New test for Regalia with Campos and Auto GP car Young Argentinean driver will be at the wheel of Campos Racing´s Lola B05/52 next three days in Valencia, during a collective testing which is held at Cheste on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Facu Regalia starts his 2012 preseason tests this week in Valencia, Mediterranean city where he is going to drive Campos Racing´s Auto GP car at Cheste. Regalia will make his official debut in 2012 season next 11th March at Monza, with this powerful Lola B05/52. “New year and we start our preseason in 2012 with Auto GP car, because to begin our works with Dallara F312, which I will use in European F3 Open, we have to wait until February, during Winter Series scheduled at Algarve. After my Christmas in Argentina, I am anxious to drive a racing car again. Our test in Valencia is really important, because I need to keep improving my experience with this powerful car”, Regalia explained. Besides, 20 years old driver commented as well: “there will be three or four teams on track, and it is important to know how good our times are. In addition, we will work on set-up, a key factor for Monza, my first race ever in Auto GP, and Cheste meetings”. In the end, Regalia thanked “all support coming from my friends and supporters, and of course my family, Adrián Campos and sponsors who made possible this 2012 season”. Facu Regalia with Campos Racing in European F3 Open and Auto GP Argentina´s driver will race a double program next year, always racing under Campos Racing banner, famous Spanish team led by Adrián Campos. Regalia will take part in both European F3 Open and Auto GP. After arrangement signed up by Campos and Regalia recently, with former Formula 1 driver going to have the charge of young Argentinean driver, now he knows his schedule for 2012. Regalia will race in Auto GP and European F3 Open with Campos Racing, at the wheel of Lola B05/52 and Dallara F312 respectively. Regalia, really happy for this incredible schedule, explained that “it´s a new really incredible, and mainly because it has been confirmed just before end of the year. It´s a double program which will be very useful to continue my learning and I have to mention that they are two top-championships, really important worldwide. 2012 will be my second year in Formula 3 racing and, at the same time, it will be my debut racing in Auto GP, a really fast and powerful car. After my tests at the end of season with Auto GP car, I think I can be competitive”. Young Argentinean ace said too “I want to say thanks to everyone who made this possible. To be racing for Campos Racing and to learn from Adrián´s experience is an incredible chance. I have no words. I´m going to take part in both championships, which was my dream, and I have to say thanks to my family and everyone supporting me. It will be a difficult year for sure, but I will work hard to achieve my best”. On the other hand, Campos said: “I´m delighted because Facu is joining our team for 2012, and of course it´s amazing that we can make compatible both Auto GP and European F3 Open. Just one meeting from Auto GP clashes with another from European F3 Open”. In 2012, European F3 Open will go to Algarve, Nürburgring, Spa-Francorchamps, Brands Hatch, Paul Ricard, Hungaroring, Monza and Montmeló, visiting the most important motorsport countries in Europe. Auto GP will have meetings in Italy (Monza), Spain (Valencia), Morocco (Marrakech), Hungary (Hungaroring), Portugal (Estoril), Brazil (Curitiba) and United States (Sonoma). Facu Regalia finished 2nd with Lotus ART Argentina´s driver, at the wheel of car lined up by French team, concluded second during first day of GP3 collective testing held at Jerez. In addition he was the fastest man of Lotus ART on track. Facu Regalia showed today his good shape during first day of GP3 collective testing at Jerez, in spite of he had problems in the morning, due to mechanical issues. But, in the afternoon, Argentinean driver improved to achieve second fastest time ahead of almost thirty cars. Regalia, who was making his debut with Lotus ART - team led by Frédéric Vasseur and Nicolas Todt and with a long career in motorsport-, had a hard start of the day, mainly related to gearbox problems. “It was a shame because when my car was fixed, morning´s season was almost finished. I just completed a few laps”, Regalia explained afterwards, but who tried his best during the afternoon. “Because of our problems, we started after lunch time on new tires, and it was useful to be second since the beginning, and having a good fight with Daniel Abt on track to be first”, Regalia said later and, obviously, he was happier with his performance. At the end, Lotus ART´s driver improved his lap times to set a best time of 1:35.587, which meant a second place during afternoon´s session. “Today was a very positive day for us, and I feel happy with our work. Despite our problems, we knew how to manage them and in the end we could overcome them. We were second, a fantastic position if we think there were almost 30 cars on track. On the other hand, to work with Lotus ART was good for my learning”, Regalia finally explained. Tomorrow, a new day and Regalia is going to drive “with Status GP. I hope to avoid any kind of problems and to finish on top”. New test for Facu Regalia in GP3 with Status GP Argentina´s driver, who recently tested for Campos Racing and one of its Auto GP cars, will be next Wednesday in Valencia, where official GP3 tests are held. Regalia is going to drive for Status Grand Prix. Facu Regalia keeps improving his racing pedigree at the end of this year and, after he tested Campos Racing´s Lola B05/50-Zytek V8 from Auto GP at Magione, this week nineteen years old from Argentine will drive for Status Grand Prix during collective testing which is held by GP3 in Valencia. This Irish team led by Teddy Yip will be a new step forward for Regalia, who is going to be on track on Wednesday. Regalia, who recently visited headquarters of Status Grand Prix to prepare this test, explains that “I am really motivated. Last year I had a chance of driving this car built by Dallara and almost 300bhp during collective testing at Jerez. On the other hand, I know how Status Grand Prix works because they and I were together last year in Andalusia”. Regalia doesn´t know Ricardo Tormo circuit, and he must deal with it. This track, which is 4.005 meters long, is a new venue for Regalia but he had a chance to test it “thanks to Status Grand Prix´s simulator during last week. Anyway I will need first practice session to learn it well, but I hope my adaptation will be fast enough”- Concerning his aims for Valencia, he tells too that “my work is to keep learning. Obviously I will try my best, and if I can set a good time it will be fantastic. I hope everything goes OK and to complete a good work at the wheel of GP3 car”. Successful test for Facu Regalia in Auto GP Argentina´s driver completed a two-day test at the wheel of Lola B05/50 Zytek V8 lined up by Campos Racing, finishing pleased with his results because he was just two tenths slower than Luca Filippi. Regalia adapted quickly despite it was a car with 600hbp. Facu Regalia has finished today his maiden test at Magione driving a Campos Racing´s singleseater. At Magione, 19 years old driver completed a brilliant work, both lap times and feelings, with Campos Racing, the team founded and led by former Formula 1 driver Adrián Campos. Thursday was an adaptation day, such as Regalia explained: “it was a very good first day for us, in spite of this car is very different from Formula 3 cars which I have driven this year. I had to change my driving style, because this singleseater is really amazing under braking and acceleration conditions”. Just minor throttle problems yesterday prevented him “to improve my lap times on fresh tires, because this problem meant a few tenths lap by lap”. Today´s test session was another step forward for Regalia. Argentinean driver improved his performance again and, at the end, he was just two tenths slower than Luca Filippi who has a large experience in GP2 and with this kind of cars. “My day was almost perfect, and all of us were really impressed because my lap times were rather good. I have finished very close to Filippi, and it is fair to say another driver blocked me and maybe I could have improve a couple of tenths. I understood how this kind of tires worked, and it was one of my targets today”, Regalia told. Finally, he thanked “this fantastic chance to my father, but also to Adrián Campos. It was an amazing experience to work with an engineer coming from GP2 and a team like Campos Racing. Now I need working towards my next target: tests for GP3”. Facu Regalia makes his debut in Auto GP with Campos Argentina´s driver makes his debut at the wheel of Lola B05/52 powered by an engine built by Zytek, which has 550hp. Spanish team, Campos Racing, invited to Regalia to test its car at Magione, during a two-day collective testing scheduled on Thursday and Friday. Facu Regalia makes his debut tomorrow in Auto GP, after Campos Racing invited him to test one of its cars. Campos Racing, a well experienced team led by former Formula 1 driver Adrián Campos, counts on Regalia during collective testing held on Thursday and Friday at Magione. Magione, whose name is Autodromo dell´Umbria and is located in Perugia, is 2.507 meters long. “Adrián called me, and I was told he was looking my career in motorsport and it could be interesting for both, them and me, to drive one of its Auto GP cars at Magione, during this week´s collective testing. All Auto GP teams will be there, and I´ve to recognize this test is a great chance for me. This car is almost a GP2 singleseater, and it means to make progress as a driver”, Regalia explained before his trip to Italy, a country where he has competed this year, just before his debut in Formula 3 Euro Series with Mücke Motorsport two weeks ago. “I want to know how this car is, and I will try my adaptation being as fast as possible. I worked hard in gym, because this car is physically demanding. I will try my best and to be happy with my result at the end”, Regalia explained finally. Campos Racing had drivers like Adam Carroll or Adrien Tambay driving its cars in Auto GP during the current season. It finished second in teams´ overall classification. Facu Regalia achieves top-ten finishes Mücke Motorsport´s Argentinean driver finished 10th in both races on Saturday, gaining experience and improving his times at the wheel of Dallara F308-Mercedes. Tomorrow, third and last race at Hockenheim. Facu Regalia completed another day of hard work in competitive Formula 3 Euro Series, a championship where he is making his debut with Mücke Motorsport. At the end of the day, and after improving with every lap, Regalia finished 10th in both races. 19 years old ace was 12th on the starting grid in race one. He made a good start, “despite those cars are difficult. Unfortunately, I had to brake when I approached Turn-1, because I had to avoid a collision with a rival. It meant to lose one or two places”. However, Regalia began to gain ground, and he overtook other drivers to be 10th at the end. “My times at the end of the race were as good as drivers´ times fighting for podium, and I was at least half-second faster than drivers in front of me”, Regalia explained. In race two, Regalia was 10th on the starting grid, and he made another good start. But, as happened in the morning, a collision put him back. From then until the end, Regalia completed a clever race, avoiding accidents around and crossed the finish line 10th again. “I feel more confident with Mücke´s Dallara-Mercedes, and my improvement is obvious. For me it´s very important to finish every race, because I need accumulate mileage with this car and it would be a problem to retire”, Argentina´s driver told. Third race of this weekend is scheduled on Sunday and, again, Regalia will start 12th on grid. Facu Regalia makes progress in Formula 3 Euro Series Argentina´s driver, who didn´t make previous test with his new Dallara-Mercedes lined up by Mücke Motorsport, was 12th fastest in qualifying session. His target is to achieve a top eight finish and to start on the front in race 2. Facu Regalia debuted today at the wheel of Mücke Motorsport´s Dallara F308-Mercedes, for the season finale of Formula 3 Euro Series at Hockenheim, one of the strongest singleseaters championships in Europe. Facing official drivers backed by Mercedes or Volkswagen, Argentinean driver improved his times throughout the day, despite this car is very different from Italian one which Regalia used this year. Free practice sessions were delayed because “there was a thick fog at Hockenheim. I didn´t have as much time as I would have liked on track, and the fog didn´t help us for sure. Anyway I kept improving my performance”, Regalia explained afterwards. Little by little he improved his times, and he was 12th in qualifying session, and he will start from 6th row on the starting grid in race one and three. “My new car is quite different from Italian one. Mercedes-built engine is powerful, and aerodynamics plays a major role here. I need to gain confidence in the fastest bends because it´s there where I lose time. My target is to keep improving my learning with Mücke Motorsport and, if it´s possible, to finish in top-eight in race one because it would mean to start on the front in race two”, Regalia told after he set times of 1:33.011 and 1:33.091. Race one is scheduled at 11,25 (CET) and race two starts at 16,10 (CET). Facu Regalia makes his debut in Formula 3 Euro Series Argentina´s driver Facu Regalia debuts next weekend in Formula 3 Euro Series, a championship which is supported by Mercedes or Volkswagen. Regalia is going to drive Mücke Motorsport´s Dallara Mercedes. Facu Regalia makes another step forward during his racing career next weekend. This Argentinean driver makes his debut in Formula 3 Euro Series. After he didn´t race during season finale of Italian Formula 3 championship at Monza, because his Team Ghinzani´s Dallara-FPT had engine issues in Friday´s free practice sessions one more time – in the same way he suffered at Mugello or during collective testing at Monza-, now he approaches last meeting of Formula 3 Euro Series. Hockenheim, a classic venue in motorsport and located in Waden-Wurtemberg, is the place where Regalia will drive a Mücke Motorsport´s Dallara-Mercedes, a successful team founded by Peter Mücke in 1998 and it has a long history in Formula 3 Euro Series. “After my problems at Monza, where I couldn´t race because my engine didn´t work properly, I´m glad to race in Germany. This chance is an incredible one, and I want to thank it to all the people who made it possible”, Regalia explained just before his flight to Germany. Facu, who is second Argentinean driver after Esteban Guerrieri to race in Formula 3 Euro Series, told too that “my motivation is very high. I´m aware this meeting is a new challenge for me because its level is really strong. Anyway I want to compare with Nigel Melker and Felix Rosenqvist, all season drivers for Mücke Motorsport and backed by Mercedes. My car´s engine, built by Mercedes, is different from FIAT-built one used in Italy. Concerning tires, I was told they are softer too. Fortunately I know Hockenheim from my formula BMW Europe times and it´s important”. On his objectives, “I will try to know my car during free practice sessions held on Friday. It´s an important meeting for my career in motorsport, and I need to be focused, to keep calm and finally I´ve to improve my confidence with new engine and tires”. The Formula 3 Euro Series, where drivers like Lewis Hamilton, Paul di Resta, Romain Grosjean, Nico Hülkenberg or Jules Bianchi were crowned, has an schedule slightly different to Italian Formula 3 ones. Free practice sessions are two hours long and they start on Friday in the morning. Then, the same day, the qualifying is scheduled and it is 30 minutes long. Two best laps form both starting grids for race 1 and 3. There are two races scheduled on Saturday while third one is on Sunday. Facu Regalia finished 8th on Sunday Starting from fourth row on the grid and with a new engine, after yesterday´s one suffered a water pump failure, Team Ghinzani´s Argentinean driver struggled to achieve 8th place at the end. Facu Regalia had another hard journey during today´s race at Mugello. Regalia, who achieved his first pole position yesterday and then he was forced to retire en race 1 because of a water pump failure, hasn´t had an easy day. Regalia was 8th on the starting grid, because Sunday´s race is a reverse grid of qualifying results, and 19 years old was also using a new engine, It wasn´t a help either because Mugello is a fast track where an engine with good running in is required. “I made a good start, because I have nearly overtaken both Edoardo Liberati and Michael Lewis. However, Prema´s driver blocked me and I nearly went out. I was eight just following my rival´s slipstream, but I couldn´t to overtake them because I had a lack of speed. My engine was a problem under these circumstances. And understeer increased in the slipstream at the end too”, Argentinean driver explained afterwards. Finally Regalia took 8th place, which wasn´t a consolation after he was close to winning yesterday. Regalia is now looking forward for next collective test of Italian Formula 3 championship, which is held at Monza in three days time. “I´m working hard, and my pole position proves that. Just bad luck prevented me to achieve my maiden win too. Next Wednesday we need to keep our hard working, and we want to check if our new engine is competitive enough. It´s mandatory to get a good engine there, and we must improve it during collective testing. It depends on FIAT, and if it can provide us a new good engine or at least to repair our engine used on Saturday at Mugello and which failed without reason. Monza is a kind of track which I like. I was fastest in preseason”, Regalia told. Last meeting of 2011 season is scheduled on October 15th-16th. Water leak frustrates Facu Regalia´s hopes After he had earned his maiden pole position in Italian Formula 3 championship, Argentina´s driver was leading race one when a water leak forced him to retire. Facu Regalia had a day of contrasts at Mugello, because he earned his maiden pole position in Italian Formula 3 championship, during qualifying session scheduled in the morning, but he was forced to retire in race one due to mechanical problems. In the morning, he was the fastest man on track, thanks to the lap time of 1:39.226, improving last year´s record. Regalia beat his team mate Edoardo Liberati by two tenths. However, today´s race was a less happy chapter. “I made a good start, but I kept my first place. I had an awesome race pace, because after five laps I increased my lead up to four seconds. But my car had a water leak since the beginning of the race. We don´t know what is the reason. My engine almost raised 130ºC, and finally in I had to retire in lap 6 while I was first yet”, young Argentinean ace explained afterwards. “It´s frustrating. But my weekend was perfect, and I know I tried my best every time on track. Just circumstances beyond my control prevented me to achieve my first win here. Tomorrow I will be 8th on the starting grid and, again, I will try my best”, he finally told. Tomorrow´s race starts at 10,10. Good Friday for Facu Regalia at Mugello Team Ghinzani´s Argentinean driver set fastest lap during afternoon free practice, and he was second in overall classification today. Regalia in good shape for tomorrow´s qualifying. Mugello means penultimate meeting of 2011 season for Italian Formula 3 championship. Facu Regalia has begun in a positive way his penultimate meeting of 2011 season in Formula 3 championship. Argentina´s driver was a front-runner today during both free practice sessions held today at Mugello. Regalia was ninth in the morning, always lapping on used tires, and he improved to be first in the afternoon. At the wheel of Team Ghinzani´s Dallara-FPT Racing he set a best lap of 1:40.702, second best time today. “I am happy because everything is working quite well here. In the morning we didn´t use our set of fresh tires, and it was the reason because I was ninth. In second session, I was first despite I was using old tires again. We made minor set-up changes, just before my first attempt on new tires. It was good enough to improve my time and to achieve P1, just ahead of my team mate, Edoardo Liberati”, Regalia explained. 