Rashid Al Dhaheri turned a difficult Monza weekend into one of his best results of the FIA Formula Regional European Championship season.
The Emirati driver won Race 2 at Autodromo Nazionale Monza after starting eighth on the grid, giving the UAE another strong result at one of motorsport’s most famous circuits.
Al Dhaheri, racing for R-ace GP in a Yas Heat-coloured Tatuus car, had to work through a race shaped by contact, penalties and three Safety Car periods. He kept himself in contention, then moved into the lead late in the race before the final Safety Car carried the field to the finish.
It was his second FIA FREC win of 2026, following his earlier victory at the Red Bull Ring.
Monza, near Milan, is one of the fastest circuits in European racing. Its long straights and heavy braking zones make overtaking possible, but they also leave little room for poor timing.
The heat added another test. Air temperatures were above 35°C during the weekend, while track temperatures passed 50°C. That put extra pressure on tyres, engines and drivers.
Al Dhaheri had shown pace early in the weekend. He qualified third in Group B on Friday, which put him fifth on the grid for Race 1. That race did not go his way. Contact while he was fighting near the front dropped him down the order, and he finished 12th.
Race 2 gave him a chance to respond. The reverse-grid format meant he started from eighth, but the race quickly opened up as incidents ahead changed the order.
Al Dhaheri moved through the field while others lost ground. He reached the lead before another incident brought out the final Safety Car. The result was then confirmed, with Al Dhaheri first, Salim Hanna second for Prema Racing and Andrea Dupé third for Van Amersfoort Racing.
Sunday brought another setback when a technical issue in qualifying left Al Dhaheri starting Race 3 lower than expected. He still recovered to finish ninth and add more championship points.
After the Monza round, Al Dhaheri remains firmly in the FIA FREC title fight. The win also continues a strong year for a UAE driver building his case in one of Europe’s key single-seater championships.
