FRMEC Championship to Debut Single Seater Racing in Kuwait 24.01.2023: • First open-wheel championship to race at USD162 million Kuwait Motor Town • FIA Grade I track part of 2.6 million square meter multi-disciplined motorsport showcase • Browning and Dürksen join the field for second round of Formula Regional Middle

•    First open-wheel championship to race at USD162 million Kuwait Motor Town

•    FIA Grade I track part of 2.6 million square meter multi-disciplined motorsport showcase

•    Browning and Dürksen join the field for second round of Formula Regional Middle East




The Formula Regional Middle East Championship (FRMEC) will make history as the first single seater series to race at the new 5.609km Kuwait Motor Town (KMT) this week. Alongside the F4 UAE Championship, the two series will debut open-wheel competition at the impressive, multi-discipline USD162 million motorsport facility with a combined grid just shy of 70 cars.



Rounds 2 and 3 of the five-round, 15-race inaugural season will be held at KMT between January 27 and February 1. Following the opening triple-header at the Dubai Autodrome, Mercedes Formula 1 protégé Andrea Kimi Antonelli is at the head of the points standings.



The Italian, driving for Mumbai Falcons, leads Brazilian team-mate and Ferrari Driver Academy member Rafael Câmara by six points, with PHM Racing’s British charge Taylor Barnard in third position. None of them won races in Dubai however – race victors Dino Beganovic (Mumbai Falcons), Nikhil Bohra (R-ace GP) and Mari Boya (Hyderabad Blackbirds by MP Motorsport) sit just behind the top three.



Adding yet further to the competitiveness of the FRMEC field in Kuwait are two new drivers joining the field. Briton Luke Browning won the 2022 GB3 Championship in the UK with Hitech Grand Prix and joins the team’s FRMEC line-up in place of Jak Crawford alongside Gabriele Minì, Sebastián Montoya and Daniel Mavlyutov. Browning also claimed the 2022 edition of the prestigious Aston Martin Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year Award, among the prizes for which is a Formula 1 test drive with Aston Martin.



The FRMEC grid also welcomes Paraguayan Joshua Dürksen, who joins Hyderabad Blackbirds with MP Motorsport. Dürksen was a regular points finisher in Formula Regional European last year, and he replaces Sebastian Øgaard alongside Boya, Sami Meguetounif and Brad Benavides.



KMT is the latest FIA Grade 1 addition to the Middle East, and bolsters the region’s reputation as a growing hub for international motorsport.



Commented Mohammad Al-Abdalrazzaq, General Manager of Kuwait Motor Town: “We are happy to be hosting Kuwait’s first international single seater race at Kuwait Motor Town.



“The event will be the first of a series of international racing events planned for the near future. It aligns with our vision of growing motorsports in our region and our goal of placing KMT on the forefront of exciting race tracks in the world. Formula 4 and Formula Regional are two key stepping stones to the path of Formula 1. They are also the first step out of karting into a racing circuit.”



FRMEC and F4 UAE will hold twelve races between them across the rounds on the 5.609k anticlockwise main circuit, which features 20 turns and includes a 1.075km straight.



As well as its superb main circuit, the multi-discipline KWT also includes a karting track, drag strip, drift arena and facilities for off road 4x4s, motocross and rallycross. The main circuit has seating for more than 7,000 spectators and ample parking, and the track, main pit buildings and race control complex were all designed by Hermann Tilke.

All races will be live streamed via the championship’s Facebook page and YouTube channel, with live timing and results available at: https://getraceresults.com



2023 FORMULA REGIONAL MIDDLE EAST CHAMPIONSHIP CERTIFIED BY FIA
PROVISIONAL CALENDAR


January 9-10    Dubai Autodrome, UAE    Pre-Season Test
January 13-14    Dubai Autodrome, UAE    Round 1 (Races 1-3)
January 27-28    Kuwait Motor Town, Kuwait    Round 2 (Races 4-6)
January 31-February 1    Kuwait Motor Town, Kuwait    Round 3 (Races 7-9)
February 11-12    Dubai Autodrome, UAE    Round 4 (Races 10-12)
February 18-19    Yas Marina Circuit, UAE    Round 5 (Races 13-15)



 Nikki Kemp - photos FRMEC