19 years old told too that “I think we have a competitive car for tomorrow´s qualifying session. We need to solve different small details but I´m confident. Maybe it will be possible to fight for pole position and to approach Race 1 in a good way. I know what to do”. On Saturday, qualifying is scheduled at 10,25 (CET), while first race starts at 16,05 (CET). Facu Regalia arrives at Mugello very motivated After his maiden 2nd place at Vallelunga and his fastest time during collective testing at Mugello, Team Ghinzani´s driver wants to keep fighting for win in Italian Formula 3 championship. Facu Regalia approaches next weekend a new date of Italian Formula 3 championship, where Argentinean driver has achieved two podiums this season at Imola and Vallelunga. This venue is scheduled at Mugello, a track which is 5.245 meters long, on October 1st-2nd and it is the penultimate meeting of 2011 season. Just before his flight to Italy, Regalia explained: “I am very motivated for different reasons. First one It´s my maiden second place at Vallelunga two weeks ago, and the other hand I set fastest lap during collective testing held at Mugello recently. My family is supporting me this weekend in Italy, and it means a morale boost too because I want offer them a good result”. 19 years old driver also told that “we can´t be overconfident. We have to try our best to beat teams like Lucidi or Prema, both teams proved their good shape days ago at Mugello. I am ready for Mugello, both physically and mentally, and I can´t wait to start. I would like to think all our previous bad luck is over. There are four races until the end of the season, and my aim is to achieve as good results as possible”. Meeting´s timetable starts on Friday when both free practice sessions are scheduled. On Saturday, qualifying session starts at 10,25 (CET) and race 1 at 16,05 (CET). On Sunday, it is the moment for race 2at 10,10. Both races are twenty-eight minutes plus one lap more long. Regalia was impressive at Mugello today Team Ghinzani´s Argentinean driver set the fastest lap of Italian Formula 3 championship´s test, which was held at Mugello today. Facu Regalia continued today his winning streak. After his podium finish just three days ago at Vallelunga, Regalia was the fastest man on the track at Mugello. This collective testing meant a first contact for drivers and teams with Mugello, a very fast track which will be the penultimate venue of 2011 season. Regalia set the best lap, 1:41.212, in the afternoon just seven thousands ahead of Brazil´s Víctor Guerin. His time is a new record for Italian Formula 3 cars at Mugello. “In the morning, on old tires, my Dallara-FPT Racing was suffering from understeer yet, mainly in fast bends. However, in the afternoon, we made set-up changes and my car improved a lot. Using my second set of fresh tires, I managed to complete an almost perfect lap”, Regalia told afterwards. These results, he explained, “are useful because after my podium they are a morale boost. I approach very confident my next meeting at Mugello. There my family is supporting me, and they will be a help too. However, I am not overconfident, because during current season almost every meeting was different from collective testing”. Both Mugello races are scheduled on October 1st-2nd. This venue is the penultimate for Argentinean driver en 2011. Amazing podium for Regalia on Sunday Team Ghinzani´s Argentinean driver made a brilliant start from the second row on the grid, overtaking Víctor Guerin to be second at the end of today´s race at Vallelunga. Facu Regalia completed today his meeting at Vallelunga in a good way. After his car´s set up´s problems on Friday, Regalia got over to achieve a podium finish during today´s race, when he has finished second on Roman soil. After his bad start yesterday, when he was sixth on the grid but losing four places at the start and shortly after he suffered a collision, Regalia focused on this. And his start was today almost perfect. Team Ghinzani´s driver overtook Víctor Guerin very soon, and he attempted another overtaking maneuver on Brando Maisano –polesitter-.”I noticed how good my start was today when I overtook Guerin. Nearly it worked too with Maisano, but he blocked me. I continue trying during first bends but I didn´t get it. Then, his race pace was a little faster and Maisano went away. I crossed the finish line second, a very good result for me after my podium at Imola. It means my best result in Formula 3 too”, Regalia explained. However, he wasn´t completely satisfied because “my car continues suffering from understeer, and it got worse over time”. Next week Facu continues his racing activity after podium, which he thanks “my grandparent, my father, my uncle and my family, and people who support me from Argentina and Spain”, at Mugello. There there is scheduled a new collective testing on September 21st at Mugello. Mugello, penultimate meeting of 2011 season in October, “is a fast track where in my opinion we will be competitive”, Regalia told in the end. Regalia finished 11th after collision Team Ghinzani´s Argentinean driver was sixth on the starting grid despite his problems during free practice sessions on Friday. During today´s race, a collision forced him to pit. Facu Regalia has finished 11th in the first race of Italian Formula 3 championship held this Saturday at Vallelunga. Regalia, who had different set-up problems on Friday, improved in qualifying session to set sixth fastest time. His lap, 1:30.678, was good enough to start from third row on the grid. However, Regalia didn´t have a good start, because he lost four places. “I have to admit it was my fault today. I made a terrible start and I dropped from sixth to tenth place. Then I tried to overtake Maxime Jousse, and we had an interesting close battle. After I managed to overtake him, he hit me and he went ahead again. Then, just before a slow corner, he braked very early, and I hit him”, Regalia explained at the end. “My first thought was to continue, but my front wing was damaged, and my engineer called me to change it. When I returned to the track, my car was suffering from heavy vibrations because my tires was harmed as a result of my hard braking during collision”, Regalia told too. For tomorrow´s race, according to Regalia, “we will use our today´s set-up. It works OK, and I start from third place on the starting grid. If I manage to make a good start, maybe I could achieve a podium finish. My weekend was terrible until now, and I hope it can improve in the end”. Second race is scheduled tomorrow at 10.10. Facu Regalia finished 3rd at Vallelunga Team Ghinzani´s Argentinean driver was first in the morning and third in the afternoon during the collective testing held yesterday in Rome. Yesterday was very useful to reach some conclusions for next meeting of Italian Formula 3 championship. Facu Regalia completed yesterday a new collective testing for Italian Formula 3 championship, which was held at Vallelunga as training for sixth round of 2011 season. Team Ghinzani´s driver showed his speed on a track where he was the fastest man in pre-season tests. Regalia was first in the morning, using low mileage tires, and third in the afternoon despite he used just a set of fresh tires. Young driver explained at the end: “I found comfortable at Vallelunga. In the morning I set the best lap time, 1:31.308, and I was two tenths faster than everyone else. In the afternoon, I was leading but finally two drivers beat me. Anyway I was third, very close to them. My best lap then was 1:31.040”, Regalia told. Also, young 19 years-old driver said that “we thought to keep P1 using just a set of fresh tires, but we couldn´t achieve it. Anyway it is positive because my rivals used their second set, and we saved it. It´s important to keep it for free practice sessions at Vallelunga”. After his last weekend at Adria, where Regalia couldn´t achieve the results which he was expecting, he welcomes “our test at Vallelunga. We have a good set-up for this track, because my car was just suffering from a low understeer using new tires. It wasn´t to be worried but anyway we will try to solve it. For sure we are cautious concerning our prospects, because we are fast enough in collective testing but then again we have problems in race days. I am confident to try my best at Vallelunga, but I don´t want to become over-confident”. Bad luck for Regalia at Adria Team Ghinzani´s Argentinean driver had a terrible weekend during fifth meeting of Italian Formula 3 championship at Adria. His engine stalled before start in Race 1 and another rival collided in Race 2. Terrible day for Facu Regalia´s chances, Team Ghinzani´s driver who continues being deprived of brilliant results. His efforts to become success in Formula 3 had no reward until now. First race, which was scheduled in the morning, was an unlucky one from the beginning. “I was ready to start after warm lap when my car´s engine stalled, we don´t know why. When the lights were on, I managed to start it. Obviously it was my dream start, and I lost two places”, Regalia explained, who was eight at the end. For sure it was his dream result Regalia said too: “I leave really disappointed this meeting. I had big ambitions here, but it was a mess. I was the fastest on track in July, but we have to find out why our car is less competitive in race days”. Team Ghixani´s driver has no time to rest because he has a new collective testing on Tuesday. “Our test at Vallelunga is important to obtain a good set-up. On the other hand I have to improve my starts, and we are going to train it. Vallelunga has to be a morale boost after Adria”, Regalia told. Regalia achieved 3rd and 6th on the starting grids Team Ghinzani´s Argentinean driver had to cope with understeer during qualifying session at Adria today. Despite his problems, Regalia will try to improve during tomorrow´s races. Facu Regalia hasn´t had an easy qualifying session today during fifth meeting of Italian Formula 3 championship, which is held at Adria. Team Ghinzani´s young driver arrived to Italy really motivated, because he was the fastest man on track during collective testing at Adria one month ago. At least in free practice sessions Regalia had an interesting performance. In first free practice session, despite he was ninth, his work was very useful because Team Ghinzani and Regalia were testing in race conditions. In second free practice session, Regalia improved to become third fastest and just one tenth behind Brandon Maisano, who was leading. However qualifying was a harder matter, because 19 years-old driver had to approach understeer problems. “My first set of tires was successful, because I was fourth fastest, and In my opinion I had chances to fight for pole position. But my car was experiencing understeer as accelerating hard after the apex, because track conditions were different from when collective testing was held in July. With second set, my engineer changed setup details, and I could improve one tenth, but understeer was worst”, Regalia explained afterwards. He set a laptime of 1:12.024, which means he will be 6th on the Race 1 starting grid and 3rd for Race 2. For tomorrow´s races, at 10.10 and 15.10, “I need two good starts, because Adria is a short and narrow track and it is a problem to overtake other cars. I feel a bit disappointed, but we keep working hard to get our best on Sunday”, Regalia said in the end. Second half of the season for Facu Regalia Team Ghinzani´s Argentinean driver races this weekend at Adria, the fifth venue of 2011 season for Italian Formula 3 championship. Regalia arrives highly motivated because he was the fastest during collective testing in July. Facu Regalia is ready, after summer break, to approach the second half of 2011 season in Italian Formula 3 championship, where he is making his debut this year driving a Team Ghinzani´s Dallara-FPT Racing. Adria will be the venue for fifth round, a track which is almost three kilometers long close to Venice, and it is one of Regalia´s favorite circuits in 2011 schedule. “After summer break, when I tried to gather strength, we approach the second half of the season. In my opinion our experience in previous meetings – Franciacorta, Misano, Imola and Spa-Francorchamps- will help us to become stronger and more competitive. The problems which we had before, they look to be solved now and I´m sure we are in good shape for Adria”, Regalia explained just before taking his flight to Italy. Regalia was the fastest man on track during official collective testing held at Adria one month ago. Young Argentinean driver completed his lap in 1:11.647, more than two tenths faster than his rivals. “We will try our best during this meeting. I have got a good feeling with Adria, because both my team and I were very fast in July. I know what to do to make things right. I got experience in wet conditions during our last meeting in Belgium, and it was a step forward for me too. For 2012, it´s important to achieve good results to catch the eye of potential sponsors, and it means more motivation for me”, Regalia commented in the end. Both free practice sessions and qualifying are scheduled on Saturday, meanwhile both races are on Sunday, which are twenty-eight more one lap long. The races start at 10.10 and 15.10. Seventh place for Regalia during today´s race Spa-Francorchamps won´t be remembered like the best venue for Team Ghinzani´s driver in 2011. He was the fastest man in middle sector but his car lacked speed on straights, he crossed seventh the finish line. Facu Regalia had another tough race today at Spa-Francorchamps, during second race of Italian Formula 3 championship in Belgian soil. Argentinean driver, who was fifth on the starting grid, made an amazing start and he was third just after first corner. But, sadly, he noticed soon his main problem to approach today: lack of straight line speed. “My car lacked top speed on straights. I made a good start, because I gained two places at the beginning. My car was good, so I pushed hard during early stages of the race. But it was almost impossible to retain my place on podium for a long time. We have to know what happened today, and why we lacked too much speed compared to the opponents. I tried to overtake Brandon Maisano, but when I went out of his slipstream, my 6th gear rev limiter turned on too soon. It was frustrating”, Regalia explained, afterwards. Third for a while, Regalia was overtaken by Maxime Jousse, “despite I was following Maisano´s slipstream”, and at the end three drivers more overtook him. “I was the fastest in the middle sector, the hardest one for a driver and technically complicated, but in both fast sectors I struggled”, Regalia said. Italian Formula 3 championship has now a summer break, before fifth meeting at Adria on 3th-4th September. “I hope better results there. It was frustrating not to be on the podium in Belgium, because I think it was a realistic aim. I will keep working as hard as possible, and the second half of the season should be a little better”, young Argentinean driver concluded. Regalia finished sixth on Saturday A severe storm on Spa-Francorchamps wasn´t the best allied force for Facu Regalia in Belgium. Young Argentinean driver, despite difficult conditions, concluded sixth. Facu Regalia has finished in sixth place today, during first race of Italian Formula 3 championship held today at Spa-Francorchamps. Regalia, who was fourth on the starting grid, was surprised by a severe storm which nearly flooded the famous Belgian track. “The race began later than scheduled, and it meant that work time on the starting grid was cut. I asked for a higher downforce set-up, but my mechanics didn´t have time for. After I didn´t make my best start, and now we have to study if my car suffered any kind of clutch problem. I lost five places, so I was ninth”, Regalia explained. However “during first lap, I managed to recover three places, being placed sixth then. My car suffered from understeer, and I had to fight hard to be on track. But then, when the track became dryer, my lap times improved. At the end I was one of the fastest drivers. Anyway my sixth place isn´t bad under the circumstances, because I was the best Team Ghinzani´s driver”, 19 years old driver said. The second race is scheduled tomorrow at 10.20, and Regalia will try “his best one more time. I start fifth and another good result is possible”. Second row for Regalia at Spa-Francorchamps Argentinean driver has achieved fourth fastest time during qualifying session celebrated today in Belgium. Regalia was the fastest among Team Ghinzani´s drivers. Facu Regalia has completed a good Friday at Spa-Francorchamps, where this weekend Italian Formula 3 championship celebrates fourth meeting of 2011 season, hitting its halfway point. Regalia, who drives a Team Ghinzani´s Dallara-FPT Racing, was seventh and eighth in the morning during free practice sessions, where he set 2:17.815 and 2:16.912 respectively. However Regalia made his best in qualifying session, when he set the fourth fastest time (2:15.901) which means to start from second row on the starting grid in race one. Regalia explained: “Our result today was good enough. We hoped a better result yesterday, but Prema drivers are going really strong here, in the second sector mainly. Anyway I am just one tenth and a half behind Raffaele Marciello who is second on the starting grid for Prema”. Regalia is really confident for tomorrow´s race, because “we know what changes we have to do for Saturday. My car was OK, and it had just small issues which we will try to solve. Surely it will be a dry race, and there we could have an interesting race pace, despite not being the fastest ones in qualifying”. First race is scheduled tomorrow, at 16.20 (CET), and it is twenty-eight minutes plus one lap long. Regalia flew on Adria track Argentinean driver concluded on top last collective testing of Italian Formula 3 championship before summer break. Regalia set the fastest lap of 1:11.647 and he beat by more than two tenths second classified. Facu Regalia has been the fastest man on track today, during a new collective testing held today at Adria for Italian Formula 3 teams. Team Ghinzani´s driver, at the wheel of his Dallara-FPT Racing which he drove to third place last weekend at Imola, was today on top during most of the day. In the morning, Argentinean driver set a best time of 1:11.925 to be second, less than half-tenth from leader, but during afternoon session he improved his time. Finally Regalia´s time, 1:11.647, was good enough to be first and to beat by more than two tenths Kevin Giovesi. Gap was really important, because Adria is a short track, where drivers get very close times. “I am really happy with my results achieved here at Adria, a track where I didn´t think to become as fast as I was today. In the morning, in spite of we ran on used tires, I was second a just thirty-eight thousandths behind Maisano. My car was almost perfect, but we kept improving in the afternoon, and we tested different issues for our next venue at Spa-Francorchamps. My best lap, on new tires and when I tried my best, was perfect”, Regalia explained. Young Argentinean driver said too that “those results are really useful to boost my morale and confidence for Belgium, where fourth meeting of 2011 season is scheduled in August. There I want to continue improving my skills and results”. This venue at Spa-Francorchamps is the only one scheduled outside Italy, and its timetable is a bit different from previous ones. Qualifying session is scheduled on Friday, like both free practice sessions too, and not Saturday as usual. Both races are scheduled on Saturday and Sunday. Facu Regalia retires after collision Argentinean Regalia retired during lap one of second race at Imola, because Maxime Jousse collided with Team Ghinzani´s driver. His retirement prevented him from fighting for another podium. Facu Regalia hasn´t got lucky on Sunday, during second race of third Italian Formula 3 meeting at Imola. Team Ghinzani´s Argentinean, who was fourth because starting grid in race two was defined for the first eight position by the inversion of the top eight drivers in qualifying, had problems since the start. “I have had a terrible start, when I disengaged the clutch, my car was nearly stalled. Then Maxime Jousse has tried to overtake me, but I got to keep inside. However in next bend, both collided because he went on the kerb. I lost control of my car spinning, and both had to retire”, Regalia explained after returning to paddock. Young Argentinean driver was upset because he couldn´t fight to repeat another podium. Next meeting for Regalia in Italian Formula 3 championship is scheduled on 5th-7th August at Spa-Francorchamps, famous Belgian venue where Regalia was the fastest man on track during collective testing held there in June. Facu Regalia achieved his first podium in Formula 3 Young Argentinean driver has completed a brilliant Saturday, where he set fifth time in qualifying and then he overtook two rivals in race one to finish third. Regalia set second fastest lap of the race too. Facu Regalia has achieved today his first podium in Italian Formula 3 championship, because Team Ghinzani´s driver finished third in race one at Imola. Regalia, who completed just four races in Formula 3 until now, has realized a very good race at the wheel of his Dallara-FPT Racing. Regalia didn´t finish happy his qualifying session, in spite of he was fifth fastest, because “I was third after using my first set of fresh tires. But then, with my second set, I met traffic and my performance wasn´t that good either”. After a best time of 1:41.782, that put him in fifth place on the starting grid, Regalia had a great start, but a rival blocked him. “I was really focused to get a good start, and I have got so, because I overtook Michael Lewis, but I was blocked by Maxime Jousse. Fortunately, I maintained P5, just to overtake Brandon Maisano a few moments later. When I was in the Jousse´s slipstream, he made a mistake and I have achieved third place. My car had a good performance almost every lap, just suffering from understeer halfway through the race. Anyway we will try to fix this issue for tomorrow”, Regalia explained. 19 years-old driver was third at the end and he also set second fastest lap. Second race of this event is scheduled tomorrow at 10.10 (CET), twenty-eight minutes and one lap long too. Regalia is fourth on the starting grid, given that there is reverse grid in race two. “After my first podium, I´m really motivated to approach race two and I will try to continue in the same way. We have a good car in race terms, and maybe another podium is possible on Sunday”, Regalia concluded. Good Friday for Regalia at Imola Argentinean-born driver was fifth fastest in the morning during first practice session while he improved in the second one and Team Ghinzani´s driver was third. His Dallara-FPT hasn´t suffered from understeer as in previous meetings. Facu Regalia completed an interesting Friday at Imola, where this weekend is hosted third meeting of Italian Formula 3. Team Ghinzani´s driver, at the wheel of his Dallara-FPT Racing, was really fast in both free practice sessions at Imola. In the morning, young Argentinean driver was fifth fastest as he set a best time of 1.42.777, just four tenths behind leader. Afterwards, Piercarlo Ghinzani´s disciple couldn´t improve his time, but he could improve his place during second practice session, because Regalia was third fastest. “In the morning my car has worked quite well, and I could have improved my time but I met heavy traffic when we used our second set of fresh tires. We made different set-up changes just to test how the Dallara-FPT Racing´s behavior was, but for sure our engine are the best news today. It is running faultless and I am optimistic. In the afternoon, when everyone was using new tires, I was first until two minutes to go, when two drivers overtook me. I am really motivated, because my car isn´t suffering from understeer as it happened at Franciacorta and Misano”, Regalia explained at the end of practice sessions. Tomorrow is a really important day for Regalia, because qualifying session will pay a major role again. Qualifying session is scheduled at 11.10, while race one starts at 16.05. Facu Regalia approaches Imola very motivated Third meeting of 2011 season for Argentinean driver of Team Ghinani at Imola, where Regalia wants that his hard work can achieve a good result. Facu Regalia is ready to approach third meeting of 2011 season in Italian Formula 3 championship, one of the most competitive championships on European soil celebrated with singleseaters, where Argentinean drives his Team Ghinzani´s Dallara-FPT Racing. After four races hosted at Franciacorta and Misano, where Regalia evolved as Formula 3 driver, it is the moment for Imola, “a meeting which I hope to became very fast. Both my team and I worked hard in the last few weeks, and after our engine problems during collective testing at Imola, sincerely I hope everything works perfectly there”, young 19 years-old driver explained, who set the fastest time in another official test at Spa-Francorchamps in June. Imola, close to Bolonia, is a track which is 4,930 meters long and a classic venue in motorsport world. About it, Regalia says too that “it is one of my favorite tracks in Italy. Imola is really suitable for my driving style, a really fast circuit at the wheel of Formula 3 car. During official test day which was held there on 6th July, my car was good enough, but because of engine problems I couldn´t set a brilliant time. If they have been solved, and we are in luck at Imola, I am ready to achieve good results and to show my progression like Formula 3 driver”. Timetable for Imola meeting has scheduled two free practice sessions, both thirty minutes long and celebrated on Friday, at 9.50 and 14.00. On Saturday qualifying starts at 10.30 while race one is in the afternoon and twenty-eight minutes and one lap long. On Sunday, early in the morning, is scheduled race two with identical length. Facu Regalia finishes 6th at Imola Argentinean born driver has been today at Imola where his team, Team Ghinzani, and he celebrated a new Italian Formula 3 collective testing, before third meeting of 2011 season which is held here on 16th-17th July. Facu Regalia has completed today a new collective testing for Italian Formula 3 at Imola, the famous transalpine track. There, Team Ghinzani´s driver has driven one more time his Dallara-FPT Racing which he is using during 2011 season. His team and he concentrated to improve set-up adjustments to approach in good shape third meeting of current season. Regalia approaches third round of 2011 season on 16th-17th July at Imola, where he wants to continue improving his results in Italian Formula 3, a championship where he made his debut past May. New collective testing for Facu Regalia at Imola Argentinean born driver travels to Italy on 6th July for second collective testing session of 2011 season, and which is an important training for third meeting of the season which is hosted there on 17th July. Facu Regalia, Argentinean driver who takes part during current season in Italian Formula 3 driving for Team Ghinzani, has had a quiet schedule concerning racing activities in the last weeks. Anyway, after second meeting at Misano which was celebrated the last days of May, Regalia completed a private testing on 14th June at Spa-Francorchamps, the famous Belgian track, where Team Ghinzani´s drivers shared track with the best drivers and teams from Italian formula 3. 19 years-old driver set the best time – 2:16.8- around Ardennes track, and afterwards he explained: “we were the fastest ones at Spa-Francorchamps, where we achieved a high mileage and we got to improve my car´s set-up. We focused to solve understeer, that my car suffered from in previous races and in my opinion we worked in the right direction”. Now, Regalia keeps his mind on next collective testing, which is scheduled by organization at Imola. A very fast track, Imola will be third meeting of 2011 season on 17th July but before teams have the chance to test there on 6th July. “It is another collective testing, which is hosted at Imola. I arrive really motivated, as my team does too, after I was close to podium finish at Misano one month ago in spite of I have just driven four races my Formula 3. I want to continue learning, developing my skills at the wheel of Dallara-FPT Racing, but not forgetting works on car set-up. I think we have an important work ahead, because my car must suit perfectly my driving style”, Regalia added. Meanwhile, Regalia made clear that “times aren´t really important at Imola, no doubts they are a secondary objective. After to say so, I hope everything goes well, and Team Ghinzani and I leave pleased with our conclusions and feedback there”. Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari is a 4,908 meters long circuit and which is placed in Emilia-Romagna and it is a classic motorsport venue. Imola hosted in the past important motorsport events, included Formula 1 races. After Imola, Italian Formula 3 will visit Spa-Francorchamps, Adria, Vallelunga, Mugello and Monza, where this year´s championship finishes in October. Fourth place for Regalia on Sunday Argentinean driver has finished fourth today at Misano, during second race of Italian Formula 3 championship at Misano, at the wheel of Team Ghinzani´s Dallara-FPT Racing. Facu Regalia has achieved today his best result to date in Italian Formula 3 championship, during second race of Misano meeting held on Sunday. Argentinean driver has concluded in fourth place at the wheel of Team Ghinzani´s Dallara FPT Racing, after he started from third place on the grid. Regalia had an interesting battle with Maxime Jousse and Sergio Campana, this last one who overtook him in the last lap of race and Italian prevented him from podium. Afterwards Regalia explained: “It´s really annoying I lost my first podium finish in Formula 3 during the last lap. My car suffered from understeer since fifth lap, and when Campana caught me, I hold him behind but finally he hit me and he could overtook me. We made a complaint but it didn´t work. Now we must improve our singleseater, to avoid its understeer and we will introduce new developments for next test sessions”. Next venue for Italian Formula 3 championship is scheduled on 17th July at Imola, a fast track which is suitable for Regalia´s driving style and where he can put into practice his learning like Formula 3 driver. Regalia finished 6th in race one at Misano Argentinean born driver concluded sixth in first race of Italian Formula 3 championship at Misano, which was held today and where Regalia improved his results. Facu Regalia has raced today his first race at Misano, during second meeting of Italian Formula 3 championship. Argentina´s driver, at the wheel of Team Ghinzani´s Dallara- FPT, was in good shape during free practice sessions on Friday, when he finished fifth and eight. In qualifying, just thirty minutes long, Regalia set a best time of 1:31.451 which put him in sixth place on the starting grid for race one on Saturday and third for race two on Sunday. “Using my first set of tires I was 4th, just three tenths off pace. When we put on my second set of tires, I have improved, but in my third lap I have found traffic on track, losing around two or three tenths as I could have set an 1:31.2. After that, I made a beginner failure, because I decelerated next lap and my tires lost temperature. I had just two attempts after that, and Jousse blocked me too, but I think it wasn´t a bad qualifying session at all”, Regalia explained. In today´s race, Regalia completed a good performance, as he finished sixth and he was one of the few drivers how set his fastest lap at the end. “I have done a good race. During first laps I was really close to Giovesi, but I couldn´t overtake him as Misano is hard to try it. My front tires suffered because of slipstream and my singleseater experienced understeer at the end. Tomorrow I start third on the grid, and I will try to gain places and I hope to fight for a podium finish”, Regalia added. Second race is scheduled tomorrow in the morning and 28 minutes 1 lap long. Facu Regalia wants to recover at Misano After a hard season start at Franciacorta, Team Ghinzani´s driver hopes to recover his good feeling during pre-season tests at the wheel of Dallara-FPT Racing. Facu Regalia is ready to approach second meeting of 2011 season in Italian Formula 3 championship, which is held at Misano next weekend. Regalia debuted one month ago at Franciacorta, where his results weren´t as good as expected, despite this track wasn´t suitable for Argentinean´s driving style. Regalia arrives to Misano to driver, again, Team Ghinzani´s Dallara-FPT Racing on a track where both Regalia and his team achieved good results in winter testing. “We aren´t worried before this second meeting. We look forward to get good results at Misano, and in my opinion our championships begins now. Misano is a really fast venue, and I think is more suitable for my driving style than Franciacorta. My engineer and I are working to solve different problems which we found here last week, but I am confident about how things are going”, Regalia explained. In addition, for Misano Regalia entered WinWay Intensive Driver Development Program, a coaching program for young drivers, which “I think it´s a good help for me. I am going to have a driver coach there, and it will be