Arthur Leclerc and Pepe Marti prepare to duel in the desert as Championship goes down to the wire 19.02.2022: • Forty points separate impressive Mumbai Falcons championship leader and outstanding Pinnacle Motorsport Rookie • FIA Super Licence points up for grabs for top nine championship finishers • Abu Dhabi F1 Circuit to host 2022 championship-deciding se

•    Forty points separate impressive Mumbai Falcons championship leader and outstanding Pinnacle Motorsport Rookie

•    FIA Super Licence points up for grabs for top nine championship finishers

•    Abu Dhabi F1 Circuit to host 2022 championship-deciding season finale



Just 40 points separate the two remaining 2022 Formula Regional Asian Championship title contenders ahead of the season finale at the FIA Grade 1 Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi this weekend where a maximum of 75 points are on offer across the three remaining races.



Driver Classification leader, 21-year-old Ferrari Driver Academy Monégasque Arthur Leclerc, younger brother of Ferrari F1 driver Charles, leads the way after winning three of the 12 races so far and taking an additional four podiums.

Sixteen-year-old Spaniard Pepe Marti, meanwhile, burst into the spotlight after an unlucky season start to take five overall podiums and has already secured the Rookie Cup title after dominating the class with eight wins in 12 races.


Commented Davide De Gobbi, General Manager of championship organizer Top Speed: “The calibre of the competition we have seen this season has been the highest in our history.

The fact that eight different drivers, from four different teams, have each won races so far – and with the top-10 reverse grid in Race 2 this season – is testament to the extraordinarily high quality of the field. We are looking forward to a tremendous season finale.”



As the most thrilling season in the championship’s five-year history reaches its climax, while the Driver title may now be between Leclerc and Marti, the top nine finishers in the FIA-certified series will each earn valuable Super Licence points, a crucial element in the progression of a single seater career. The winner takes 18 points, with 14 for the runner- up down to one point for the 9th place finisher.



Heading in to the final triple header, Red Bull Junior and Hitech GP driver Isack Hadjar lies third on the leaderboard, a position that would earn him 12 super Licence points.

The Mumbai Falcons’ Sebastian Montoya who, like Marti, has been another standout Rookie and took two overall wins before bowing out of the championship to prepare for his European season, currently lies third but his absence this weekend will see him drop down the leaderboard.

That gives Montoya’s team mate, 18-year-old Swede Dino Beganovic, Red Bull Junior and Abu Dhabi Racing by Prema driver Jak Crawford, and Italian Hitech GP ace Gabriele Minì – all currently separated by just five points - a golden opportunity to increase their Super Licence haul.

The Master Cup title will also be decided in Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi Racing by Prema Emirati driver Khaled Al Qubaisi has so far taken seven class wins and leads BlackArts Racing’s Thomas Luedi by 35 points, while championship newcomer and GT specialist Salih Yoluç also remains in contention, 49 points adrift of Al Qubaisi.

While the Mumbai Falcons has been the team to beat so far this season, the Team title will be decided on the 5.281km Yas Maria Circuit. Four teams remain in mathematical contention, with Hitech GP, Pinnacle Motorsport and Abu Dhabi Racing by Prema joining the Indian outfit in the final race for points.



Free Practice and Qualifying for Round 5 will be held on Friday, February 18. Race 1 begins at 13:15 on Saturday, with Race 2 under lights at 20:00. The final race of the season begins at 14:25 on Sunday (all times GMT+4). All races will be live streamed on the championship YouTube channel and Facebook page.
 




FORMULA REGIONAL ASIAN CHAMPIONSHIP CERTIFIED BY FIA 2022
 

Drivers’ Championship standings after Round 4 (top 10)

1    28    Arthur LECLERC    MON    178
2    23    Pepe MARTI (R)    ESP    138
3    6    Isack HADJAR    FRA    97
4    46    Sebastian MONTOYA (R)    COL    92
5    10    Dino BEGANOVIC    SWE    88
6    52    Jak CRAWFORD    USA    86
7    4    Gabriele MINÌ    ITA    83
8    17    Hadrien DAVID    FRA    64
9    16    Lorenzo FLUXÁ    ESP    58
10    3    Paul ARON    EST    55
 


Rookie Cup standings after Round 4 (top 10)

1    23    Pepe MARTI    ESP    236
2    46    Sebastian MONTOYA    COL    145
3    27    Dilano van’t HOFF    NED    113
4    11    Levente RÉVÉSZ    HUN    107
5    5    Leonardo FORNAROLI    ITA    104
6    7    Joshua DUFEK    SUI    89
7    88    Hamda AL QUBAISI    UAE    74
8    78    Frederick LUBIN    GBR    69
9    55    Ayato IWASAKI    PHI    60
10    18    Francesco BRASCHI    ITA    56
 

Masters Trophy standings after Round 4

1    66    Khaled AL QUBAISI     UAE    244
2    9    Thomas LUEDI     HKG    209
3    34    Salih YOLUÇ     TUR    195
 


Teams’ Championship standings after Round 4

1    Mumbai Falcons India Racing    265
2    Hitech Grand Prix    184
3    Pinnacle Motorsport    177
4    Abu Dhabi Racing by Prema    141
5    3Y by R-ace GP    129
6    Evans GP     102
7    BlackArts Racing    24
8    Evans GP Academy    2
 


2022 FORMULA REGIONAL ASIAN CHAMPIONSHIP 2022 PROVISIONAL CALENDAR

January 19-20    Yas Marina, UAE    Pre-Season Test
January 21-23    Yas Marina, UAE    Round 1 (Races 1-3)
January 28-30    Dubai Autodrome, UAE    Round 2 (Races 4-6)
February 04-06    Dubai Autodrome, UAE    Round 3 (Races 7-9)
February 11-13    Dubai Autodrome, UAE    Round 4 (Races 10-12)
February 17-20    Yas Marina Circuit, UAE    Round 5 (Races 13-15)
 


 
Nikki Kemp- photos FRAC