Ukrainian racing driver makes history with Formula victory in Italy
Oleksandr Bondarev (photo: instagram.com/pilot.bondarev)
17-year-old Ukrainian racing driver Oleksandr Bondarev scored a historic victory in the Formula Regional European Championship (FREC). In his debut weekend in the series, the driver claimed "gold" at Imola circuit, Italy, according to FIA Official.
Battle with leader, dramatic finish
The Ukrainian, who races for Van Amersfoort Racing, won qualifying and started the decisive race from pole position. Bondarev confidently completed all 15 laps and held off intense pressure from the championship's overall leader, Italian driver Emanuele Olivieri.
At the finish, the Ukrainian beat Olivieri by just 0.443 seconds, while Dutchman Renaud Francot completed the podium. The triumph was not only Bondarev's first at this level but also gave Van Amersfoort Racing its first victory of the current season.
Imola race results (Top 3):
- Oleksandr Bondarev (Ukraine)
- Emanuele Olivieri (Italy)
- Renaud Francot (Netherlands)
17-year-old winner, Ukrainian Oleksandr Bondarev (photo: fia.official)
Race results (photo: fia.official)
Historic Ukrainian debut
The Imola round marked the first FREC event for the 17-year-old Ukrainian, a championship considered the next step after Formula 4. His debut proved triumphant: Bondarev finished 10th and 2nd in the first two races of the weekend before claiming the top prize in the third. Thanks to this performance, the Ukrainian immediately moved up to 14th in the overall championship standings with 37 points.
Oleksandr Bondarev became the first Ukrainian racing driver in history to reach the top step of the podium in the Formula racing competition system.