fantastic to work with him. I have to keep growing as driver”, Regalia added. Timetable for this meeting has scheduled two free practice sessions on Friday, while qualifying and first race are on Saturday. Second race is going to be on Sunday in the morning. Facu Regalia finished his works at Misano Argentinean driver concluded Italian Formula 3 collective trainings at Misano, despite his problems with a set of tires which prevented him to accumulate more laps. Facu Regalia finished yesterday Italian Formula 3 collective testing scheduled at Misano, at the wheel of Team Ghinzani´s Dallara-FPT Racing. Regalía lapped eighty-eight laps at Misano, where he accumulated an important mileage, but a set of tires prevented him from completing more laps, as Regalia explained: “It was a set of tires which we used at Fraciacorta during free practice session, and which was faulty and it explains why we suffered there. It did we had just a set of used tires, and two new ones, but we were saving these ones for the end”. Finally Regalia, driving his Dallara-FPT Racing, set a best time of 1:31.945 even when he found traffic which it was a good lap in the circumstances, “We had set-up problems in fast corners, where you can really improve your time. I couldn´t accelerate as soon as I would wish, as my car was suffering from oversteer but anyway I am confident to solve these issues”, Regalia explained at the end. Misano meeting has scheduled two races, both last around 30 minutes, on 4th-5th June. New test session for Regalia at Misano Important collective training for Argentinean-born driver and Team Ghinzani before to approach in a good shape second meeting of Italian Formula 3. Facu Regalia is already preparing second meeting of 2011 season for Italian Formula 3 championship, which is held on 5th June at Misano. For this, both Regalia and his team, Team Ghinzani, test on Thursday at Misano, a very fast track located in Rimini/Riccione and where they will continue developing their Dallara-FPT Racing. “After my hard experience during the first meeting at Franciacorta, where my team and I got frustrated, now it is the moment to approach in a good way Misano venue. Collective testing held this week at Misano is useful to test different developments which we introduced in my car. And I am confident, as we were fast here during pre-season testing sessions”, Regalia explained. “We must keep in mind both races there in June, and we will focus on getting a good set-up”, he added. Misano, a 4.180 meters long, is one of the fastest tracks in Italian Formula 3 schedule. Hard start for Regalia at Franciacorta A retirement in the first race, when he was beaten by a rival, and a 14th place in second one are the results for Argentinean-born driver in Italy.
Facu Regalia starts from 5th row Different problems with his second set of fresh tires in qualifying inhibited to achieve a better result in the starting grid. Facu Regalia hasn´t had an easy qualifying day at Franciacorta, the track where this weekend Italian Formula 3 has its first 2011 season meeting. The second free practice session in the morning didn´t work well either, as Team Ghinzani´s Dallara-FPT continued experiencing set-up issues. Regalia was able to score a 10th fastest time, but “weather conditions changed from yesterday. I continued experiencing understeer, and our set-up changes didn´t work as we thought”, explained Regalia. Qualifying session, at 15.00 and warmer temperatures, hasn´t provided better results. Regalia was 10th scoring a 1:05.215 and in spite of he was just six tenths slower than pole position time, he couldn´t improve a 5t row place. “We are studying and checking my car´s telemetry and we will try to understand what happened. It could to be a problem with my second set of fresh tires, the most important one, and which didn´t work perfectly. Now we need to improve my car as much as possible and then I will try to guarantee a good number of points for the championship”, Regalia added. Tomorrow´s races are scheduled at 10.00, the first one, while second is going to be start at 17.00 after a last minute change because of TV live broadcasting problems. Facu Regalia scores 6th fastest time on Friday First practice season for Italian Formula 3 celebrated today at Franciacorta, where Regalia was sixth driving Team Ghinzani´s Dallara-FPT Facu Regalia has begun today 2011 season, as Italian Formula 3 had scheduled its first practice season at Franciacorta. During this first contact, Regalia has achieved sixth fastest time at the wheel of Team Ghinzani´s Dallara-FPT and scoring a 1:05.911, just 133 milliseconds slower than Kevin Giovesi. “We aren´t worried. We had different set-up issues, suffering both understeer and oversteer. We didn´t use either our fresh tire set in correct moment, but I´m confident for tomorrow, because with different set-up changes I think we become competitive. Second free practice session in the morning is really important to approach qualifying session in a good way”, explained 19 years-old young-ace and the fastest among Team Ghinzani´s drivers, ahead of his team-mate Edoardo Liberati, a three years experienced Italian in Formula 3. Second free practice session is scheduled in the morning at 10.50, while qualifying session, which lasts 30 minutes, is going to be at 15.00. Facu Regalia ready to begin 2011 season Next weekend begins Italian Formula 3 at Franciacorta, Facu´s first season racing in Formula 3 and driving for Team Ghinzani. A positive pre-season does that Facu meets with much encouragement this first race. Argentinean-born driver Facu Regalia counts the hours until his official debut in Italian Formula 3, one of the championships in Europe with a bigger level of competitiveness in Europe, and where Regalia is going to drive a Team Ghinzani´s Dallara-FPT. After work in recent months to get used to driving in a Formula 3 car, now it is the moment to implement it in official racing. “I concluded my pre-season trainings really happy, both for the work done by the team as for mine. I gained confidence driving my Dallara-FPT, because I learnt new things at technical level. My results were good, always among the fastest drivers. Of course they were private trainings, and we don´t know what and how other teams were testing, but I got a good feeling”, explained 19 years-old driver. Autodromo di Franciacorta, a 2.519 meters long track in Castrezzato, is where Italian Formula 3 begins on 14-15 May. Franciacorta is a track where most of the teams accumulate an important feedback, because official trainings were held here in the last days of April. For this meeting, “we have to be focused and to continue in the same line. I look forward, I received tips from my team-manager, engineer and mechanics and which I am taking in account”, added Regalia. Schedule includes two free practice sessions, both 30 minutes long, before qualifying session which lasts 30 minutes too. Both races are scheduled on Sunday, at 10,00 and 14,00. Regalia, finally, reiterated his appreciation “for support coming from my parents, family, friends and sponsors, because I can keep progressing in motorsport. Without their support, it wouldn´t be possible”. Facu Regalia finished his pre-season Argentinean driver of Team Ghinzani completed Italian Formula 3 pre-season trainings at Franciacorta, Argentinean-born driver Facu Regalia concluded yesterday his 2011 pre-season, when he is doing his debut in Italian Formula 3, one of the most competitive single seaters championships in Europe. Regalia tested on Tuesday at Franciacorta circuit, located near Castrezzato. Regalia and his team developed a successful work, lapping eighty nine laps. “In the morning we made different set-up changes because it was important to know how the car behaved. In spite of my set-up was far from perfect, I got a good lap time with worn tires, finishing just two-tenths far from the fastest driver”, explained Regalia. During afternoon, team led by Piercarlo Ghinzani installed usual set-up and which such good results offered him in previous tests. However, “afternoon turned windy and it changed our schedule. I lost straight-line speed, and I couldn´t improve my time in the morning. Anyway, we leave Franciacorta very happy”, added Regalia. His yesterday best lap-time was 1:05.311, signed in morning session, while in the afternoon 1:05.683 was the reference. Italian Formula 3 championship stars in three weeks time at Franciacorta where, according Regalia, “I think that I will be strong enough. I completed a good pre-season, evolving as Formula 3 driver and I hope to have a good car because my aim is to become the best rookie”. Facu Regalia finishes first at Monza Argentinean driver has got the best time during Italian Formula 3 collective test-day celebrated today at Monza. Facu Regalia has completed another successful test-day during Italian Formula 3 pre-season, driving his Team Ghinzani´s Dallara-FPT. Nineteen years old driver achieved the fastest time on Thursday, leading by half a second to his teammate. Regalia, who on Tuesday also tested different evolutions in aerodinamic and set-up areas at Franciacorta, explained at the end of the day: “It was a positive journey for us. There were different reasons, one of them because I finished as the fastest on track but the second reason is that my teammate, Edoardo Liberati, was second. It shows both Team Ghinzani and me are in good shape for the start of the season”. Developments introduced by Piercarlo Ghinzani´s team in Regalia´s car were effective at Monza, “a track which I was discovering today driving a Formula 3 car, but I was comfortable. It´s a really fast circuit, the type I prefer because they are suitable for my driving-style. My time, 1:46.693, was really good taking into account track conditions and neither team nor I had expected it”. Pre-season continues next week, on Tuesday, when Regalia is facing first Italian Formula 3 official test-day. Facu Regalia in good shape at Misano In spite of he didn´t know Misano track, Team Ghinzani driver finished in second place during test day which was hosted in Rimini on Tuesday. Regalia completed an intensive working day where he developed a good set-up for his Formula 3. Facu Regalia completed on Tuesday a new test day with an eye in Formula 3 Italia 2011 season. At Misano, a track unknown for young Argentinean driver, Regalia overcame adversity to finish like the second fastest driver in the timesheet. He realized a really good work with his car set-up too. “Day went very well for me. Like I just imagined, track was suitable for my driving-style, and I learnt it quickly. After my second place, being there most of title contenders for 2011 season and gaining as much feedback as we got, it is to be really happy and leave very confident”, explained nineteen years-old driver. Also, Regalia added: “We have a very good rhythm for race with worn tires, and I have to say this test day was useful to understand how this kind of tire works. I didn´t get to exploit my second set of new tires, because track conditions changed, but I prefer to keep my positive feelings after Misano track”. Regalia takes another step forward as Formula 3 driver, and he continues his evolution. Facu Regalia has another good day Facu Regalia left Adria very pleased with Team Ghinzani’s Dallara FPT progression in another test day, ending the journey as the fastest on the track. The Spanish-Argentinean driver had this Thursday a long hard day of work, covering a big quantity of kilometres with the car that he will drive this year in the Formula 3 Italia Championship. The nineteen years old driver tried numerous set-up solutions and was happy with his car handling. “We tried to fine-tune the car in the best possible way for this circuit lay-out. We changed lots of things in the car during the day, I believe that I never worked so much during a test session before”, explained Facu Regalia. He was in this Italian circuit some weeks ago, but then the track was wet all day. Today “we put on the car new tyres and, with them, I could be less than a tenth faster than my team-mate, who has raced here before and is really fast. I analyzed the circuit with my engineer and I was able to improve my lines in some turns, something that was possible to see in the lap times”. Besides, Facu Regalia was able to show a strong pace in racing conditions. “I think we are giving the right steps to have a good set-up for the races, with consistent lap times on old tyres. We – me and the team – are doing a great job, something that leaves us very pleased”, concluded the Spanish-Argentinean youngster. In two weeks, Facu Regalia will be in another test, this time he will be at Misano, where he will continue this season preparations. Facu Regalia tests at Adria Facu Regalia will be next Thursday in another test session to prepare the Formula 3 Italia season, this time he will be at Adria with his team – Team Ghinzani. The Spanish-Argentinean has been having a good pre-season, evolving as a driver and developing the car through the right path and is aiming to keep the momentum at the Italian circuit based at Veneto. “I’m heading for the last four testing days before the start of the Formula 3 Italia championship. I’ll be at Adria, a circuit that I already know, but when I was there for the first time, a month ago, it rained a lot. I hope the weather may be better, so we can do everything we have scheduled”, said the nineteen years old driver. For this week test, Facu Regalia hopes “to continue in the path that he started some weeks ago in the tests. I want to improve my relationship with my engineer and with the team. I’m enjoying being part of Team Ghinzani and I’m sure that, together, we will give another step ahead”. Facu Regalia evolves at Mugello Facu Regalia proceeded this Wednesday the good pre-season that has been showing this winter. Today, at Mugello, he was the third fastest among the Formula 3 Italia contenders. The Spanish-Argentinean driver had another test session today, this time at the circuit owned by Ferrari, to prepare the next season, which he expects to be tough, because of the championship competitiveness, but for which he is getting more prepared every time he goes to the track at the wheel of the Dallara FPT from Team Ghinzani. Facu Regalia signed the third fastest time among the Formula 3 Italia drivers that were at Mugello. In the morning he stopped the watch in 1m40,864s and he improved his laptime at the afternoon, 1m39,557s. “We did a good work! I’m happy with the car handling and with the set-up that we are developing. The laptime that I did is good, but it was possible to do better. My best lap was done with my first set of tyres and I had to overtake another driver. With my second set of tyres I didn’t get a clear lap and I couldn’t improve my laptime”, explained the nineteen years old driver. Facu Regalia left Italia with a positive frame of mind: “We are progressing very well, and I’m getting more confident in the Formula 3 car, improving as a driver everyday, and I think that we are heading in the right way”, underlined the Spanish-Argentinean driver. Facu Regalia will return to testing next March 31st, this time at Adria. Facu Regalia tests again at Mugello Facu Regalia will be next Wednesday at Mugello for another test at the wheel of the Team Ghinzani Dallara FPT. The Spanish-Argentinean driver will have a day of hard work ahead, as his wants to arrive at the first Formula 3 Italia round well prepared. The nineteen years old youngster keeps working to be ready for the beginning of one of the top Formula 3 championships in Europe and will return with his squad to the demanding circuit owned by Ferrari at March 23rd. “Mugello is a circuit that excites me since I was there for the first time, last year. The team and I are going there with the will that we showed in the last tests. Everything went smoothly until now and I hope it may keep this way”, explained Facu Regalia. In the Italian circuit, according with young driver, “the goals are to keep adapting to the Dallara FPT handling and evolving my relationship with my engineer. Besides, we will have some new aerodynamic parts to try and we hope that they may allow us to improve and arrive to the season’s first weekend in good shape”. It is expected the main contenders of the Formula 3 Italia 2011 season presence at Mugello, a circuit that is more than five kilometers long. Facu Regalia was the fastest at Vallelunga Facu Regalia ended the test that numerous teams held at Vallelunga at the top of the time sheets, proceeding his good adaptation to Team Ghinzani’s Dallara FPT. The Spanish-Argentinean driver continued last Friday the 2011 season preparation, year in which he will take part in the Formula 3 Italia. The nineteen years old youngster was unable to test in the first day of the Imola session and it was decided to carry on his preseason at Vallelunga. The good results from Imola were confirmed this Friday and Facu Regalia reached the top of the timesheets. He left the second fastest, his teammate Edoardo Liberati, more than three tenths behind, in front of the main contenders to the 2011 Formula 3 Italia Championship. “I was at the top all day. Vallelunga is a circuit that I enjoy and where I find myself very comfortable”, said the Spanish Argentinean. Facu Regalia centred his attention, according to him in “the set-up and in the development of the car. We worked very well, the evolution that we showed during the day was very positive. We focused in the aerodynamic and we tried to understand the handling of the car with new and old tyres. I can say with confidence that I feel more comfortable in the car every time I get in it”. The Team Ghinzani driver will continue his preseason in two weeks, March 22nd and 23rd, at Mugello. Facu Regalia among the fastest Facu Regalia, though he is recovering from the food poisoning that he suffered yesterday, ended the morning as the second fastest and as third in the afternoon, showing a fast adaptation to the Team Ghinzani’s Dallara