Jan Przyrowski will compete in the inaugural round of the Formula Regional European Championship at the Red Bull Ring in Austria from 24-26th April. The ORLEN Motorsport Academy protégé showed strong performances in the winter Formula Regional Middle East Trophy and FREC pre-season testing. The Polish driver is hoping for a strong start to the 2026 European season.

A New Beginning

In January and February, Jan Przyrowski became the first Pole in history to compete in the Middle East Regional Formula Championship. There, he performed exceptionally well, finishing 6th overall. Along the way, he achieved three podium finishes and a total of five top-five finishes. It’s worth noting that at the beginning of the winter campaign, the 17-year-old suffered engine problems, limiting his chances in the first round at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi. Were it not for bad luck, he likely would have finished even higher in the overall standings. The RPM team, which also competed for Jan in the FRMET championship for the first time, finished 5th in the teams’ standings. The racing appetite for the European Championship is much greater.

Before the start of the Formula Regional European Championship season, the teams and drivers completed three rounds of testing. Jan Przyrowski and his rivals drove at the Hockenheimring, Paul Ricard, and Red Bull Ring. Jan’s times were very competitive throughout most of the sessions, as he finished in the top four several times. He also managed to test the push-to-pass system, which is returning to the European stage, and his race pace. Now, the Race Performance Motorsport team, a protégé of the ORLEN Motorsport Academy, is focused on the best possible start and fighting for podiums and wins. The Tatuus T-326 chassis debuted this year, and most of the field is still familiarizing themselves with it and developing their setup with each session. Jan’s key strength here is his quick adaptation to the conditions compared to his rivals. This was demonstrated by his excellent pace in the F4 category and his debut weekend in the FRECA at Monza, where after 40 minutes in his new car, he was battling the very best of the series, finishing 5th and being the best rookie.

Red Bull Ring – Short, Technical, and Demanding

The mountainous track measures 4.318 km and has just 10 corners. The Red Bull Ring is known for hosting the Austrian Grand Prix in F1. In the past, it operated under the names Österreichring and A1 Ring. Since 2014, it has permanently returned to the pinnacle of motorsport. Junior series, such as the Formula Regional European Championship, also compete at this track. Although it has relatively few corners, the track is demanding on both car and driver. Every mistake costs a fortune here, and the mountainous nature of the track puts even more strain on engines and brakes than at many other tracks.

The first round will require rapid preparation, as only one practice session will take place on Friday, 24th April, followed by qualifying. Compared to race weekends at FRMET, this means less time for setup preparation and slightly different timing. This time, drivers will be divided into groups A and B, unlike in the Middle East, where all drivers competed at once. Two such sessions will be held during the round; one will determine the order for the first race, and the second for the third. This time, the second race in reverse order will feature not the Top 12 from the first event, but from Qualifying 1. Each race will be 30 minutes + 1 lap long.

Jan Przyrowski optimistic before the first round of FREC

“I’m already looking forward to the start of the European portion of the 2026 season. I feel very good and confident ahead of the inaugural Formula Regional European Championship in Austria. The final pre-season tests took place at the Red Bull Ring over Easter, and I and my RPM team had plenty of time to prepare. Although there will be less practice now, conditions should be similar to those in early April. I think we should be competitive. We already made progress in qualifying in the Middle East at FRMET, had good race pace, and I was pleased with our starts. Europe will bring continued work on the Tatuus T-326. I hope we will have a good start to the season and be at the forefront,” said Jan Przyrowski before the first round of FREC.

“I’ll definitely keep you updated on how I’m doing, and of course, I encourage you to follow the competition at the Red Bull Ring from the very beginning of the weekend. I’d also 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.

Where and when can I watch the FREC series with Jan Przyrowski?

FREC qualifying and races will be available for free, with English commentary, on the FIA ​​Formula Regional European Championship YouTube channel. The broadcast and live timing will also be available in the “Live” section at https://janprzyrowski.com/.

Red Bull Ring Race Weekend Schedule

Friday, April 24:
10:25 AM – Practice Session (50 minutes)
5:20 PM – First Qualifying Session, Group A (15 minutes)
5:40 PM – First Qualifying Session, Group B (15 minutes)

Jan Przyrowski’s assignment to the appropriate qualifying group will be announced on his social media.

Saturday, April 25:
10:25 AM – Race 1 (30 minutes + 1 lap)
4:40 PM – Race 2 (Reverse Grid, 30 minutes + 1 lap)

Sunday, April 26:
8:45 AM – First qualifying session, Group B (15 minutes)
9:05 AM – First qualifying session, Group A (15 minutes)
4:40 PM – Race 3

All the necessary information to help you follow the competition will be available on Jan Przyrowski’s social media profiles.