PREMA Racing experienced an extraordinary weekend at Red Bull Ring as the 2026 FIA Formula Regional European Championship got underway for the start of its historic new chapter.
Driving the #51 Tatuus T-326, Kean Nakamura-Berta cruised to a stunning pole position in Qualifying 1 and converted it into a spectacular, hard-fought victory in Race 1, managing his competitors and the push-to-pass allowance to perfection.
Starting from P12 on the reverse grid in Race 2, the Japanese-Slovakian racer, who is supported by the Williams F1 Team Driver Academy, secured valuable points with P6. Despite delivering another outstanding pole lap in Qualifying 2, a series of offs dropped him down the order before a spin resulted in a DNF in Race 3.
After a challenging Qualifying 1 session, Colombian Salim Hanna bounced back to secure two points finishes — P10 in Race 2 and P4 in Race 3 — in a display of superb progression throughout the weekend.
Despite showing strong potential, Tomass Stolcermanis faced tough luck across all three races. The Latvian had featured in the top 10 of the combined Qualifying 1 result and looked set for points, but attrition ultimately jeopardized his chances of a top-10 finish.
FIA FREC returns at the end of May for Round 2 at the legendary Zandvoort circuit.
#51 KEAN NAKAMURA-BERTA
"Overall, it was a positive weekend. We took both pole positions and converted one into a race win. In Race 2, we had a decent drive from P12 to P6 and put solid points on the board. In Race 3, I made a slight error and things didn't go our way at all after that. The team did an excellent job all week — we were confident we'd be fast, and it was great to see that proven true. There was more on the table to be had, and I let the team down a bit on Sunday, but overall it was a very solid result. We'll go get them at Zandvoort."
#60 TOMASS STOLCERMANIS
"We did a solid job in Qualifying 1, finishing P4, and with a perfect lap, a front-row start was within reach. Race 1 was unfortunate, as I collected a piece of debris from another car and I had to pit to remove it. Recovering from the back, there was little I could do. In Race 2, we made up ground from fifth to third, but I didn't manage the tyres and push-to-pass optimally, so we lost time as a result. Qualifying 2 was more difficult, with P8 in the group and P16 overall. I take a lot of positives from Race 3 — not so much for the result, but for what I learned and improved throughout it. There were several safety car periods, which worked both for and against us, and I made a couple of mistakes being perhaps too aggressive when trying to go to the outsite battling with the frontrunners. It was an intense, eventful race, and the experience was valuable. Our focus now will be on putting everything together, working on the areas where I need to improve, and continuing to build from there."
#88 SALIM HANNA
"It was a decent weekend, though one that could have gone much better. In Qualifying 1, a track limits penalty cost me positions on the grid for the following two races — still, we managed to gain places in both Race 1 and Race 2. Qualifying 2 went really well and the car felt great, which is the positive to take from it. In Race 3, we started fifth and didn't get many clean racing laps, but we came home in P4. There is room for improvement on my side, but I learned a lot this weekend and I'm really happy about how competitive the car is."