FPT and to the Imola circuit. The Spanish-Argentinean driver was in impressive form today, showing a strong pace against some GP2 drivers in a day in which he could, with his team, develop his car, reaching some good conclusions. “I was in much better shape than I and the team were expecting. The main goal was to adapt me to the circuit, which was unknown to me, but, after nineteen laps, I was third, some tenths behind the GP2 driver, Jules Bianchi, who had in his car a softer Kumho tyre compound”, explained with confidence the nineteen years old driver, who ended the morning session as the second fastest. Facu Regalia good day continued in the afternoon, when he could try some new solutions for the Formula 3 Italia next season. “We decided to do some aerodynamic work and brake evaluation, something that wasn’t originally planned, but was possible to do with my fast adaptation to the circuit. We weren’t able to take advantage from all new tyres that we had available, there was much track traffic and red flags, but we gathered some interesting information. With used tyres I was able to do some laptimes similar with what others did with new pneumatics, something that left me very pleased”, concluded the Spanish Argentinean youngster from Team Ghinzani with motivation, as he signed the third fastest lap of the afternoon. Facu Regalia and his team will return to action this week, again, with another test day, this time at Vallelunga. Facu Regalia tests at Imola Facu Regalia, after a first test in last week at Adria, will be at Imola next Tuesday and Wednesday, where he will proceed the preparation of the 2011 season, with thought of getting good results in the Formula 3 Italia in mind. The Spanish-Argentinean driver started his pre-season last week with a test at Adria, after signing with Team Ghinzani to take part in one of the most important Formula 3 championship in Europe, and will return to work next Tuesday. This time the nineteen years old driver will be at Autodromo Enzo y Dino Ferrari with his Dallara FPT, where he expects to keep evolving. “Though I just rested during the weekend, I’m exciting to continue my adaptation to the car that I’ll use this year in the Formula 3 Italia. I want to keep working with my engineer so we can know each other, to develop the car so we can be at the highest level in the first race”, said Facu Regalia. The Spanish-Argentinean driver will discover the historic Imola circuit, something that leaves him very thrilled. “According to what I was told, this is the hardest circuit in Italy for the driver and that will be even more amplified with thirty cars on track. Though, I’m looking forward to try it”, ended with motivation Facu Regalia. Facu Regalia evolves in a rainy day Facu Regalia has been today at Adria at the wheel of one of the Dallaras FPT from Team Ghinzani, but the rain prevented him from going to the circuit in the morning. Though, in the afternoon he and the his team were able to developed the car The Spanish-Argentinean driver started today the preparation of his 2011 season, but the rain was a firm presence along the day at the Adria circuit, after the snow at Imola forced the Team Ghinzani to reschedule the test that had planned for today in Circuito Enzo e Dino Ferrari. During the morning it was impossible to be in the track, and the nineteen years old driver did just one lap. “This weather was previewed, but he had the test already scheduled. The track was very difficult since the green flag and we just did one installation lap before lunch, because this was a new car and we wanted to know if everything was working correctly”, said Facu Regalia. In the afternoon, the Spanish-Argentinean youngster did plenty of mileage, always in a wet track, reaching some interesting results. “I never drove in such treacherous conditions, but we are very pleased, me and the team, with the development that we did and with the solution that we found. We tried some new aerodynamic parts with good results. Every time I went to the track, the lap-times improved, something that shows that we enhanced the handling of the car in the wet”, underlined Facu Regalia. After announcing his plans for the 2011 season, taking part this season in the Formula 3 Italia Championship, the Spanish-Argentinean driver would like to thank the “support I received from my parents, sponsors, family, the Team Ghinzani, friends and fans, who allowed me to proceed my career at the highest level”. Facu Regalia signs with Team Ghinzani Facu Regalia signed with Team Ghinzani and will take part in the Formula 3 Italia Championship in 2011. Tomorrow he will start the preparation of the new season with a test at Adria. This Italian championship it’s one of the most important single-seater series in Europe with strong fields and very competitive teams and it was chosen by the Spanish-Argentinean driver to proceed his racing career. The nineteen years old driver will debut in a Formula 3 championship and believes that the squad leaded by the former Formula 1 driver, Piercarlo Ghinzani, was his best option to be a competitive force in the 2011 season. “I’m very excited with this opportunity and to be able to work with Team Ghinzani. The tests that we did together went very well and I’m confident that the team will give me all the conditions to explore my potential. As always, I’ll give my best in every moment and I feel that we can achieve good results. We are looking forward to start working together”, said Facu Regalia. After months far from a racing car, Facu Regalia will return to action this Thursday. The Spanish-Argentinean youngster will be at Adria, for a test with the Team Ghinzani’s Dallara FPT. “I’m looking forward to be in the car again. I’ve been working hard in the last few weeks so I can tackle the new season in the best possible way”, said the nineteen years old driver. During the test he has as goal “to evolve the car, developing myself as a driver and starting to pick up the racing rhythm, after such a long period without driving”, underlined the Spanish-Argentinean driver. Facu Regalia leaves Franciacorta on the top Facu Regalia was on top form at Franciacorta and at the wheel of a Team Ghinzani’s Dallara F309 FPT he ended the day just a tenths shy of the Italian circuit record, though the track temperatures were very low. Facu Regalia keeps evolving in Campionato Italiano Formula 3 and impressed again the Italian team in a difficult circuit that was unknown for him. The Spanish-Argentinean driver showed a strong pace during all day, something that pleased himself and Team Ghinzani. “I was just one tenth off Daniel Mancinelli record, but he achieved his time in May, with a good track temperature, and today, sometimes, there was just -2ºC, which prevents the tyres of reaching their optimum temperature range. Besides, there were cars from inferior categories and was hard to find a clean lap”, said the nineteen years old driver, who added: “with used tires I was just half second slower than Mancinelli, who was the Team Ghinzani’s best driver in this year championship”. The Italian outfit way of work impressed Facu Regalia, who tried different set-ups. “The team was fantastic. We experimented numerous solutions for the Dallara and I felt very comfortable with the car. I’m very happy with the work that we made and I think that the team also, because they congratulate me in the end of the day”, said the Spanish-Argentinean driver. Facu Regalia expects to confirm his 2011 program as soon as possible, but, now, he will take a break to celebrate Christmas. Facu Regalia tests with Ghinzani at Franciacorta Facu Regalia will test again with Team Ghinzani, one of the best teams of Campionato Italiano Formula 3, team with which he tested at Vallelunga some weeks ago. This Tuesday he expects to try the Dallara F309-FPT from Piercarlo Ghinzani in a dry track, at Franciacorta. The Spanish-Argentinean driver keeps preparing the 2011 season and will do a test day with Team Ghinzani to know the Italian team better. “This is my last test of the year, I’m looking forward to it, and after it I’ll go back to Argentina. Though I don’t know the circuit, I think that I can develop a good work with the team, although the track temperatures won’t be at their best, and I’ll try to replicate the lap-times that were achieved there in other Formula 3 test sessions”, said the youngster, who was the second fastest when he tested for the first time with Piercarlo Ghinzani’s team. “This test is very important, because it will help me to choose with whom I’ll race next season. I think that we will have the possibility to test with a dry track, and the team wants to see if I’m as fast in the dry as I was in the wet, at Vallelunga”, underlined Facu Regalia before the test. “I enjoyed very much how Team Ghinzani worked, so I hope that everything goes smoothly in this test. It will be my fourth Formula 3 test and I’m enjoying more and more this type of cars”, concluded with optimism the Spanish-Argentinean driver, who is working hard to define his sporting program for next season. Facu Regalia shines at Vallelunga Facu Regalia impressed again in Italy and, in his debut at the wheel of one of the Team Ghinzani’s car, he was the fastest in three of the four sessions held at Vallelunga this Tuesday. The Spanish-Argentinean kept his progression as a driver and, though the rain was a factor along the day – a new thing for him in a Formula 3 car – he showed his potential and ended the day as the second fastest and the best among the rookies. “I was the fastest in three of the four sessions and, when the track was wettest, I was one second clear of the field. If you consider that I never drove a Formula 3 in these conditions, I think it is a good result”, explained the nineteen years old driver. The track conditions caught many drivers, something that prevented him from getting the top spot at the end of the day. “In the last session, when the track was less wetter, when I was in my best lap of the day the red flag was shown, one of the thirty plus of the day, something that didn’t allow me to reach the first place”, said Facu Regalia. The Spanish-Argentinean youngster was the fastest among the Team Ghinzani at Vallelunga and he enjoyed working with Italian team. “I worked very well with the Team Ghinzani. We evolved in the right direction and we improved the set-up and my experience with Prema was very important to achieve today’s good results”, concluded Facu Regalia. Facu Reglia tests again in Italy Facu Regalia will test this Tuesday in another Formula 3 Italia test, this time he will be at the wheel of a Team Ghinzani car, one of the best teams in the Italian championship. After a contact with the GP3 Dallara Renault at Jerez de la Frontera, in which he surprised the people from Status GP and from Addax Team with his fast adaptation to the car, he will return to Formula 3 Italia for another test. The Spanish-Argentinean driver, this time, will be at Vallelunga with the Piercarlo Ghinzani’s team, a former Formula 1 driver. “I’m looking forward to sit in the car, after one month far from a singleseater. It will be my third day in a Formula 3 car, after the tests that I made with Prema at Mugello and at Vallelunga, so I’ve more experience, something that will allow me to work in the right direction. One of the goals for this test is to understand the relationship that I’ll have with the team”, said Facu Regalia, who added: “After the good tests with Prema, some of the best teams of Formula 3 Italia are interested in me, and I want to be between the fastest again and keep evolving as a driver”. In the last few weeks Facu Regalia, who has been away from the circuits, have been working hard “at Argentina so I can get the necessary support that may permit me to keep competing at the highest level in 2011”, concluded the Spanish-Argentinean driver. Regalia reaches the GP3’s top-ten In his third day at the wheel of a GP3 car, Facu Regalia reached the top-ten at the Circuito de Jerez de la Frontera, ending in a high his first contact with this competitive European series. The Spanish-Argentinean showed today his true potential, climbing to the tenth place of the timesheets with a single seater from Status Grand Prix in his hands. Though, his day didn’t start in the best way, as a mechanical problem in his car made it nervous under braking. “We were convinced that something wasn’t working properly in the car. But after discussing it with the team, we made some changes that improved its behaviour”, said Facu Regalia, who saved a set of fresh rubber for the afternoon. In this session, the eighteen years old driver showed his potential and the information that he gathered in the previous days, putting himself among the drivers that are references in the series. “I believe I could be much faster. I was really fast with the first set of tyres, but with the second I couldn’t take full advantage of it, though we had improve the car’s set-up. I found slow cars in my first flying lap and, in the second, I improved my first two sectors, but the red flag was shown when I was in the third sector and I had to go to the pits”, underlined the Spanish-Argentinean. After three days of good work which helped him to evolve as a driver, Facu Regalia leaves Jerez de la Frontera “very pleased. I think that I worked very well with Addax Team and with Status Grand Prix. The GP3 car is very different from the Formula 3, because of the turbo and of the brakes, but I enjoy both of them”, concluded the Spanish-Argentinean youngster. Facu Regalia improves in GP3 In his second day with a GP3 car, again with the Addax Team, Facu Regalia ended the day alongside drivers who were much more experienced in the series. Tomorrow he will have a new opportunity, this time with Status Grand Prix. The Spanish-Argentinean driver had a very profitable day, this Thursday, at Jerez de la Frontera. The youngster, who tried this Wednesday for the time the GP3 car, didn’t have any technical gremlin in the second day, which allowed him to make use of the six hours of track time. With the experience gathered in the first day, Facu Regalia was in the track since the first moment, but the Addax Team single seater had a nervous and erratic handling. “We worked hard in the set-up, because in the morning the car was understeering. Nevertheless, I began to understand the car and we made some changes in it that were maintained in the afternoon”, said the Spanish-Argentinean confident in his evolution. In the afternoon Facu Regalia showed his true pace, reaching, at some point, the eight place of the timesheets. However, he would end in the fourteenth place, between thirty drivers, loosing just two tenths for the seventh fastest lap. “It was an enjoyable afternoon, because everything went very smoothly. I believe I could be faster, because I did my best lap with old tyres, but I was still learning about the Pirelli rubber. Besides, I made some mistakes in my flying lap, but I’m very happy with the team and with how everything went during this two days”, underlined the Spanish-Argentinean driver at the end of the day. In the last day of the GP3 test at Jerez de la Frontera. Facu Regalia will test with Status Grand Prix. Mechanical problems delay Facu Regalia Facu Regalia debuted this Wednesday in the GP3, at Jerez de la Frontera, but some problems with the fuel pump of his car prevented him to be in the track with consistency in the afternoon. The Spanish-Argentinean driver was at the wheel of a Addax Team single-seater, starting to acquaint himself with the Dallara GP3/10, the circuit and the Pirelli tyres. “The goal was to get confidence in the car and in the track. I started the session with old tyres, but, unfortunately, when we put new tyres the track was hotter and we couldn’t take advantage from the fresh rubber”, explained the eighteen years old driver. After lunch, Facu Regalia’s car suffered a mechanical gremlin which left him almost an hour and a half in the pits. “The fuel pump gave up after half an hour in the afternoon. When I returned to the track, I couldn’t complete many laps. Besides, I had some problems with the brakes since the morning, something that the team will fix for tomorrow”, said Facu Regalia at the end of the day. At Thursday the Spanish-Argentinean driver will continue with Addax Team, a day in which “I think I can do a good work with the team. Besides, as I didn’t do many laps in this afternoon, I’ll have two sets of new tyres for tomorrow, something that will give me the chance to be among the fastest.” Facu Regalia will debut in GP3 at Jerez The Spanish-Argentinean driver will have a very important test this week, as he will debut at Jerez de la Frontera in the competitive GP3 series. Facu Regalia will be on track Wednesday, Thursday and Friday with two of the best teams of the category: Addax Team and Status Grand Prix. After his good debut in the Formula 3 Italia, at September, the nineteen years old driver will try now the GP3 car for the first time. The series managed by Bruno Michel – who runs GP2, also – will have a three days test at Jerez de la Frontera where the teams will evaluate their drivers options for next season. “I’ll test with some of the best teams of the series, as are Addax Team, with whom I’ll test in the first two days, and Status Grand Prix, in the third. This presents a new opportunity for me, at the highest level, after some weeks without being at the wheel of a formula car”, said Facu Regalia. After making a good impact in the Prema Junior with a Formula 3, showing a pace very similar with the team regular drivers, now “I want to know where I am relative to the GP3 grid, though it is a very competitive series. A GP3 car is faster than a Formula 3 and it will be the first time will be in a single-seater with paddle-shifts in the steering wheel. Besides, I don’t know the Jerez lay-out”. The Dallara GP3/10 has a turbo engine developed by Renault, with 280hp, semi-automatic Hewland gearbox and Pirelli tyres. “I prepared myself well and I don’t feel any