Mari Boya’s second season in single-seater Racing is already started. The Spanish driver, who turned 17 last Tuesday, made his debut in Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine. The Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, in Imola, hosted the first round of the championship, which was one of the support series for the Made in Italy and Emilia Romagna Formula 1 Grand Prix. 

Both free practice sessions took place on Friday 16. It was the first time Boya would be behind the wheel of the Van Amersfoort Racing car. His pace was competitive from the beginning, allowing him to be fifth on the first session and fourth on the second one. He kept that pace throughout Saturday’s qualifying sessions and was one of the top performers among the rookie drivers. In Q1, which settled the grid for Race 2, was tenth. In Q2, he was eleventh despite a small mechanical issue that did not let him show his full potential on the last flying laps.

Race 1 was held on Saturday evening. It was time to fight for the points and Boya did not fail to meet the expectations. The youngster shown all the virtues that he displayed in Formula 4. Boya managed the race perfectly, with a consistent, fast pace and making no mistakes. He gained a position after a great start and stayed in tenth place until the chequered flag. The Monlau Motorsport driver scored a point on his very first Formula Regional race.

Race 2 was even better for Boya’s interests. From tenth on the grid, he made up places and took advantage of the mistakes some drivers ahead made. An overtake on the closing stages of the race allowed him to clinch eight position, where he finished the race. Boya also was the second-best rookie. 

With these results, Boya scored 5 points and is currently the third-best placed rookie on the standings. He is facing a long season, in which consistency will be a key factor to succeed. His first round went just like he and his team expected: the driver shown a competitive form which he will have to keep progressing and improve his results. 

Mari Boya: “I am happy with the performance we had on this first round. Being able to fight the top drivers in such a competitive championship makes me very confident ahead of the rest of the season. We are working well with the team and we will surely have a good year if we keep going like this. Now we are fully focused in Barcelona. I will race at home so I will be extra motivated. Thanks to the team for this great weekend and to anyone who is making this possible”.

Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine now faces a three-week break that will let Boya rest and prepare the upcoming round. From 7 to 9 May, the championship will be in BarcelonaCatalunya, Boya’s home race. Like it happened in Imola, the series will race alongside Formula 1, who will be holding the Spanish Grand Prix