Podium on debut for Taponen at Yas Marina

Tuukka Taponen finished second in his very first Formula Regional race and lies third overall after the opening round of the Middle East season. Rafael Camara was out of luck.

The first round of the Formula Regional Middle East and Formula 4 UAE championships took place last weekend at the Yas Marina circuit. Since 2021, these series have marked the start of the racing year for the Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy students. It was also Tuukka Taponen’s debut in Formula Regional and the 17 year old Finn got off to a great start. 

Solid. He started Race 1 from second on the grid and finished in that position having expertly fended off the attentions of Martinius Stenshorne and James Wharton over the 18 laps. Driving for the R-ace GP team, he went on to round off the weekend with a sixth and a fourth place finish in Race 2 and 3 respectively. He showed a good turn of speed and had the right approach when duelling with others. In total, Taponen scored a total of 38 points and is currently third in the standings.

Camara. Rafael Camara had an unlucky time of it, having been quick in free practice, but he was hampered by a technical problem in qualifying which his Mumbai Falcons Racing team was unable to fix until after Race 1, in which Camara finished fifth. He started Races 2 and 3 from the third row of the grid with the aim of scoring as many points as possible. Rafael was running fifth in the second race when he had to retire, having been hit by team-mate James Wharton. Race 3 was also disappointing, as he collided with Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak on the opening lap, crashing heavily into the barriers.

Formula 4. Yas Marina also hosted the opening round of the Formula 4 UAE championship, in which Aurelia Nobels is racing with the Sainteloc Racing team. The 17 year old Brazilian had a difficult time in qualifying which meant she struggled to get into the top 20, but nevertheless she produced three error-free race drives. It was a useful experience as the action resumes in a few days when both series will be back in action at the same Yas Marina track for round two of five.