pressure, because we haven’t decided my 2011 program, yet. So I want to do my best and evolve day by day”, concludes Facu Regalia. Promising test for Facu Regalia at Mugello Facu Regalia showed his potential again in the Formula 3 Italia field and ended today’s test at Mugello as the ninth fastest, signing the best lap among the rookies, repeating his performance from Vallelunga. The Spanish-Argentinean driver was today, for the second time, testing with Prema Junior and was very pleased with the way the day evolved, after completing eighty-one laps in the Italian circuit. Facu Regalia was, after four sessions, the ninth fastest overall and the best rookie. “It’s a good result but I think that I could improve it. Mugello is a spectacular circuit, better than I was told, and it’s amazing for the eyes. However, for the drivers that didn’t know its layout, it’s a difficult circuit to learn at the beginning”, said the eighteen years old driver. In the second session, which was held in the morning, Facu Regalia was in the fourth position on the screens, faster than his experienced teammate. But “we made some modifications in the set-up, so we could improve the car, but they didn’t work well. With the last set of tyres the car was understeering badly and just in a corner I was losing half a second”. The Spanish-Argentinean youngster ended, adding: “besides, my best lap wasn’t perfect, I think I could improve it half a second, so I could be closer to my teammate, Edoardo Liberati, who was the fastest of the day”. After another good day in the office, Facu Regalia leaves Italy better prepared for the future and to decide what to do next season. Facu Regalia has another chance with Prema  Facu Regalia will test a Formula 3 again this week with one of the most competitive teams of the series: Prema Junior. The Spanish-Argentinean driver will be this Wednesday at Mugello for another Formula 3 Italia official test. The eighteen years old driver has already tested with the Italian team, at Vallelunga, and made a good impression in Prema Junior, who invited him for another test with one of its Dallara F308 FPT Racing. “For me, it’s another opportunity to drive a Formula 3. I’m looking forward to be at its wheel, as in my test at Vallelunga I was very comfortable with the car and with the way the team worked”, said Facu Regalia. This time, “I don’t know circuit – Mugello. I was told that it has a very fast layout and very attractive. But I hope to be as fast as I was at Vallelunga, in my first test with Prema Junior”. Situated near Florence, Mugello has 5,245km and was built in 1973. In this test, Facu Regalia wants “to end the day in a good position of the timesheets. I want to improve at each run and work in the set-up, putting the car accordingly with my drive style. I will have loads of references as all series teams will be at the track”. Though he is inexperienced in this kind of single-seaters, the Spanish-Argentinean driver has already shown that he capable of signing similar times to Andrea Caldarelli e Edoardo Liberati, the Prema Junior regular drivers in the Formula 3 Italia. Good debut for Facu Regalia at Vallelunga Facu Regalia had a very good debut in the Formula 3 Italia with Team Prema Junior this Thursday, ending the day in the seventh position of the timesheets, something that impressed the Italian outfit. The Spanish-Argentinean driver was in great shape in his first contact with the Italian series and with the Dallara F308 FPT Racing and was inside the top-three for most of the day. “In the morning I was third, half a second from my teammate, who knows these kind of cars much better. I used very well the first set of new tyres, but I think I could do better with the third one”, explain Facu Regalia who was very pleased, adding: “before the third set of tyres my engineer made some changes in the set-up in the car, which weren’t in the right direction. However, I’m happy with the result, because I was seventh among twenty-six drivers and during the day we kept improving”. The eighteen years old driver remarked: “The team saluted me. They didn’t think I could go so well in my first contact with the car and just half a second from my more experienced teammate, something that I think it shows my potential”. The next few weeks will be very interesting, as Facu Regalia will evaluate different options for the 2011 season. Facu Regalia will try F3 Italia with Prema Facu Regalia will drive a Dallara F308 FPT Racing from Prema Powerteam in the Formula 3 Italia tests that will be held this Thursday at Vallelunga. Just some days after he ended the 2010 Formula BMW Europe season, the Spanish-Argentinean youngster returns to action this Thursday with a test to evaluate his future after an invitation from prestigious Italian team. After some hard races in the end of the Formula BMW Europe season, Facu Regalia is looking forward to this Thursday Formula 3 Italia test. “I’m very happy to be invited for this test. After all the problems in the latest part of the season this test will put my mind in the next year”, said the eighteen years old driver. “Prema Powerteam is one of the three best teams of the series and they are interested in me. Luckily, Vallelunga is a circuit that I already know, so I won’t lose time learning it. My goal is to improve gradually along the day and learn as much as possible so I can be in a good position in the time sheets”, said the enthusiastic Facu Regalia. The Formula 3 Italia is one of the most important European series of the category with a great history with names as Vittorio Brambilla, Ricardo Patrese, Elio de Angelis, Nicola Larini or Giancarlo Fisichella in its record. Facu Regalia ends season in 7th Facu Regalia reached the fifth position at a point in this weekend last race, but an opponent touched him, which send him to seventh at the end of the race. The Spanish-Argentinean driver started very well, even though, when he arrived to the first chicane, he calmed down little to avoid any contact with his opponents. “I reacted very well to the lights, but the first chicane was a bit cramped and I slowed down a bit to prevent any incident. Then I started to recover positions reaching the leader group with the podium positions just ahead”, said the eighteen years old driver. However, the others drivers’ aggressivity would touch the Eifelland Racing driver again – this time it was Javier Taracon the protagonist. When Facu Regalia was on the Carlos Sainz jr. tow, two laps from the end, Javier Tarancon tried to overtake him at Ascari on the outside, something which is almost impossible to do. There was contact between both drivers, something that cost time to the Spanish-Argentinean, who saw the chequered flag in the seventh place. “Sainz braked too soon and I realized that Tarancon was attacking me on the outside. We made contact but, at least, I didn’t lose too much time. Though, I lost the first group and I ended seventh”, said disappointed Facu Regalia. A rival ends Facu Regalia’s race Facu Regalia didn’t complete any lap in the first Formula BMW Europe race of the Monza weekend, after an opponent put him out in the first chicane just after the start. The eighteen years old driver started very well from tenth and arrived in the seventh position to the first chicane, on Frinjs back, who would win the race, but Suvanto forgot to brake and hit the Spanish-Argentinean driver, who had to retired. “I started very well and won some good places. I was seventh, just behind Frinjs, who I was trying to overtaking under braking, but Suvanto just missed the braking point”, said Regalia disappointed. After the race the Eifelland Racing driver was really unhappy “because the driver that was in front of me before I retired, won the race. I think that ending in the podium today was a strong possibility. However, when there is no luck there is no luck and that was what happened with me today. Tomorrow I’ll end the season and I hope to do it in the best possible way”. Regalia gets the top-10 Facu Regalia had, again, problems in his car this Friday and will start tomorrow’s Formula BMW Europe race at Monza from the 10th place of the grid. The Spanish-Argentinean driver had another hard day with some problems in his car that prevented him from showing his true pace. He had high expectations for the Italian weekend but, disappointment was all he got through the day. “The car was vibrating a lot. The team put on the car my second Spa-Francorchamps race tires without acknowledge it, the ones when I damaged the wing. They were graining and it was hard to drive in those conditions. I almost went out of track and I had to get in the pits”, said the eighteen years old who, when stopped, discovered that his tires were very worn out. To keep a set up of tires for the qualifying, the Eifelland Racing driver, didn’t leave the pits again, as he explained, “I had to stay out of track, so I lost valuable track time”. The situation didn’t improve at the qualifying and, though Facu Regalia took good use of the slipstreams – something very important to get good times at Monza – he couldn’t get a better time than the tenth, position where he will start tomorrow and twelfth for the second. “My engineer made some changes in the set-up, but the car didn’t improve, on the contrary. The car was understeering a lot, mainly in the fast corners. When we analyzed the telemetry nobody could understand it. Besides, the brakes were a problem, also, so it’s understandable why I was so slow”, said the Spanish-Argentinean driver. Tomorrow’s race will start at 9h45 (CET) and will have twelve laps. Regalia ends season at Monza Facu Regalia will take part in the last round of the Formula BMW Europe season next weekend at Monza, where he wants to get the results to end the year on a high. The Italian circuit is one of the Spanish-Argentinean favourites and where in the last few years he got some good results, mainly in the qualifying. For this season weekend at Monza, “I feel very well prepared, as always, at the physical and psychological levels. It’s the last round of the year and I want to achieve some good results. My goal is to show that I’m a fast driver, something that some problems in the last few races prevented me to do”. At Monza the Eifelland Racing driver will be supported by his usual engineer, who have been absent in the last weeks. “I hope to be luckier, I’m looking forward to Monza, but I hope to have some luck, which is necessary to be successful”, explained the eighteen years old driver. The final weekend’s timetable will be the normal one for Grands Prix with free practice from 08.50 to 09.15 on Friday, and qualifying a short while later from 12.50 to 13.15. Then the first of the two 12 lap races on the 5.793 kilometer track, will be at 09.45 on Saturday and the second on Sunday at 08.30. All these times are CET. Regalia knocked by a rival (another) As it happened Saturday, Facu Regalia saw his today’s possibilities knocked out by another driver, in this case Petri Suvanto, who hit him from behind at the fourth lap, which prevented him to do better than the twelfth position in the second Formula BMW Europe race of Spa-Francorchamps round. The Argentinean-Spanish driver kept his bad luck stream of the last races and today the problem came from behind, damaging the rear of his car, something that didn’t allow him to finish better than twelfth. He started very well in the dry track from the sixth line of the grid, but he couldn’t do anything against his bad luck. “I reacted very well to the lights. I decided to go on the outside of the first corner so I could make up some positions, but I was blocked and I had to brake a little earlier than I expected”, explain the Eifelland Racing youngster. In the beginning of the race he was fighting with some drivers ahead and he made some good overtaking manoeuvres, until the fatidic moment of the fourth lap. Petri Suvanto, who was behind Facu Regalia, forgot to brake, taking with him the Spanish-Argentinean driver, who spun. Beside lost time, his car had some damage that prevented him to keep racing at the pace that he showed before. “When I looked in the mirrors I saw Suvanto very far away. But he must have forgotten to brake, because he hit me hard on the back. I spun and lost lot of time and the rear wing was damage, so I couldn’t do anything in the five remaining laps”, said disappointed the young driver. After today’s disillusionment, Facu Regalia is already looking forward to Monza, where he expects “to be luckier than in the last few races”. Rival ends Facu Regalia’s fantastic recovering Facu Regalia, in today’s race, did an amazing first lap, crossing the line in the fifth position after starting from eleventh, but Jack Harvey sent him out of track and ended a race that could have such a sweet flavour for him. The Spanish-Argentinean was fantastic in the start of the first Formula BMW Europe race of Spa-Francorchamps program, with a fantastic reaction to the lights and some good overtaking manoeuvres, which were stopped by an incident with the English driver. After the problems that he felt yesterday in the qualifying, that sent him to the eleventh place of the grid, he made an almost perfect start this morning. According to the driver, “it was my best start ever. I was seventh at the end of the long straight and I overtook Robin Frinjs and Marc Coleselli before the Safety-Car came in”. The perspectives were good, but the lady luck would turn her back on him again. The English driver, the championship leader, defended his position in a very aggressive way as soon as the Safety-Car headed to pits, and Facu Regalia ended in the wall. “I came out of the first corner very well and I was on his tail at Eau Rouge, but when I was trying to overtake him on his right he closed me and when I tried to overtake him on the left he did the same, after I tried my chance on his right again we touched and went off track and on the wet grass it was impossible to avoid the wall”, said the eighteen years old driver. Facu Regalia was really unhappy with the outcome of today’s race, as he had in his reach a really good result. “I knew at the beginning that this race could be good for me. I feel more comfortable in this kind of track – damped – than when the track is completely wet. With the laps still to complete, I think that I could end in the podium or even maybe win the race. Frinjs, who I had just overtaken, finished second, that’s why I’m so disappointed with the Harvey manoeuvre”, concluded Facu Regalia, who will have tomorrow another opportunity to shine. Rain affects Facu Regalia’s performance The torrential rain at Spa-Francorchamps prevented Facu Regalia from showing his true potential. However he intends to overcome a bad qualifying and achieve some good results in this weekend races. His bad luck in the last few races of the Formula BMW Europe championship continued today as he achieved the eleventh and the twelfth positions for the races of the Belgian Grand Prix program. The things started to go wrong in the practice as the Spanish–Argentinean driver was out of the to-ten, but, nevertheless, he was still optimistic. “We were with new brake pads and the others were already in used ones. The track was very wet and kept raining. All drivers made their lap times in the beginning of the session when I couldn’t push. However, the feeling is good”, said the Eifelland Racing driver. However, the optimism would be transformed in pessimism, with the rain, again, affecting the qualifying. With some problems ahead, Facu Regalia was prevented from following the fastest drivers. “It’s hard to understand. The track looked like a swimming pool, with lot of standing water, but I can’t understand the qualifying results. I was fourth at the beginning, but the others improved their times, something that I wasn’t able to do” said the eighteen years old driver. Without wanting to excuse himself, he said “we have to improve a lot, the team and myself, if we want to achieve any result this weekend. We have to study the telemetry so we can see where are the problems that I felt, because I thought that I was being fast but, as we can clearly see, I wasn’t. We are missing performance to achieve a good result”. The first of the weekend races will be held tomorrow, which will have nine laps, and will start at 9h45, local time. Regalia wants to return to the good results at Spa Facu Regalia wants to be back to the top places at Spa-Francorchamps in the next weekend and start a good stream of results in the last part of the Formula BMW Europe season. The Belgian weekend, the second before the end of the championship, it’s held at one of the most exciting circuits of the world, which has fantastic corners as the Bus Stop, La Source, Blanchimont and, mainly, Eau Rouge and Raidillon. To this racing weekend the Spanish-Argentinean driver has as goal “return to the level that I showed in the first races of the season. The Hockenheim and the Hungaroring races didn’t end as I expected. At Spa-Francorchamps I want to achieve good results, but we have to be careful because there weren’t any official test in the winter and we couldn’t test as we liked”. Last season Facu Regalia ended both Spa-Francorchamps races in seventh, but this year and “without any chance of winning the championship, I’ll race without any pressure. I don’t have a particular and simple goal I just want to give my best, but to be in a good level we have to have a good car”. In the championship the eighteen years old driver is fifth and is the best of his team. The timetable is the usual one for Grands Prix with free practice from 08.50 to 09.15 on Friday, and qualifying a short while later from 12.50 to 13.15. Then the first of the two eight lap races on the 7.004 kilometre track, which is the longest track the series visits, will be at 09.45 on Saturday and the second on Sunday at 08.30. All these times are CET. Regalia wants to recover at Hungaroring Facu Regalia, after a hard weekend at Hockenheim, wants to return to the good results at Budapest, where