Jan Przyrowski participated in pre-season testing for the Formula Regional European Championship (FREC) series. Sessions took place at the Hockenheimring, Paul Ricard, and Red Bull Ring circuits. The ORLEN Motorsport Academy protégé and the RPM team put in a strong performance, which also provides a positive outlook for the first round of the 2026 season, which takes place on April 24-26 in Austria.
Competitiveness from the very beginning of testing
The first round of FREC pre-season testing took place on 24-25th March at the Hockenheimring circuit in Germany. Drivers who, like Jan Przyrowski, competed in the Formula Regional Middle East Trophy (FRMET) during the winter did not participate in every first day of testing. This was a move by the organizers to even the playing field between more experienced drivers and those new to the Tatuus T-326. The second day was a full day.
In the morning session, the Formula Regional European Championship field set competitive results in dry conditions. Przyrowski set a time of 1:34.716 and finished fourth. The gaps among the frontrunners were small, as evidenced by the fact that he was only 0.127 seconds behind the leader. Jan completed 16 laps. The afternoon session brought variable conditions. Before dark clouds, followed by rain, appeared over the Hockenheimring, he managed to set competitive times similar to those of the morning. Jan Przyrowski led for a long time with a time of 1:34.781. Ultimately, the ORLEN Motorsport Academy protégé finished second. The rain prevented him from improving his times, but it did provide an opportunity to test his wetsuits. The 17-year-old from Rossoszyca completed 18 laps in the second session. All told, this added up to 34 laps for the day.
Jan Przyrowski demonstrated speed and diligence
During the second round in France, the RPM driver drove very quickly in the morning session, leading the field for a long time. The Pole again started the test day in 4th place (1:56.916), just 0.171 seconds behind the leader. He completed 19 laps of the Paul Ricard circuit. From the afternoon session onward, he began more long runs and adjusted his setup for the best possible race pace. By then, the gap had increased to just over 0.5 seconds, ultimately resulting in 15th place. The Pole completed 35 laps throughout the day.
In Austria, the plan for 5th April was to work on various setups to best prepare for the start of the FREC season. In the morning session at the Red Bull Ring, Jan Przyrowski didn’t focus on putting together a fast lap and instead completed longer runs. Red flags were frequently called throughout the day, disrupting the schedule. During the afternoon session, the 17-year-old from RPM decided to continue working on his set-up and building even better pace on long stints. Progress was made, as even without focusing on the fastest attempt, he managed to move up from 24th to 13th. Completing 81 laps on the final day of testing allowed him to gather valuable data that will help Jan and his team prepare for the start of the campaign.
A positive outlook ahead of the 2026 FREC season
“It was good to be back in the cockpit after a break. From the first time I hit the track, I felt I had a very good pace. The more time we spent working on the set-up, the better it only got. We made progress in a short time during FRMET, and now RPM and I have a longer FREC season ahead of us. We’re working hard to open the European part of the year in the best possible way. After driving at Hockenheimring, Paul Ricard, and the Red Bull Ring, I think we used our time well, and it will pay off soon. Keep your fingers crossed for me on 24-26th April!” said Jan Przyrowski after the FREC pre-season tests.
“I’d like to take this opportunity to thank my partners for their support: ORLEN, the ORLEN Motorsport Academy, PZM, Geothermal Solutions, the Łódź Economic Zone, Samarite, ENEXA, Elektro-miz, and Ansite!” – added the RPM team driver.
The first round is this month
In less than three weeks, from April 24-26, Jan Przyrowski will be aiming for the best possible results at the inaugural round of the Formula Regional European Championship at the Red Bull Ring in Austria. The ORLEN Motorsport Academy protégé has already become familiar with the track during pre-season testing. The driver from Rossoszyca is setting ambitious goals after a successful winter campaign in the Middle East and preparations in Europe.
You can watch the qualifying rounds and races of the FREC series for free, with English commentary, on the FIA Formula Regional European Championship YouTube channel. A detailed schedule will be released approximately one week before the start of the race weekend. All the necessary information to help you follow the competition will be available on Jan Przyrowski’s social media profiles.