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‘’The reactivity of the team and drivers in FRMEC was exemplary,’’ stresses Thibaut de Mérindol, R-ace GP’s boss

Equipe FRMEC 2025

Crowned champion in 2024, R-ace GP returned to defend its title in Formula Regional Middle East. After a difficult start that slowed its performance, the team, more determined than ever, bounced back to finish second in the championship and third in the drivers’ standings. 

‘’The first round in Abu Dhabi was a huge disappointment,’’ admits Thibaut de Mérindol, Team Principal of R-ace GP. The reason: the new tyre specifications, which gave the team a hard time and put the brakes on the hoped-for performances.

But by the third round in Dubai, R-ace GP had made an impressive recovery in the rankings. ‘’The reactivity of the team and drivers was exemplary,’’ says the team boss. ‘’It’s not easy to maintain a good state of mind when you get off to a bad start, especially in a short championship with one race following another. However, they were able to find solutions and recreate the momentum.’’ 

Drivers making progress

‘’Ugo [Ugochukwu] played a decisive role in the team,’’ he insists. ‘’He was the one who took on the role of leader and helped us turn the corner. We relied a lot on him.’’ The young American, who will continue his season in Formula 3, finished third in the drivers’ championship.

‘’Enzo [Deligny] has improved this season, but he still has a lot of work to do to reach the expected level and take on the role of leader. He can count on all the teams’s energy to support him and help him progress,’’ says Thibaut de Mérindol.

Jin Nakamura, meanwhile, has shown promising potential. ‘’He still needs to adapt culturally and technically to European motorsport, which is nothing like what he experienced in Japan. Here, he’s discovering a whole new way of working. His driving is still a little instinctive, but he has a real desire to learn and improve.’’

‘’Akshay [Bohra] struggled to bounce back after our difficult first weekend. But we saw his true worth, particularly during our tests last year. We know what he’s capable of once he regains his confidence’’, he concludes.

Lessons for the rest of the season

Despite a rocky start, R-ace GP has shown itself to be adaptable and resilient. While the title may have eluded them this year, the team will be taking away some solid lessons that will enable them to approach the rest of the season with ambition.

The European season kicks off in less than two months’ time, at the start of May. In the meantime, stay tuned on our social media – Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn – to find out more about our line-up in Formula Regional by Alpine (FRECA).

FRMEC season in numbers:

  • 12 podium finishes.
  • 4 wins.
  • 4 second places.
  • 4 third places.
  • 259 points scored by the team starting from Round 3 (including 159 by Ugo Ugochukwu), making it the team with the most points scored over the last three rounds.
  • 14 points difference with the leader of the team ranking.
Equipe FRMEC 2025
Ugo Ugochukwu R-ace GP FRMEC
Enzo Deligny R-ace GP FRMEC
Jin Nakamura R-ace GP FRMEC
Akshay Bohra R-ace GP FRMEC

‘‘2025 marks the revival of our F4 team,’‘ says R-ace GP’s Team Principal Thibaut de Mérindol

Emanuele Olivieri F4 Middle East R-ace GP

Press release, 7 March 2025 – The 2025 season is off to a flying start for R-ace GP and its F4 team. Having just returned from the Middle East with the double title of Team and Driver Champion, as well as the title of Driver Runner-Up, it’s time to reflect on the season. And with 22 podium finishes, including 11 victories, R-ace GP Team Principal Thibaut de Mérindol could not have hoped for a better result for his team.

‘‘The level of performance and the results achieved have been more than satisfying,’‘ explains Thibaut de Mérindol, Team Principal of R-ace GP. ‘‘The in-depth work we began in 2024, and the efforts made over the past year to get this team up and running again, especially with the involvement of Cyril Comte [R-ace GP’s Technical Director], have paid off.’‘ The team’s technical and operational progress has been rewarded this year with three titles.

Drivers who live up to expectations

‘‘Emanuele [Olivieri] and Alex [Powell] are excellent drivers who have done what was expected of them, which is to take on the role of co-leaders of the team,’‘ he adds. ‘‘We saw their potential last season, and we were convinced that such a pairing of drivers would make a major contribution to raising our team to the highest level. That’s why I’d like to thank them and their management for the confidence they have shown in us by joining our team.’‘

‘‘On several occasions, Oleksandr [Savinkov] has shown real potential. But there’s still work to be done to master and maintain his level of performance,’‘ continued the R-ace GP director. ‘‘As for Emily [Cotty], she has made good linear and continuous progress. Given her lack of experience, the starting point is really satisfying, especially for a rookie,’‘ he concludes.