he wants to have a good qualifying next Friday so we can be able to fight for the top positions on the races. The Spanish-Argentinean driver will face a tough weekend, as he is expecting very hot races, though he is confident that he can show his true pace in a circuit that he enjoys. “Budapest is a track where I always excel. I adapt to it easily, as it’s possible to see in the last years’ results, even in my rookie season in the Formula BMW Europe. Besides, in this year winter tests here, we were in good shape”, said the eighteen years old driver, who wants to look ahead after the bad luck from Hockenheim. “Luckily, this event comes just one week after the German round. We thought that we could get some good results there, but everything turned very hard since we hit the track. However, I’ve already forgot it and now I’m looking forward to be in the car and give my best”, underlined Regalia. In his opinion, “the qualifying will be very important. It’s always important to be in the front of the grid in a circuit as Hungaroring. So I don’t put myself a goal for the races, I want to do my best and that’s it. I want to look to each race and do my best in which one of them”, ended the Eifelland Racing driver. The timetable is the usual one for Grands Prix with free practice from 08.50 to 09.15 on Friday, and qualifying a short while later from 12.50 to 13.15. Then the first of the two 13 lap races on the 4.381 kilometre track, which is the shortest current Grand Prix track the series visits, will be at 09.45 on Saturday and the second on Sunday at 08.30. All these times are CET. Regalia – Great race but no reward Facu Regalia was one of the highlights of today’s Formula BMW Europe race at Hockenheim, with good overtaking manoeuvres, but when he was knocking on the podium’s door an opponent touched him and he spun to the ninth place. The Spanish-Argentinean driver has done today one of his best races to date, though he finished just ninth. The overtakings that he made, made him one of the drivers to watch in today’s race and led him to the fifth position with the podium in his sights. “I started very well and I overtook Marc Coleselli and Carlos Sainz Jr. I kept recovering places and, later, I gained positions to Javier Taracon, Come Ledogar and George Katsinis and I still had many laps ahead”, said Facu Regalia after the Hockenheim’s second race. When he was fifth, the eighteen years old driver, in the clean air, started a string of fast laps, reaching the drivers that were fourth and third. “I was on the Daniil Kvyat’s back and I put myself on his outside so I could overtake in the baking zone, something that I completed. However, he open his line and touched me, sending me to a spin which cost me five positions. I saw the chequered flag in the ninth position, but I’m pleased with my pace, though the car was understeering a bit too much”, explained Facu Regalia after a hard weekend. First retirement for Facu Regalia Facu Regalia retired during the first race of the Hockenheim Formula BMW Europe weekend. After starting from the back of the grid he saw his recovering ending tears with a collision with Sainz Jr. The Spanish-Argentinean driver didn’t have any luck in today’s race. He started from the thirteenth position of the grid, after a hard qualifying yesterday. The weather inconsistence prevented him of showing is true potential and he had to start from the seventh row. Today, in a damp but drying track, he reacted very well to the lights and after the first lap he was already eleventh. “I started very well, one of my best starts this season, but the track was very difficult, as we were on slick tyres, but the circuit still had wet places. I started to get more confidence as the race progressed and overtook George Katsinis and Petri Suvanto, and from the fourth lap onward I was faster than the drivers in front of me” said the eighteen years old driver. Facu Regalia was on the back of Carlos Sainz Jr and he was looking for a good way of getting another place. The Eifelland Racing driver dived on the inside of his opponent, but the driver from Madrid slammed the door. “I was on the inside, when he closed the door. It was a gentle collision, but enough to damage my car’s direction and to send me to the retirement in the sixth lap. This is racing, at least I can say I gave my best and I was recovering some places”, said the youngster after his short race. The second race of the weekend will start tomorrow at 8h30m, and it will have thirteen laps. Facu Regalia wants to recover at Hockenheim  Facu Regalia is in the fourth place of the Formula BMW Europe championship, but he is confident that he can recover in the four circuits left, where he hopes to be in podium in regular bases. The Spanish-Argentinean youngster will be at Hockenheim this weekend, for the fifth event of the season, and he has high aspirations for the German races. The circuit placed near Baden-Württemberg is one of Facu Regalia favourites and he intends to fight for the podium places next weekend. “Hockenheim is a very interesting circuit and one of my favourites. In the tests we were among the fastest and we think we can keep this kind of performance. The track is very wide, something that will favour the overtaking moves. Though, we have to do a good qualifying”, said the Eifelland Racing driver. The weather can have a strong part in the weekend outcome, as it’s expected rain at Friday and at Sunday. Something that the eighteen years old driver has in mind: “at Hockenheim we might have a strange weather, because we can have very hot sunny days or strong rains. We don’t know what will happen, but I would like to have dry track during the weekend, because it’s a good circuit for us and it would be important nothing changes our possibilities”. Besides, Facu Regalia will have a visit from Argentina, his grand-father, who will be at Germany and at Hungary, something that will be “a dream come true and a very strong support”. After Silverstone, the Formula BMW Europe returns to its usual schedule at Hockenheim, with the practice and the qualifying at Friday and one race at Saturday (9.45) and another at Sunday (8.30). Facu Regalia with the podium just ahead Facu Regalia ended the second Formula BMW Europe race of the British Grand Prix program in the fourth place just outside of the podium. In a hard weekend he scored some good points for the championship. The Spanish-Argentinean driver started from the fourth position of the grid and, with a good reaction to the lights, he kept his place and Timmy Hansen behind him. “I started well and I could hold Hansen. In the first lap I tried to overtake Jack Harvey, who was third, but he defended himself well”, said the Eifelland Racing driver. However, after two laps, Facu Regalia understood that he didn’t have the pace to follow the drivers in front. “The three guys in front had a very strong pace. I gave my best, but it was impossible to achieve more than this. We made some changes in the car before the race to try to fix its handling, but they weren’t enough”, explain the eighteen years old driver. After eleven laps, Facu Regalia saw the chequered flag in the fourth position and was the best of the Eifelland Racing drivers, adding some more points to his championship tally. In the standings he is on the fourth, but he is confident in the future. “Our championship starts now. We reached the first half of the season and we just ended the event that we knew it would be our worst – Silverstone – and ahead of us we have some circuits where we can be strong, as Hockenheim and Hungaroring”, underlined with confidence and hope Facu Regalia. The next event will be held at Hockenheim in two weeks. Facu Regalia keeps the podium in his sights Facu Regalia achieved two fourth places for the grids of the Formula BMW Europe races that will be held this weekend at Silverstone. The young Spanish-Argentinean driver arrived at Silverstone with the podium in his sights and he showed since the practice the he has the pace to fight for it. He was the fourth fastest in the morning, though he wasn’t completely pleased with the way everything went. “We are not happy, because though we were fourth we were eight tenths slower than the fastest. We don’t know in which conditions our competitors were, but we were on track with thirty laps old tires”, said the eighteen years old driver. In the qualifying Facu Regalia was, again, one of the references on the track and, with surface cleaner and grippier, grabbed the fourth place in the grid for both races, as we was the fastest among the Eifelland Racing drivers. Even if this was a good result, the youngster wasn’t entirely happy with it. “This is a good result, two fourth places, but, without a mistake that I did, I would achieve a better place. When I was with my second set of tyres I did a mistake in the first sector and I lost that lap and the chances of improving my time lap”, explain Facu Regalia, who was one of the small group of drivers who wasn’t being investigate by the stewards for cutting corners to improve their time laps. The first race of the weekend will start tomorrow morning and it will have eleven laps. Facu Regalia wants the podium at Silverstone Facu Regalia will be at Silverstone next weekend where he will take part in another round of the Formula BMW Europe. The Eifelland Racing driver, who is fourth in the drivers’ standings, wants to be back on the podium. The Spanish-Argentinean will face a new circuit, as the Silverstone circuit went through a major rebuild, but he and all the drivers competing in the BMW championship have already made a test in the new British track and he wasn’t impressed. “During the April test I saw the changes made to the track. I don’t like it more or less, it’s just different. But the races will be something new to all drivers”, said the eighteen years old driver. Facu Regalia is on the fourth position of the Championship standings, five points from the third place driver. To prepare this round “I have been in contact with my team, so we can decide the best way of tackle the Silverstone’s weekend, and we have to improve the set-up that we used at Valencia”. The Spanish-Argentinean youngster is looking forward to the next weekend and is looking for the podium. “I’m fourth in the championship and my goals are to achieve the podium in both races, but it will be very important to do a good qualifying”, ended the Eifelland Racing driver. The qualifying is scheduled for the next Friday and the races will be held Saturday and Sunday, one in each day. Regalia achieves the podium at Zandvoort  Facu Regalia achieved today at Zandvoort his first podium in the Formula BMW Europe, after a fantastic performance. In the afternoon’s race, held under rain, the Eifelland driver saw the chequered flag in the seventh place. The eighteen years old driver hard work paid dividends at the Dutch circuit, which has one of the most demanding lay-out in the world, where he showed a strong pace without errors that led him to the second place. Facu Regalia, who started from the third place of the grid, fend off the manoeuvres from his opponents in the first moments of the race and crossed the finish line for the first time in that position. After the two safety car periods, the Eifelland Racing driver reached the second place, with a good move on the championship leader. “I’m very happy! In the start I could defend myself from my rivals and in the second part of the race I started to attack, as my car started behave in a better way”, said the Spanish-Argentinean driver that, with this result, puts himself in the fight for the top championship places. The second race, scheduled for the afternoon, was held under consistent rain that started just five minutes from the start. The track was completely wet when the lights were out, imposing wet tires for all the drivers. After twelve hard laps, in which was easy to make a mistake, Facu Regalia took his car to the flag in seventh. “It was a very hard race. The track was very treacherous and the car was very hard to drive. To put things a little bit harder for me, I didn’t start very well and I lost three places. Nevertheless, I add twelve points to my championship campaign”, said soaked driver just after the end of the race. Regalia in the podium fight Facu Regalia will start tomorrow’s Zandvoort races from the third and the sixth places, placing himself as a contender for the podium positions, after missing the pole-position for less than a tenth. The eighteen years old driver started the Formula BMW Europe’s second weekend very well and ended the morning practice in the fifth position, even though he faced some troubles. “It wasn’t that bad. I signed the fifth best lap time, but could be a little better, because when the tyres were at their best there was a red flag. I think that I could be second. Besides, we suffered from some understeer, but the team is working on it and I think it will be fixed for the qualifying”, said the Spanish-Argentinean driver in the morning. In the qualifying, Facu Regalia was among the top runners since its beginning, proving that he will be one of the main contenders to the podium steps. He was on the second place for most of the session, but in the last moments one of his opponents improved his time and the Eifelland Racing driver was demoted to the third place of the grid, very near from the pole-time. “I lost less than a tenth to the pole-position, something I think it is a good result. Starting from third, the cleanest side of the track, I think I can reach the podium, something for which I’ve been working very hard”, underlined the eighteen years old driver, that was the fastest of his team. For the second race, that will start tomorrow in the afternoon, Facu Regalia will start from the sixth position. Though he was less than three tenths from the fastest driver, the Spanish-Argentinean driver wasn’t completely pleased. “I should have done one more lap. We lost some time changing the tires and that prevented me of having another go. On the other hand, I made mistake in one of my laps and in another one I found some traffic, so I lost the fifth position by 0,001s”, said the Spanish-Argentinean driver. A calm day for Facu Regalia  Today, the second day of the Formula BMW Europe test at Hockenheim, Facu Regalia was on track just in the morning. After the good results achieved yesterday, Eifelland Racing chosen to hide the cards for Zandvoort. The Spanish-Argentinean driver was very strong in the Tuesday, signing the third best lap time, completing in the process the program scheduled by his team for this test session held at the circuit located near Baden-Württemberg. That way, this Wednesday the eighteen years old driver went to the track just in the morning. Later in the day, Facu Regalia said: “the team decided to do all the work yesterday. Though, I did two stints in the morning, always in used tyres, so we could take some conclusions with the car in these conditions. In the afternoon, I didn’t leave the pits”. Eifelland Racing, after the good results attained yesterday, decided to begin to work in the chassis build by Mygale having in mind the second round of the Formula BMW Europe season, that will be held next weekend at Zandvoort, with the Formula 3 Masters. The Spanish-Argentinean is in the sixth position of the Drivers Championship, but goes to Holland with: “confidence and very pleased with the way the last tests evolved. I think that we are prepared to solve any problem we may face. Besides, the set of new tyres that we didn’t use at Hockenheim will be very useful at Zandvoort”. Facu Regalia keeps the good momentum  Facu Regalia was among the fastest drivers in today’s Formula BMW Europe test at Hockenheim and signed the second fastest lap time in the morning and the third in the afternoon. The Spanish-Argentinean began to show at Circuit de Catalunya, he first round of the season, that he is a strong contender this season and, after a good test at Hungaroring last week, he impressed again today. In the first day of the Hockenheim test he was a reference in the track, imposing a strong pace along the journey. The eighteen years old driver showed is competitiveness since he tackled the track and signed the second fastest time, after leading the timesheets for long moments. “Everything is going very well! I’m very pleased with the team’s work. I was the fastest for long moments, but in the end I lost 0,030s for the fastest driver”, said Facu Regalia. In the afternoon some drivers used the escape roads to get a time, but Facu Regalia kept himself as one of the fastest drivers on track. The Spanish-Argentinean signed the third fastest time and was, as usually, the fastest among the Eifelland Racing drivers. “We decided to use a new set of tyres in the afternoon, because it’s expected rain for tomorrow. I was the third fastest, three tenths from the fastest, though I had to abort my first flying lap in new rubber because of a slower driver”, explained Facu Regalia, who was very pleased with how the day progressed. For tomorrow, with rain or not, the eighteen years old driver wants to improve again: “mainly in the second sector, where I believe we can improve one tenth, and, that way, taking advantage from the third sector, where I’m the fastest”. Facu Regalia returns to work at Hockenheim Facu Regalia, less than a week after the Hungaroring test, will return to the steering wheel of his car for a new Formula BMW Europe test at Tuesday and Wednesday, this time at Hockenheim. The Spanish-Argentinean driver has no time to rest and is already travelling to the German circuit where he will be for another test scheduled by BMW, having in mind the preparation of the championship second round. After a hard preseason, Facu Regalia was in great shape in the season debut weekend, held at Circuit de Catalunya. In the Hungary test he was one of the fastest drivers on the track, something that makes him even more confident. “We are working very well, lately. My team, Eifelland Racing, found a