Record-Breaking Home Round Weekend for Van Amersfoort Racing
The third round of the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine marked a phenomenal weekend for the team. Racing on home soil and celebrating our fiftieth anniversary, we secured five trophies, two pole positions, a 1-2 finish, and are currently leading the team championship.
After some strong collective test sessions, where our drivers gained valuable lap time and experience, the first qualifying session on Saturday got off to a strong start. First up was Hiyu Yamakoshi in Group A, followed by Dion Gowda and Pedro Clerot taking on the track in Group B.
Hiyu even found himself leading Group A for a while during a rainy qualifying session. However, in the closing moments, several other drivers improved their times, and Hiyu ultimately secured P4. Group B’s qualifying session was disrupted by two red flags, but this didn’t unsettle our drivers. Both Pedro and Dion quickly got up to speed, and in the final moments, Pedro set the fastest lap, earning pole position for the first race. Rookie driver Dion finished a solid P7.
On Saturday afternoon, it was time for the first race. After a difficult start, Pedro lost the lead but managed to defend his second place following the first safety car restart. After a second safety car period, chaos unfolded, and Dion capitalized by moving up two positions to P10. Pedro held on to finish in P2, claiming his first podium of the season. Hiyu crossed the line with a solid P7, while Dion gained positions and scored a point with his P10 finish, while also securing the rookie win.
In the second qualifying session, it was Group B’s turn to set their lap times first. Pedro consistently ran within the top three, and on his final run, delivered a stunning lap to set the benchmark for the group. Dion also showed impressive pace on the Dutch circuit, crossing the line in P6.
Hiyu proved to be a standout in the rainy conditions. As the rain intensified during Group A’s second qualifying session, he mastered the tricky conditions. With the chequered flag already out, Hiyu delivered a strong final lap to top his group. However, Pedro’s earlier time remained the quickest overall, securing him pole position for Race 2, with teammate Hiyu lining up alongside him in P2.
Lining up P1, P2, and P9, the team was set for a strong result in the second race. From the start, Pedro and Hiyu pulled away from the field, quickly building a gap over the competition. Dion also gained a position on the opening lap. After a safety car restart, all three drivers maintained solid, consistent performances to hold their positions. Pedro went on to claim his first FRECA victory — and his first win with the team — with Hiyu close behind in second, securing a fantastic 1-2 finish for the team. Dion added valuable points with a P8 finish, and a second rookie win, which caused all three drivers to stand on the podium. This result marks VAR’s best performance to date in the series.
After a phenomenal weekend on home soil, Van Amersfoort Racing now leads the team championship with 133 points. With a few weeks to go before the next round at the Hungaroring in Budapest, Hungary, the team will reset, regroup, and prepare for action from July 4 to July 6.
Pedro Clerot - FRECA driver, Van Amersfoort Racing:
"Very good weekend overall. I think we managed to put a very good weekend together. Double pole, and a win and a second place was, I think, a dream after Spa, where we struggled and things just didn’t seem to go our way, especially after a difficult start to the season. So, just very happy — but now, fully focused for Budapest, where we’ll go for the same results."