American driver Wheldon, 17, started the weekend’s opening race from pole position and moves to the top of the provisional standings ahead of local driver Reno Francot (CL Motorsport), who finished fourth behind Prema Racing’s runner-up Salim Hanna and third-placed Emanuele Olivieri (R-ace GP).

Wheldon banked his maiden FIA FREC victory by 0.249s ahead of Colombian Hanna, who delivered a standout performance to secure a hard-fought runner-up spot. Like Hanna, Olivieri also celebrated his first podium finish in the new-for-2026 championship, claiming the fastest race lap and securing top Rookie honours in the process.

Following his victory, Wheldon said: “We knew we were quick, especially with the pace we had in practice and the speed we showed in qualifying. We were able to secure pole position. But, honestly, I think we struggled a little bit in the race. Salim was catching me quite a lot, so we need to work on improving our race pace. I can't thank MP enough for the car they've given me. It's really special because this is their home track, and for me to win here is something very special. It's my first win in the championship, and I'm sure it's just as special for them as it is for me.”

Tomass Štolcermanis swept into the lead at Turn 1 ahead of Wheldon and Hanna. Behind them, Alexander Abkhazava held on to fourth with Olivieri applying immediate pressure. But with Kabir Anurag ending up in a gravel trap on the opening lap, the Safety Car was deployed, as Giovanni Maschio was forced to pit following contact.

Olivieri overtook Abkhazava for fourth before closing rapidly on Štolcermanis, who had slipped to third. With 15 minutes remaining, the R-ace GP driver grabbed the final podium spot with a move at Turn 1 with Francot also demoting Abkhazava before overtaking Štolcermanis as well to take fourth as he made the most of the FIA FREC’s push-to-pass Race Mode system.

Hanna closed up to Wheldon on the final lap but was unable to get ahead with Štolcermanis handed a five-second penalty for a false start. Abkhazava also received a five-second penalty for forcing Rashid Al Dhaheri off track.

Meanwhile, Kean Nakamura-Berta, who had already been handed a 10-place grid penalty following an infringement during the third race at the Red Bull Ring last month – and had been disqualified from qualifying for a parc fermé infringement, a decision currently under appeal by his team – received a further penalty for his involvement in a collision with Yuki Sano.

Up next is Qualifying 2 from 08:50 local time with Race 2 scheduled to get under way at 16:45. All the action will be streamed live on YouTube as well as being broadcast by 70 networks across 200 territories worldwide.

Positioned one step above Formula 4 in the FIA Single-Seater Pyramid, FIA FREC caters exclusively for the second-generation Formula Regional Tatuus T 326. All-new for 2026, the Pirelli-equipped car has been developed by the Italian constructor in partnership with the FIA and follows the aerodynamic philosophy deployed in Formula 1 to encourage closer racing. Its design also represents another step in terms of performance and safety.

The second-generation Formula Regional Tatuus T 326 features the new Race Mode push to pass system, which allows drivers to trigger full engine performance for a period of time when activated by a button pressed from inside the cockpit. The amount of time depends on how many times the button is pressed but each driver has a total of 100 seconds available per race. Race Mode’s introduction for the 2026 FIA FREC season is the result of extensive research and development managed by the FIA.

Click HERE for all results. Race 1 results remain provisional.