The Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine (FRECA) is a FIA-certified regional European Formula 3 racing series. On 12 October 2018 it was announced that the Italian autosport regulator Automobile Club d’Italia (ACI) and karting promoter WSK would organize the inaugural year of the championship in 2019.[1] Their bid was chosen over Renault Sport's bid with the same chassis, who attracted fewer votes from Single-Seater Commission members.[1] Following the 2020 season, the Formula Renault Eurocup merged with the Formula Regional European Championship to become the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine.[2]
 | |
| Category | Formula Regional |
|---|---|
| Region | Europe |
| Constructors | Tatuus |
| Engine suppliers | Renault |
| Tyre suppliers | Pirelli |
| Drivers' champion |  Andrea Kimi Antonelli |
| Teams' champion | Prema Racing |
| Official website | Official Website |
 Current season | |
The championship's first season featured eight rounds on the circuits across Europe with half of them in Italy.[3]
Like other Formula Regional championships, it serves as a development series as part of the FIA Global Pathway, and is primarily contested by young drivers seeking a professional racing career. The driver champions receive FIA Super License points. The series is intended to be a stepping stone between Formula 4 and the international FIA Formula 3 Championship.[4] While no Formula Regional Europe driver has yet reached Formula One, many FRECA drivers have subsequently competed in its direct feeder series, the FIA Formula 2 Championship.
Car
editThe championship features Tatuus-designed and built cars. The cars will be constructed out of carbon fibre and feature a monocoque chassis which feature a number of enhanced safety features including the new Halo device and improved side impact protection, and will have a six-speed paddle-shift sequential gearbox.[1] In the 2019 and 2020 seasons, the car was powered by a Alfa Romeo 270PS (200kW) turbo engine tuned by Autotecnica.[1] After the merge with Formula Renault Eurocup for the 2021 season the championship uses Renault engines.
From 2022, the cars feature a push-to-pass system. When pressed, the engine temporarily produces extra power for a period of 15 seconds. Push-to-pass can be used five times during a race. Unlike DRS in Formula One, the push-to-pass system can be used at any time during a race. [5]
Costs
editOne 2024 estimate puts the cost of competing in a front-running car at around €1,000,000 per season. The minimum for "back-marker" cars was around €350,000. These costs are typically met by either the competitors' families or personal sponsors. [6]
Media
editRaces are livestreamed and are available on YouTube at no cost.[7]
Champions
editDrivers'
edit| Season | Driver | Team | Poles | Wins | Podiums | Fastest laps | Points | % points achievable | Clinched | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 10 | 13 | 20 | 9 | 467 | 77.833 | Race 21 of 24 | 131 | ||
| 2020 | 5 | 4 | 14 | 7 | 359 | 62.435 | Race 24 of 24 | 16 | ||
| 2021 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 2 | 277 | 55.400 | Race 17 of 20 | 68 | ||
| 2022 | 4 | 4 | 14 | 2 | 300 | 60.000 | Race 19 of 20 | 26 | ||
| 2023 | 3 | 5 | 11 | 5 | 300 | 60.000 | Race 18 of 20 | 39 |
Teams'
edit| Season | Team | Poles | Wins | Podiums | Fastest laps | Points | Clinched | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 13 | 16 | 40 | 14 | 870 | Race 23 of 24 | 390 | |
| 2020 | 18 | 16 | 43 | 12 | 842 | Race 22 of 24 | 347 | |
| 2021 | 3 | 5 | 21 | 6 | 481 | Race 20 of 20 | 59 | |
| 2022 | 11 | 10 | 21 | 6 | 531 | Race 18 of 20 | 110 | |
| 2023 | 7 | 7 | 18 | 6 | 512 | Race 20 of 20 | 2 |
Rookie
edit| Season | Driver | Team | Poles | Wins (rookie) | Podiums (rookie) | Fastest laps | Points (rookie) | Clinched | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 10 | 14 | 21 | 9 | 506 | Race 21 of 24 | 125 | ||
| 2020 | 5 | 7 | 20 | 7 | 430 | Race 24 of 24 | 43 | ||
| 2021 | 1 | 2 (8) | 6 | 3 | 166 | Race 20 of 20 | 44 | ||
| 2022 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 83 | Race 20 of 20 | 4 | ||
| 2023 | 3 | 5 (13) | 11 | 3 | 261 | Race 18 of 20 | 150 |
Drivers graduated to FIA Formula 2/3 Championship
edit* Season still in progress.
Notes:
- Gold background denotes Formula Regional European champion.
Circuits
edit- Bold denotes a circuit will be used in the 2024 season.
| Number | Circuits | Rounds | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | 2019–present | |
| 2 | 5 | 2019–present | |
| 3 | 5 | 2019–present | |
| 4 | 5 | 2019–present | |
| 5 | 5 | 2019–present | |
| 6 | 5 | 2019–present | |
| 7 | 3 | 2019, 2022–present | |
| 8 | 3 | 2021–present | |
| 9 | 3 | 2021–present | |
| 10 | 2 | 2019–2020 | |
| 11 | 2 | 2021–2022 | |
| 12 | 1 | 2020 | |
| 13 | 1 | 2021 | |
| 14 | 1 | 2023–present |
References
edit- ^ a b c d Wood, Elliot (12 October 2018). "Italian bid beats Renault to run European regional F3 series". formulascout.com. Formula Scout. Retrieved 2 November 2018.
- ^ Smith, Luke (31 October 2020). "Formula Regional Europe merges with Renault Eurocup for 2021". Motorsport.com. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
- ^ Allen, Peter (2 November 2018). "Prema commits to Italian-promoted European Regional F3 championship". formulascout.com. Formula Scout. Retrieved 2 November 2018.
- ^ "The Championship". Formula Regional by Alpine. 2021-02-02. Retrieved 6 June 2021.
- ^ Wood, Ida (2022-03-30). "FRegional Europe lays out rules of new push-to-pass system". Formula Scout. Retrieved 2024-07-18.
- ^ Series, Feeder (2024-04-05). "A year in, where does Eurocup-3 stand among its rival series?". Feeder Series. Retrieved 2024-07-18.
- ^ "Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine". YouTube. Retrieved 2024-07-18.