Formula Regional Asia Victory and Championship Lead for Arthur Leclerc in Dubai 30.01.2022: FORMULA REGIONAL ASIAN CHAMPIONSHIP CERTIFIED BY FIA 2022 Dubai Autodrome, UAE Round 2 (Races 4-6) Sunday, January 30th 2021 • Race 2 win sees Mumbai Falcons ace Leclerc top Driver Classification after second round of 2022 season

FORMULA REGIONAL ASIAN CHAMPIONSHIP CERTIFIED BY FIA 2022
Dubai Autodrome, UAE Round 2 (Races 4-6)
Sunday, January 30th 2021



•    Race 2 win sees Mumbai Falcons ace Leclerc top Driver Classification after second round of 2022 season


•    Hadrien David takes two wins for 3Y by R-ace GP at Dubai Autodrome


•    Pinnacle Motorsport’s Pepe Marti claims fourth consecutive Rookie Cup victory to go top of the class



Round 2 of the 2022 Formula Regional Asian Championship (FRAC) Certified by FIA saw the series head to the Dubai Autodrome for the second triple-header of the 15-race season, where the field once again gave a superb masterclass in junior single seater racing of the highest order.



 3Y by R-ace GP’s Hadrien David, lightning-quick all weekend, won the opening and closing races, while Mumbai Falcons Ferrari Driver Academy talent Arthur Leclerc claimed his first series win in Race 2, taking the championship lead after six of the season’s 15 races.



David claimed his maiden series victory in the opening race on the 4.290km International configuration of the Dubai circuit, snatching the lead from pole-sitter Sebastian Montoya at the start, with Rookie Pepe Marti following him across the line and the Mumbai Falcons Colombian claiming the final podium spot.



 With the top 10 from Race 1 reversed on the grid for the start of the second race, Ferrari Driver Academy Monegasque Arthur Leclerc took his first championship win ahead of Mumbai Falcons team mate Dino Beganovic and Hitech GP and Red Bull Junior Team driver Isack Hadjar.


Race 3 saw David once again victorious, this time from pole, leading home Marti who took his fourth consecutive Rookie Cup win, and Red Bull Junior Team driver Hadjar claiming his third podium of the season.



The 26-car field saw the return of 2021 championship runner-up Pierre Louis Chovet, joining BlackArts Racing for the weekend and taking pole for Race 2. Absent was FIA F2-bound Cem Bolukbasi after his car was deemed beyond repair after he stalled on the grid in the opening round.



Leclerc’s win, added to his two podium finishes in the opening round in Abu Dhabi, put him top of the Driver Classification on 73 points, nine points ahead of David in second and 12 clear of Hadjar in third, with Hitech GP’s Gabriele Minì and Marti fourth and fifth respectively.



Marti leads the Rookie Cup standings, 10 points ahead of Montoya, with Hitech GP’s Leonardo Fornaroli and Joshua Dufek, and Evans GP’s Freddie Lubin rounding out the top five. Five wins from six races see’s Abu Dhabi Racing by Prema’s Khaled Al Qubaisi top the Masters Trophy points from BlackArts Racing’s Thomas Luedi and Pinnacle Motorsport’s Salih Yoluç.



The Mumbai Falcons now head the Team Classification from Hitech GP and 3Y by R-ace GP.



The championship remains in situ at the Dubai Autodrome for Round 3, with the battle for 2022 title honours – and valuable FIA Super License points – continuing with another triple-header from February 4-6, this time on the full 5.39km track configuration.  



- Nikki Kemp  photo FRA