Rashid Al Dhaheri has added another marker to a growing UAE motorsport career after a strong weekend at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium.
The Emirati driver finished second in Race 1 and third in Race 2 during Round 3 of the FIA Formula Regional Championship, held from May 28 to 31.
According to WAM, those results moved Al Dhaheri to the top of the championship standings. The news agency also reported that he became the first Emirati driver to lead an FIA championship.
It was a consistent weekend in difficult conditions. Spa is never an easy place to manage a race, and heavy rain played a part across the meeting.
Al Dhaheri started well in qualifying, taking pole position in his group in both sessions. He also set the fastest lap in Race 2.
Race 1 was delayed because of heavy rain. When it did get going, Al Dhaheri stayed among the front runners and crossed the line in second, only 0.137 seconds behind the winner.
He backed that up in Race 2 with another podium. A long Safety Car period late in the race limited any chance of a further move, leaving him to take third place.
The round featured 30 drivers from more than 20 countries, giving Al Dhaheri’s results added weight as he continues to build his case in one of Europe’s main junior single-seater series.
Al Dhaheri said Spa was one of the toughest circuits in the world and that the changing weather made the weekend harder to manage.
He said the team had made the most of a demanding round, with attention now turning to Monza in mid-June.
Al Dhaheri has been building steadily in Europe, and his Spa weekend keeps him firmly in the title picture before the championship moves to Italy.
