FRMET & UAE4 – ABU DHABI: 2026 SEASON GETS UNDERWAY

A closely watched season opener

The Formula Regional Middle East and the UAE4 kick off their season this weekend at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi. After two days of testing held yesterday and today, teams and drivers approach this opening round with clearer reference points, but also with many questions still surrounding the true competitive order, particularly in FRMET.

Yas Marina, a first challenge

During testing on this well-rounded circuit, teams ran different programmes, alternating between short runs and longer stints to better understand car behaviour and tyre degradation. Tyre management is expected to play a key role throughout the weekend, especially in the often hot conditions in Abu Dhabi, with limited overtaking opportunities apart from the final chicane.

Informative tests but an unclear hierarchy

In Formula Regional Middle East, the published test times highlighted extremely small gaps between drivers. It remains difficult to identify clear favourites, even if Taito Kato and the PREMA drivers appear capable of fighting at the front, along with Alex Powell.

G4 Racing driver in FRMET, Andrea Dupe shared his feedback and expectations ahead of the opening race weekend:

“The pace was good throughout the tests, even though some mechanical issues complicated certain runs. Despite that, the feeling remains positive overall. It provides a solid base heading into the race weekend.”

UAE4: clearer trends emerging

In UAE4, a more defined hierarchy seems to be taking shape, with PREMA once again among the frontrunners thanks to Oleksandr Bondarev, Christian Costoya and David Cosma-Cristofor. However, Andy Consani showed very strong pace during pre-season testing with French outfit R-ace GP. The Mercedes junior was regularly quicker than his teammates and frequently finished inside the top five.

Like his compatriot competing in FRMET, Andy Consani shared his thoughts after testing:

“After a long period without driving since Monza, the tests went well. From the first day, I felt comfortable with the car and on track, which was confirmed on the second day. Going into the race weekend, the goal will be to build on this momentum and confirm the work done during testing.”

Qualifying, the key moment of the weekend

At Yas Marina, qualifying is often the decisive moment of the weekend. The limited overtaking zones, combined with dirty air in the pack, make passing particularly challenging during the races.

A strong grid position not only helps avoid traffic and incidents, but also allows for better race management.

Dense and highly competitive grids

In FRMET, some drivers will not be able to contest the full championship due to Formula 3 pre-season testing commitments. PREMA has nevertheless fielded several standout drivers from Formula 4, while Rodin will have GB3 champion Alex Ninovic and one of G4 Racing’s car will be driven by Macau F4 Grand Prix winner Jules Roussel.

In UAE4, many young drivers are set to contest their first single-seater championship, with several planning to move on to the Italian Formula 4 season. Kenzo Craigie was particularly impressive during testing and appears to be one of the rookies to watch at the start of the season. An interesting battle between PREMA and R-ace GP could also develop in the fight for the teams’ title.

FRMET Entry list for Abu Dhabi:

UAE4 Entry list for Abu Dhabi:

PREMA :

• Christian Costoya
• Payton Westcott
• David Cosma-Cristofor

PHM Racing :

• Emma Felbermayr
• Iacopo Martinese
• Platon Kostin

QMMF (By Hitech) :

• Bader Al Sulaiti
• Nasser Al Thani

Hitech GP :

• Theo Palmer
• Scott Kin Lindblom

Mumbai Falcons Racing :

• Alp Aksoy
• Niccolo Maccagnani
• Oleksandr Bondarev
• Kwan Ho Kingsley Zheng

Trident :

• Beco Bernoldi
• Florentin Hattemer
• Dominik Simek

Yas Heat Racing Academy :

• Adam Al Azhari
• Zakaria Doleh
• Edoardo Iacobucci
• Charbel Abi Gebrayel

Evans GP :

• Alba Larsen
• Hoai Nam Anh Nguyen
• Rafael Vaessen
• Thomas Ingram-Hill

XCEL Motorsport :

• Joseph Smith
• Brock Burton
• Jarett Clark
• Jaber A. Alsabah

Pinnacle :

• Rowan Campbell Pilling
• Ryusho Nagazato
• Kaylee Coutryman
• Vladimir Verkholantsev

R-ace GP :

• Andy Consani
• Kenzo Craigie
• Emilie Cotty
• Elia Weiss
• Tomika Gender

X-GP :

• Lucas Pasquinetti