Jan Przyrowski narrowly missed the podium in Sunday’s Formula Regional European Championship race at the legendary Spa-Francorchamps circuit. The ORLEN Motorsport Academy protégé finished fourth and opened the points tally. The young Polish driver’s performance in Belgium, after a difficult start to the FREC campaign, whetted his appetite for the upcoming rounds.

A Groundbreaking Round

The competition at Spa-Francorchamps was significantly different from those in Austria and the Netherlands. This time, Jan Przyrowski and the RPM team were making their presence felt at the forefront. The difference was evident from Thursday’s Collective Test sessions, where the Pole finished eighth twice. Przyrowski’s feelings were also positive, and he was eager to enter Friday’s qualifying. This session was a bit of a disappointment, as the driver from Rossoszyca was blocked twice on the fastest tests, leaving him 11th in Group A.

Saturday, due to weather disruptions, saw one race instead of two, as originally planned. The track was wet, and the pace differences were too small for the Polish driver to hope for a points finish after starting 21st on the grid. Ultimately, he finished 20th. The race was interrupted several times by safety measures. Jan was already focusing on Sunday, making the most of the pace his Tatuus T-326 possessed.

Qualifying 2 showed many positives. Jan Przyrowski posted excellent times from the start and led Group A for a long time. Ultimately, he outperformed one of his rivals by just 0.004 seconds, securing second place. The Pole, fighting for pole position in the Formula Regional European Championship, was a sight many fans had been waiting for. After the results from Groups B and A were combined, the 17-year-old was assigned fourth on the grid. The race promised to be exciting, and it was from the outset. Przyrowski shuffled around with Munoz, Abkhazava, and Al Dhaheri. A late neutralization denied him a chance at a podium finish, as the Pole wanted to fully utilize the final push-to-pass. Fourth place demonstrated that the ORLEN Motorsport Academy protégé and RPM are capable of making significant progress.

Jan Przyrowski happy after returning to the front row

“I’m positive about finishing fourth at the end of the Spa weekend. I feel dissatisfied that so little separated me from the podium. However, I’m glad that the team and I made significant progress after the rounds in Austria and the Netherlands. We needed it, and I hope it will only get better from here. The weekend in Belgium could have been even better if not for the bad luck in Friday’s qualifying, but that’s how motorsport is. Besides performance, you also need a bit of luck in key moments. I knew the pace would allow for more, and Sunday showed that,” said Jan Przyrowski after the round at Spa-Francorchamps.

“I’m delighted that more and more fans are following and supporting the junior series. It’s very encouraging, and of course, I hope we’ll have many more reasons to celebrate. 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, Repiński Transport, Samarite, ENEXA, WTC System, Stilo, and Ansite!” added the RPM team driver.

Next round: Monza

In less than three weeks, from June 19th to 21st, the fourth round of the Formula Regional European Championship (FREC) season will take place. Jan Przyrowski and his rivals will head to the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza. The 17-year-old from Rossoszyca has fond memories of this track, having made his regional formula debut there last October. He finished 5th, having just 40 minutes to get to know the car in dry conditions. This time he returns there with greater experience and another chance to fight for high places.