Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy student Tuukka Taponen won two races in Round 2 to lead the Formula Regional Middle East championship. Rafael Camara came close to a top three finish in Race 1, while Aurelia Nobels made progress in Formula 4 UAE.
Tuukka Taponen had an almost perfect weekend in the second round of the Formula Regional Middle East championship at the Yas Marina circuit. The 17 year old Finn got off to a great start, securing pole position in both qualifying sessions, so that he led from the number one slot in races 1 and 3.
Race-1. The opening race was one of the most spectacular ever seen in this championship, as Taponen made the most of starting from pole to lead off the line. But with ten minutes remaining, the Safety Car came out, wiping out the four second advantage he had built up. As the race resumed for the final four laps, Tuukka immediately had to fend off team-mate Martinius Stenshorne in a long duel which ended in Taponen’s favour, as he pulled away over the final three laps to take his maiden victory in this category.
Races 2 & 3. The reversed grid meant Tuukka started Race 2 from tenth place, but he fought his way up the field in spectacular style to grab fourth place on the last lap. The third race saw the Finn lead from lights out to chequered flag, as he controlled the race in impeccable fashion, including during two restarts following Safety Car periods. Taponen now leads the series on 100 points, 12 ahead of Stenshorne.
Rafael. Rafael Camara’s race performances were affected by the fact he qualified eighth in both sessions. The Brazilian got as high as fourth in Race 1 and then picked up more points with a sixth place finish in Race 2. However, in the last race, Camara was involved in a collision on the penultimate lap that dropped him down to the order so that he finished outside the points in 13th spot.
Aurelia. Aurelia Nobels was tackling the second round of the Formula 4 UAE championship. Although she finished outside the points, the 16 year old Brazilian has made clear progress in terms of performance when compared to the previous round at Yas Marina. This weekend concludes Aurelia’s Middle East campaign, as she returns to Europe to prepare for the rest of her season.