Malta-licensed Filipino driver, Zach David just misses out on FRECA podium at Hungaroring.

Starting from the front row of the grid, Zach David showcased his formidable speed in his #20 R-ace GP car, initially securing P2 at the Hungaroring Round 4 of the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine (FRECA). His hard-fought podium was unfortunately nullified, leaving the Malta-licensed Filipino driver with a P7 finish from the weekend.

Davids’s speed was directly clear from the start of the weekend. On Friday Testing, he proved to be one of the fastest drivers on the 4.381 km long track. During Saturday Qualyfing for the Group A runners, his speed earned him a well-established P2 at the start of Race 1, giving him a strong position going into the race.

With a swift start, David maintained his position right behind pole-sitter and teammate Tuukka Taponen, with the duo leading the 32-car packed grid for most of the race distance. However, during the race, the 16-year-old came under increasing pressure from Brando Badoer of Van Amersfoort Racing. With only a few laps to go, Badoer raced alongside both drivers, running wide and over the runoff area. David managed to keep position as the driver behind him scrambled for position to take P2 across the line. Unfortunately, David was handed a 10-second time penalty after the race which relegated him to a commendable P7, still securing him championship points.

For Race 2 on Sunday, David started from P12. In the chaotic opening lap, David managed to avoid any collisions and maintain position as the field made its way around the circuit. The notorious difficulty of overtaking at Hungaroring was evident, as David was unable to challenge for position and take over a higher position. At the end of 17-laps, he took the chequired flag in the same position he started in P12. Surprisingly, after the race, the team noticed that David’s front wing was half detached due to a missing screw. This also explained his unexpected lack of pace in Race 2.

After the break of 2 weeks, the action-packed FRECO series will continue for Round 5 at Italy’s Mugello Circuit from July 13–14, promising yet another thrilling race in battle for the championship.

Zach David: "Overall, not too bad of a weekend looking at the bigger picture. We made steps in the right direction, just need to put everything together, and we’ll be up there consistently. Definitely missed a chance at finishing on the podium in Race 1 and not much I can do in Race 2 after part of my front wing came loose. Lost some points this weekend, but there are still positives to look forward to and improve on for the next round at Mugello.”

As an organisation, we are thrilled to support David to grow as a professional racer and to increase his public recognition and awareness in Europe.