, the American driver missed the opportunity to respond to his teammate James Wharton’s two podiums despite having the same level of experience.

He now needs an incident-free weekend to start his campaign, and with only 27 points separating him from second place in the standings, he still has a chance. Given his and his team’s racing records, it would be extremely surprising not to see him on the podium soon.

Who will be the rising star of the season?

Last year, despite scoring several points at the opening race, Alessandro Giusti – then at G4 Racing – took his campaign to a new level in the middle of the season, securing three wins and finishing sixth overall. With Giusti in 2023 and Dufek in 2022, it’s difficult to predict this kind of surge in the standings, as it’s a mix of confidence, package and timing.

Saintéloc’s trio of drivers have shown notable pace in the first two meetings, with Naël, De Palo and Peugeot already in the top 15. The MP Motorsport drivers had a difficult start, but Valerio Rinicella was a title contender in Spanish F4 alongside Naël and Deligny, and he will surely progress throughout the year as well.

Header photo credit: Dutch Photo Agency