The protégé of the ORLEN Motorsport Academy ended the 2026 season in the FREC (Formula Regional European Championship) on a strong note. Jan Przyrowski showed great pace throughout the entire weekend at the Hockenheimring and was the first Pole to win in this category. The campaign was difficult for the 18-year-old and the RPM team, but everyone fought until the very end, which resulted in success in the final.
Winning pace from the very first run
During Friday’s practice sessions at the Hockenheimring, Jan Przyrowski finished second and first respectively, foreshadowing a strong weekend. While the entire field picked up the pace significantly starting with Saturday’s qualifying, the Pole remained at the front of the pack. Ultimately, a second-place finish in Qualifying Group A—trailing by just 0.075 seconds—secured him the third starting position. The Polish driver then converted this spot into his maiden victory, treating the crowd in Germany to the Polish national anthem. His performance turned heads, demonstrating that he remains in top form and—despite facing setbacks this season—always fights to the very end.
There was no time to celebrate, however, as preparations for Sunday’s races had to begin immediately. The ORLEN Motorsport Academy protégé was determined to contend for pole position and another win. He came incredibly close on the final day, leading the field for much of the second qualifying session before a rival edged him out by just 0.085 seconds. Nevertheless, securing P2 in Group A and the third starting spot once again put him in a strong position to compete.
Second race marked by a controversial decision
Right at the start, the 18-year-old from Rossoszyca was poised to gain at least one position, but his plans were interrupted by a neutralization period. It took several minutes for marshals to clear the track of a few cars. At the restart, Jan Przyrowski immediately looked for an opening to attack. Kean Nakamura-Berta, running in second, lacked pace, while the leader, Sebastian Wheldon, was pulling away. The Polish driver knew he needed to overtake quickly and pressure the leader if he wanted to contend for a second victory.
On the very next lap, approaching Turn 4, the Pole sought to capitalize on his superior speed and took the inside line. His rival was late to defend; within the braking zone, he changed direction multiple times before finally closing the door just as Jan had pulled alongside—his car already more than halfway past his opponent’s. Contact occurred, though neither driver was forced out of the race. Stewards investigated the incident and handed down a controversial decision: a 10-second time penalty. This effectively cost the 18-year-old any chance of scoring points. Nevertheless, the RPM driver fought back, recovering three places after dropping to seventh. He crossed the finish line in fourth but was ultimately classified 14th once the penalty was applied.
The lost points prevented him from breaking into the top ten of the overall standings. Ultimately, Jan finished the season in 12th place with a total of 58 points. Given the course of the campaign and the fact that the Pole was responsible for over 80% of RPM’s points tally—helping them climb from 10th to 8th place in the standings—there is no doubt that his form and potential are immense.
Jan Przyrowski reflects on his 2026 season
“I certainly hoped for much more during the 2026 season. My goal is always victory, and I know I’m capable of achieving it. I don’t shy away from competing against the best, and I always fight right to the very end. Even though the final race didn’t go my way—since I feel I didn’t deserve the penalty and should have been fighting for another win—I still value the weekend as a whole. After all, I did win and returned to the podium after a long break. I pushed both myself and the team hard, knowing the caliber of our rivals. Since making my debut at Monza last year, I’ve really bonded with the RPM squad, and my goal was to prove just how much we could achieve together,” said Jan Przyrowski following the conclusion of the 2026 FREC season.
“Our debut in the Middle East was already promising. Despite some bad luck in the first two rounds, we secured a top-five finish in the team standings, and I tied on points with the driver in fifth place. I had hoped things would go even better for us in Europe, but instead, it turned out to be a real rollercoaster ride. Qualifying issues hampered our chances, though the rounds at Spa, Monza, and now the Hockenheimring demonstrated our immense potential. Of course, the season has been a mixed bag for everyone—with a new car, various setup approaches, and the drive to extract the maximum performance. It’s a shame the season is already coming to an end,” added the 18-year-old protégé of the ORLEN Motorsport Academy.
“I’d like to take this opportunity to thank ORLEN, the ORLEN Motorsport Academy, PZM, Geothermal Solutions, the Łódź Special Economic Zone, Repiński Transport, Samarite, ENEXA, WTC System, Dopingujemy, Stilo, and Ansite for their support!” he concluded.