The Spanish Formula 4second vice-champ and the Race Performance Motorsport (RPM) team have confirmed a joint program in regional formulas. Jan Przyrowski will become the first Pole to compete in the Middle East’s winter series (FRMET – Formula Regional Middle East Trophy). Simultaneously, during the main season, the ORLEN Motorsport Academy protégé will compete in the FREC, or Formula Regional Championship. Both series are supported by the FIA, and races take place on tracks with Grade 1 homologation, the vast majority of which still host Formula 1 or recently did.
A New Challenge Ahead for the Polish driver
In the 2025 season, Jan Przyrowski won a total of seven races, achieved 14 podium finishes, and secured seven pole positions. Overall, the Polish driver finished runner-up in the E4 Spanish Winter Championship and second runner-up in the Spanish Formula 4. Along the way, the 17-year-old made his debut in the FRECA series, or Formula Regional European Championship, at the Monza track with the RPM team, where he performed exceptionally well, securing 5th place and being named Best Rookie. His performance at the Temple of Speed demonstrated that the driver from Rossoszyca was ready for new challenges. Before the aforementioned weekend, he had never raced at this track, and after losing most of his time during testing due to rain, he only drove the Tatuus T-316 in dry conditions for 40 minutes. Considering that most of the field knew the car very well, such a strong result without much preparation time made an impression on the motorsport world.
Now we know that the ORLEN Motorsport Academy protégé will be promoted to the faster, higher category than F4, full-time. The winter season will begin in the second half of January 2026 with two rounds in Abu Dhabi (January 16-18 and January 23-25) at the Yas Marina track, well-known for hosting the F1 season finales. For the third race weekend, the competition will move to the Dubai Autodrome (January 30-February 1), which also meets FIA Grade 1 regulations. The Formula Regional Middle East Trophy season will conclude on February 11-13 at the Lusail International Circuit. For Jan Przyrowski, this will be an opportunity to explore new tracks and gain more experience. The 17-year-old’s goal is to compete at the very top and help the Race Performance Motorsport team develop their new Tatuus T-326 car.
After recent seasons, both sides are hungry for the championship, and the completely new beginning for Formula Regional makes proper analysis and feedback from the driver, who is rapidly gaining momentum, even more important. Whoever gets comfortable with the car faster between January 13th and 15th has a chance for very successful performances in both series. Jan Przyrowski, from his karting days, has been adapting to racing cars quite quickly, and the RPM team hopes he will return them to the championship circuit.
Jan Przyrowski takes a step forward in the F1 ladder.
Starting in the winter FRMET could allow the Rossoszyca driver to earn additional points towards his FIA Superlicense. Achieving a dream Formula 1 debut requires a total of 40 points. In FREC, additional points are awarded, and good results could further attract the attention of F1 teams and their junior programs, which could increase the chances of promotion to Formula 3 and Formula 2, the direct entry points.
After returning to Europe, Jan Przyrowski will compete in eight rounds, with up to three races held every other weekend. The Formula Regional European Championship is similar to the higher categories, where the sprint takes place with the top 12 qualifying positions reversed. Przyrowski already demonstrated in Formula 4 that he is capable of advancing from lower positions. Good examples include his victory in Aragon after starting ninth on the grid and his advancement from 15th to the podium in the final in Barcelona.
The 2026 FREC season will begin on April 24-26 with a round at the Red Bull Ring in Austria and conclude on September 11-13 at the Hockenheimring in Germany. The championship is highly condensed, and each driver will also be eager to compete for an additional start in the prestigious FREC World Cup in Macau in the second half of November. The top drivers in the FIA- and ACI Sport-supported Formula Regional Championship are often offered Formula 3 debuts by teams looking to create a strong result. Jan Przyrowski is one of those drivers who could achieve a good result in any racing series, and despite his busy schedule, he could not only help the teams, but above all, additional opportunities would also help him develop as a racing driver.
Polish driver with the potential for major success in FIA Formula Regional and a move closer to F1
The protégé of the ORLEN Motorsport Academy has a chance to achieve something no Pole has achieved so far. Roman Biliński, the 2024 FROC (Formula Regional Oce) champion, has achieved the greatest success in Formula Regional.
In the FRECA Championship, his best finish was second. Later, the same driver performed well in F3 and now faces the challenge of F2. Therefore, Jan Przyrowski’s chosen category provides good preparation for the next steps in motorsport, and there have been direct promotions from regional formulas to Formula 2 in the past, as exemplified by Mercedes F1 driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
Jan Przyrowski with ambitious plans
“I’m very happy to confirm my plan to compete in the Formula Regional Middle East Trophy and Formula Regional European Championship with the RPM team, which already gave me the opportunity to test my skills in Monza this year. We did very well then and worked well together. I think we can achieve a lot together in the 2026 season, and with the brand-new Tatuus T-326, we have a good chance of achieving good results,” said Jan Przyrowski, RPM driver.
“After the 2025 season, I feel that my current position in Spanish Formula 4, while very good, doesn’t fully reflect my actual pace and potential. I’m hungry to regularly fight for podiums and victories, and I know I’m capable of it. I see a desire for success in my new team, and I’ll be the happiest driver if we win the biggest trophies together. I’m thrilled to be returning to competition in January and discovering completely new tracks. I’m counting on the strong support of the fans. I’d like to thank ORLEN and the ORLEN Motorsport Academy, Geothermal Solutions, Prosperity, Repiński Transport, the Łódź Special Economic Zone, Samarite, Enexa, Elektro-miz, and Ansite for their support. I also invite anyone who would like to establish a presence in new markets and be part of our shared journey to F1 to collaborate with me – we will definitely fight for victory and do something creative,” concluded the ORLEN Motorsport Academy protégé.
Below are the FRMET and FREC calendars for the 2026 season.
Formula Regional Middle East Trophy (FRMET) 2026 Calendar
- January 13-14 – Official FRMET Test in Abu Dhabi
- January 14-16 – Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi, UAE
- January 23-25 - Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi, UAE
- January 30 – February 1 – Dubai Autodrome, UAE
- February 11-13 – Lusail International Circuit, Qatar
Formula Regional Championship (FREC) 2026 Calendar
- April 24-26 – Red Bull Ring
- May 22-24 – Zandvoort
- May 29-31 – Spa-Francorschamps
- June 19-21 – Monza
- July 3-5 – Hungaroring
- July 17-19 – Paul Ricard
- September 4-6 – Imola
- September 11-13 Hockenheimring
The qualifying and race streams for both series will be available for free on their official YouTube channels. Each weekend, and Jan Przyrowski’s performance, will be updated live on social media: Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter). A broadcast with Polish commentary cannot be ruled out at this time, and detailed information will be provided as soon as this plan is implemented.