The European season kicks off in less than two months’ time, at the start of May. Until then, stay tuned on our social networks – Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn – to find out more about our F4 Italy and Euro 4 line-ups.

The F4 Middle East 2025 season in numbers:

  • 23 podium finishes.
  • 11 wins.
  • 3 second places.
  • 8 third places.
  • 9 pole positions out of 10 qualifying sessions.
  • 602 points in the team standings.
  • 212 points scored by Alex Powell from Round 3, making him the top scorer in the second half of the season.
Alex Powell F4 Middle East R-ace GP
Emanuele Olivieri F4 Middle East R-ace GP
Emily Cotty F4 Middle East R-ace GP
Oleksandr Savinkov F4 Middle East R-ace GP
Team F4 Middle East R-ace GP Emanuele Olivieri
Championship winner R-ace GP F4 Middle East 2025
Team photo R-ace GP F4 Middle East 2025

R-ace GP, team and driver champions in F4 Middle East!

R-ace GP Champion F4 Middle East Team Driver

27 and 28 February 2025, Lusail – The 2025 Formula 4 Middle East season ended in style in Qatar, with R-ace GP clearly dominating. Triple victory, the final pole position of the season, two podium finishes and, above all, three titles: Team Champion, Driver Champion and Driver Runner-Up. Here’s a look back at a magnificent finale.

On Wednesday 26 February, Alex Powell (#41) set the fastest time in free practice, ahead of his team-mate and championship leader Emanuele Olivieri (#68).

The following day, the Jamaican driver took pole position in the second qualifying session, setting a lap of 1:55.945. He will therefore start the final race of the season from the front.

Race 1

At the front of the pack for the whole race, Emanuele Olivieri crossed the finish line in second place. But following the disqualification of the initial winner, the Italian took his sixth victory of the season. Alex Powell finished 5th, Oleksandr Savinkov (#52) 10th. Emily Cotty (#42) was forced to retire after a collision.

Race 2

Starting sixth, Alex Powell got off to a dazzling start. After overtaking his team-mate Oleksandr Savinkov, he quickly took the lead and went on to win the race. Behind him, Emanuele Olivieri made a fine comeback to take third place. Oleksandr Savinkov finished 6th and Emily Cotty 16th.

When the chequered flag fell, it was pure euphoria at R-ace GP: the team had won two titles in a single race. R-ace GP was crowned Team Champion and Emanuele Olivieri became Driver Champion.

Race 3

For this final race of the season, Alex Powell put in a faultless performance, leading the event from start to finish. With this fifth victory, he ended his season in style and became Runner-Up.

Behind him, Emanuele Olivieri finished second, while Emily Cotty was 16th. Disappointing results for Oleksandr Savinkov, who suffered a puncture that forced him to retire.

You can follow the races on the championship’s YouTube channel.

Historic success for R-ace GP

The season ended on a high note in the Middle East! For the first time in its history, R-ace GP has won Formula 4 in the region. However, this is not a first for the team, which had already won the FRMEC title in 2024 with Tuukka Taponen.

The European season will get underway in two months’ time, with F4 Italy and Euro 4. In the meantime, keep up with the team on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn, and stay tuned for our European F4 championships line-ups!

FRMEC: victory and podiums for R-ace GP in Abu Dhabi

FRMEC: New victory and podiums for R-ace GP in Abu Dhabi Akshay Bohra Ugo Ugochukwu

15 and 16 February 2025, Abu Dhabi – The R-ace GP team added a win and two podium places to its tally in Formula Regional Middle East, during the fourth and penultimate round of the season. 

Race 1

Qualified third, Ugo Ugochukwu (#7) gained one position to cross the line second. Enzo Deligny (#1) and Akshay Bohra (#3) both finished in the top 10: 7th for the Frenchman and 10th for the Indian American. Jin Nakamura (#2) finished 14th after making contact on the first lap.

Race 2

Starting from pole position, Akshay Bohra turned this opportunity into victory, his first of the championship. Enzo Deligny took 5th place ahead of Ugo Ugochukwu in 10th and Jin Nakamura in 12th.

Race 3

The final race of the weekend ended with another podium finish for Ugo Ugochukwu, who crossed the chequered flag in third place. The podium slipped through the fingers of his team-mate Enzo Deligny, who finished 4th. Jin Nakamura finished 10th, while Akshay Bohra was 22nd.

Third in the team championship, R-ace GP can still score some precious points. See you on 27 and 28 February for the final round in Qatar.

You can follow the races on the championship’s YouTube channel.

* The starting grid is determined by the classification of race 1, according to the reverse grid principle. This principle applies to the top 10 only. The winner therefore starts from 10th place, and the 10th from pole position