The Formula Regional European Championship (FREC) is preparing a significant expansion of its competition infrastructure for 2027, with the addition of two new prominent teams and possible new tracks on the calendar.
Recently, during the weekend in Hockenheim, where Emanuele Olivieri and the R-ace GP team secured the drivers’ and teams’ titles, rumors have emerged about changes that could transform the competition in its second season with full FIA support. Among the rumors is the entry of Invicta Racing and LN4 Fusion, a new team co-founded by Lando Norris and managed by Rene Rosin, former head of Prema.
This year, the deadline for submitting applications for the 2027 championship closed on August 21, 2026. With the addition of the two new teams, the competition is expected to reach a total of 12 teams, with 36 cars on the grid, which would represent a return to a full grid, not seen since 2023.
The arrival of these two prestigious teams is viewed positively by rivals, as they are expected to further elevate the prestige of the FREC in the landscape of junior single-seaters in Europe. Additionally, organizers have confirmed that the 10 current teams will retain their spots on the grid.
The promoter ACI Sport is working intensively with the FIA and circuit organizers to define the 2027 calendar, intending to include key locations such as Barcelona, which were excluded due to previous delays this year. It seems that the tracks of Silverstone and Algarve are seriously considered to host championship events for the first time.
The 2027 calendar could allow for a race in support of a Formula 1 Grand Prix, with possibilities of it taking place at Hungaroring, recovering the support structure for prestigious competitions after the loss of the Monaco Grand Prix in 2023.
After reducing this year’s calendar to just eight events, the intention is to return to a season of 10 races, where only one circuit from the current calendar will be lost, which seems to be Hockenheim, to accommodate the new additions.
The weekend format is still being determined, but it is expected that the FREC will return to its traditional format of two races per weekend, each with its qualifying session, needing to reconsider this decision if a support race is achieved in the F1 calendar.
Thus, the future of the FREC looks exciting with new opportunities on the horizon, although it will take time to see how the calendar and scheduled races materialize.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI