Formula Regional – Rafael Camara and Tuukka Taponen on the Spa rollercoaster

Spa-Francorchamps hosts the second round of the European Formula Regional championship. The two Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy students are looking to continue their blistering form from the opening round in Hockenheim.

You can tell from the smiles on the drivers’ faces how much they all enjoy the wonderful Spa-Francorchamps circuit. All categories from Formula 4 to Formula 1 race at the historic Belgian track, a motorsport monument, which has never lost its original spirit even though it has undergone several transformations. It’s 7.004 kilometres are home to 19 corners, some of them true legends of motorsport.

A good start. This is the second Formula Regional round of the year two weeks on from the Hockenheim event. It proved to be a very fruitful debut for the Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy pair. Camara was the dominant force over the weekend in Germany, taking pole and the win in Race 1 and second place in Race 2, so that he leads the championship on 43 points. Spa-Francorchamps is one of the Brazilian’s favourite tracks. “I’ve got nice memories of this circuit,” he said. “I first got to like it in Formula 4 and I’ve always done well here. It’s a rather challenging track and that’s what makes it appealing and demanding. I hope I can continue to go well here this weekend.”

Tuukka. Taponen is also looking forward to Belgium. In the season opener, Tuukka secured an important second place, confirming the good form he demonstrated in the Middle East series over the winter. At Hockenheim, only Race 2 did not go to plan, when the Safety Car had a serious impact on the race. The Finn is planning to confirm he can be a front runner in Spa-Francorchamps despite the fact he has less experience than many of his competitors. As usual in Belgium, it is impossible to predict the weather, the ever present threat of rain for both qualifying and the race.

Programme. Qualifying for Race 1 takes place at 10.20 on Saturday. The session is split into A and B groups, to decide the left and right hand side of the grid, with pole position going to the quickest driver of all. The first race is at 14.45. The programme is repeated on Sunday, with qualifying at 09.05 and Race 2 at 15.45. All times CEST.