very good set-up which I think it will permit us to be very competitive in the races that we have ahead. Besides, I’m completely adapted to my engineer and I believe we can fight for the goals that we set ourselves at the beginning of the year”, said the eighteen years old driver. The Hockenheim circuit, located in the south of Germany, will be the fifth round of the Formula BMW Europe season, in the end of July. Before, in the next weekend, Facu Regalia will be at Zandvoort, where will be held the second round of the year. “I believe we will be very strong there and I hope to be among the front runners, again. I like Zandvoort very much, where I almost reached the podium last season”, underlined the Spanish-Argentinean driver. Good test for Facu Regalia at Hungary Facu Regalia had a great test at Hungaroring, showing a pace that put him among the fastest drivers along the two testing days scheduled by BMW for the Budapest circuit. After the strong rhythm that he imposed at Circuit de Catalunya, in the first round of the season, the Spanish-Argentinean driver kept his competitiveness at Hungaroring, leaving the Magyar circuit with strong hopes for the second round of Formula BMW Europe, which will be held at Zandvoort. The Eifelland Racing driver showed his pace in the moment he hit the track and signed the fastest lap time of the first day’s morning session. “We started very well, as I was the fastest in the Hungaroring’s first session and I was with used tires. When we put new rubber it started to drizzle and we decided not to go to the track and keeping the tires for the afternoon”, said the eighteen years old driver. After lunch, when all the drivers had the opportunity to have new tires, the news were still good for the Spanish-Argentinean driver. He signed the fifth fastest time and was the best inside the Eifelland Racing. “I’m very pleased, as I was fifth and was among the main contenders to the championship, and I still think I could improve. I believe we can go faster three tenths, with some changes in the set-up and with some different trajectories in a couple of turns from my side”, said Facu Regalia at the end of the day. In the second day, the youngster was again at the top of the timesheets, proving that he is a force to be considered. “I finished third, 0,060s from the fastest and 0,030 from the second, which is great. Besides, I was the fastest within the team, and I caught some traffic in my lap”, underlined the Spanish-Argentinean driver. In the second day’s afternoon, the eighteen years old driver worked in the race set-up and was pleased with the results achieved. “We have a very good race pace. We worked very well during both days and the relationship with my engineer is evolving. The sixth place in the timesheets, in this conditions, is very good”, said Facu Regalia. The eighteen years old driver will have another test session next week, this time at Hockenheim. Facu Regalia goes to Budapest  Facu Regalia will be at Hungaroring at May 25th and 26th for another test session scheduled by BMW. The Spanish-Argentinean driver will return to activity this week, after the season debut weekend at Barcelona, where he reached the sixth place of the championship. Now, Facu Regalia will test at Hungary, at the Hungaroring circuit, where will be held the sixth round of the Formula BMW Europe season, at the end of July. Facu Regalia is looking at this test as way of improving the car and his rapport with Eifelland Racing, his new team. “I intend to work hard and to complete the program scheduled for the week. It’s important to be on track with the team, because it’s new for me and, that way, we can improve our relationship. Besides, now that I ended my studies, I can be 100% focused in racing and in the exciting months that I’ll have this summer”, said the eighteen years old driver. The Spanish-Argentinean has a good track record at Hungaroring, a circuit that he describes as “one of my favourites”. This test will be very important, as it will help to accomplish the car’s set-up for the Zandvoort round, that will be held at June 5th and 6th. A circuit where the young driver hopes to “reach the podium that slipped through my fingers at Montmeló”. Facu Regalia is 4th with the podium just ahead  Facu Regalia ended the second Formula BMW Europe race at Circuit de Catalunya in the fourth position, four tenths short of the second place, adding some good points to his tally. The Spanish-Argentinean driver started from third, but he didn’t start well, as he admitted. “I didn’t react well to the lights and that moment was enough to be overtaken by one of my contenders”, said the eighteen years old driver after the race. Facu Regalia was in the third classified driver back for the rest of the race, but his car had a nervous handling, which prevented him from attacking the lower step of the podium. “The car wasn’t good enough, because it was losing too much grip in the front end. I couldn’t prepare in the best way the turns’ entries and to try to overtake. I almost succeed to get the third place, with three laps to go, when I dive in the Jack Harvey’s inside, but he was able to regain his position in the same corner”, underlined with some frustration the Eifelland Racing driver, that saw the chequered flag just four tenths behind the second placed driver. After today’s race, Facu Regalia is already looking ahead and to the Zandvoort meeting, that will be held at June 5th and 6th. Before, he will have four days of testing at Hungaroring and at Hockenheim, something that will allow him to keep working with Eifelland Racing in the car’s handling. “I’m going to work hard. We have to take some positive notes of this weekend, as we scored some good points for the Championship and I won’t be depressed to fail to reach the Barcelona podium”, underlined a determined young driver. Facu Regalia is 7th in a hard race  Facu Regalia ended the first race of the season, held today at Circuit de Catalunya, in the seventh place, after a difficult start. The Spanish-Argentinean driver had very good qualifying yesterday, but today, when he lined up for the race, he found is side of the track very wet, after last night rain. On the other side of the road there was a dry line, something that would make his start very hard. As soon as the lights were off, the cars on his side were overtaken by the cars on his left, and from then on, the only thing that Facu Regalia could do was trying to recover as much as he could: “it was very bad luck. I reacted well to the lights, but I could do nothing to prevent the cars that were in the dry line from overtaking me. Besides, in the braking area for the first corner, I had to lift off to avoid a crash with Robin Frijns, who was closing my line when I was already in the inside”. In these conditions, the young driver was ninth in the end of the first lap and his plans to reach the podium fell apart. “In the race I was the fastest in some sectors, but it was hard to overtake the slower cars. The car understeered badly when I was in the wake of the drivers in front of me and it was a big risk to try to overtake them. So I preferred to assure that I would see the chequered flag and to score some points”, explain the Eifelland Racing driver, who crossed the finish line in the seventh position, the best of the ones who started in the wet side of the track. For the second race of the weekend, that will be held tomorrow at 8.30 (Spanish time), the Spanish-Argentinean driver will start from third, a position that gives him good shot of a good result: “it looks like it will be dry, and I’ll be in the clean side of the track, so I hope I can, at least, fight for a podium and put behind today’s bad luck”. Facu Regalia starts season on high note Facu Regalia was in great shape today at Circuit de Catalunya and will start tomorrow’s race from the fourth place of the grid and from the third the Sunday’s, showing that he will be a strong contender during this weekend. The Spanish-Argentinean driver had a difficult pre-season with some mechanical problems and with weather difficulties that hidden his potential, but, this Friday, when it was needed he showed his true pace, and will start both races of this weekend from the second line of the grid. Facu Regalia was on the pace as soon as he tackled the track, signing the third fastest time in the practice, showing himself as the fastest in two of the three Catalunya Circuit sectors, something that left him pleased: “the car is very good, but we can still improve it. The track was very green and for the qualifying it will rubber in, after the Formula 1 and GP2 practices”. The track conditions were different in the qualifying, but Facu Regalia continued to show his potential. After twenty-five minutes he signed the fourth fastest lap for the first race grid and the third for second’s. After the qualifying, with a smile in his face the Spanish-Argentinean driver said: “I’m very happy with this outcome, mainly because we had a hard preseason. Probably, the only downside was the fact of losing the second place for both races for less than a tenth, but, anyway, it’s a positive result”. Facu Regalia will line-up for the first race tomorrow at 9.45 (Spanish time), and will have thirteen laps to fight for the best result in his reach. Facu Regalia is ready for the challenge Facu Regalia is ready for the start of the season, that will happen in the next weekend at Circuit de Catalunya, and is looking forward to achieve good results at Montmeló. The Spanish-Argentinean is counting-down the time for the first Formula BMW Europe race of the year that will be part of the Spanish Grand Prix program. Just before his trip to Barcelona the Eifelland Racing driver said: “I’m taking care of the last details and I’m looking forward to be in the car. I’ve been training in the last few days, so I can arrive at the track in good shape, physically and mentally”. For this year, his goals are: “race to race and I don’t want to put pressure on my shoulders to get results. I still need to improve the relationship with the team, as this will be the first time that we will be in a race weekend together, and it’s natural that our rapport will evolve along the season”. After a hard pre-season, with some days lost because of the weather, sometimes, or mechanical faults, in other occasions, every single driver will arrive at the Circuit de Catalunya with some doubts. The eighteen years old driver is anxious to understand how the forces balance will developed at the next weekend: “I barely can wait to be on the track and see where we are, something that we will begin understand in the first practice, but it will be the qualification that will give us the clear picture”. Last, but not least, Facu Regalia wants to thank “to all my family, but, mainly, to my parents for their support and for let me keep racing in a such important championship as the Formula BMW Europe. Without them, I couldn’t be where I am”. The Formula BMW Europe program will start next Friday with the practice, the qualifying will be in the same day. The races will have thirteen laps and the first will be held Saturday and the second Sunday. Facu Regalia leaves Spa in good shape  Facu Regalia left the last Formula BMW Europe test session of the winter pleased with the development of his car and expects to be among the fastest in the first race of the year, held at Circuit de Catalunya in less than two weeks. This week test was different from the previous, as the drivers were just one day at the track. However, the Spanish-Argentinean driver was able to evolve his single-seater. Facu Regalia ended the test with a good feeling, mainly with the Eifelland Racing car’s set-up. “With old tires we had some problems with the front end, but, when we put on the car new rubber, we made some modifications in the Mygale that worked very well, something that makes me very pleased”, explained the eighteen years old driver. At the end of the day, the Spanish-Argentinean youngster said: “the lap times were meaningless. There was so much traffic on track, something that made very hard to get a clear lap. When I was on new tires I found many cars in my flying lap and I had to overtake them, something that cost me a second. However, I made a lap time similar to my teammate, Come Ledogar”. The next time that Facu Regalia will be in his car, it will be at Circuit de Catalunya, where will be held the first meeting of the season, at May 7th, 8th and 9th. The Spanish-Argentinean looks to the first weekend of the year with a ”deep confidence and motivation, as I feel we can be among the fastest drivers”. Facu Regalia ends pre-season testing at Spa Facu Regalia will be Wednesday at Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium, for the last Formula BMW winter test session. The Spanish-Argentinean driver will end the pre-season testing in one of the most mystic circuits in the world and is looking forward to fine-tuning his Mygale for the first round of the season that will be held at Circuit de Catalunya at May 7th, 8th and 9th. The test session at Spa-Francorchamps was scheduled for April 13th and 14th, but a problem in the Blanchimont tunnel meant that the session had to be postponed. Now, Facu Regalia has, at last, the chance to try his car in one of the most selective circuits in the world. “I want to use this test session to prepare the race that will be held in this circuit at the end of August. Besides, I intend to put the car in good shape for the Montmeló weekend, where I expect to arrive in good form to start the season”, said the eighteen years old driver. This time, the test session will have just one day, but Facu Regalia is confident that it’s enough to complete the program scheduled by him and his team, Eifelland Racing. “We will have five forty-five sessions during the day, something that is sufficient to do all the work that we want to do at Spa-Francorchamps”, underlined the Spanish-Argentinean driver. Facu Regalia overcomes hard times  The tests held at Zandvoort presented to Facu Regalia some unforeseen problems, as an engine has blown in his car in today’s first hour. However, the young driver is happy with the work that he developed with his team. The Spanish-Argentinean driver tested these Tuesday and Wednesday at the Dutch circuit, as he look at the beginning of the Formula BMW Europe Championship. These days should be very important for the first race of the season, which will take place at Circuit de Catalunya, but some mechanical problems prevented the Eifelland Racing driver to do the number of laps that he would like. The first day was very productive and he signed the sixth best lap, even if he had some difficulties to explore the new tyres: “He had some problems with the new rubber. He have to improve that, but we have a good baseline and I could be a bit ahead in the times sheet, because I made a small mistake in my best lap that cost me two tenths. We are going in the right direction”. Today, Wednesday, it was the day that Facu Regalia scheduled as the day to get a good time, but mechanicals difficulties braked put his plans on hold. “During the morning, in my second timed lap, my car’s engine failed. It was bad for us because I couldn’t return to the track before lunch. I left the pits only when the clock was showing 3 PM, after a small shower”, said the eighteen years old driver really disappointed. But the problems kept trying to tackle Facu Regalia and, with a twitchy car, he had to return to the pits, where the team found a bent suspension arm. This issue was fixed by Eifelland Racing in a few moments, which allowed him to return to the track and to continue the program that was scheduled. “I’m not happy with the times, but the car’s handling is at the best level. When we put new tires, a car broke its engine leaving the track full of oil, and I couldn’t take advantage of them. Though, with all these circumstances, the team felicitated me, because with old tires I was always among the five fastest drivers and I was faster than my team-mates”, underlined Facu Regalia after the second day of testing. After the Zandvoort test, the Formula BMW Europe drivers will have another opportunity to go to the track before the Montmeló weekend, as the Bavarian constructor scheduled another test session that will be held at Spa-Francorchamps at April 28th. Last test for Facu Regalia this preseason Facu Regalia will be this week at Zandvoort, one of the mystic European circuits, where he will have his last test session of the preseason. The beginning of the season is approaching and the young Spanish-Argentinean driver is looking forward to tune the car in which he will challenge for the Formula BMW Europe crown. These Tuesday and Wednesday he will be at Zandvoort, where he will do the last changes in the Eifelland Racing single seater to improve its handling. Just before he began is long trip to the Dutch circuit – by car as the international airports were still closed – Facu Regalia said “I left Silverstone very happy with the set-up we achieved in the second day of testing”. To Zandvoort the eighteen years old driver goal is clear: “I want to take advantage of these two last days, as the weather forecast says it will be two good days. Besides, Zandvoort it is the type of circuit that I enjoy, very technical and without traps that allow the drivers to improve their times”. The Circuit de Catalunya, where will be held the Spanish Formula 1 Grand Prix, will start the Formula BMW Europe season at May 7th, 8th and 9th and Facu Regalia wants to arrive to the track placed near Barcelona with deep confidence: “besides the set-up, it’s also important to leave Zandvoort with a good result so I can tackle the championship first round self-assured”. Facu Regalia leaves Silverstone happy  Facu Regalia ended this Wednesday the Formula BMW Europe test session at Silverstone. He was the fastest within his team and he feels that his car has a good potential for the season’s first weekend. The Spanish-Argentinean driver worked hard in the last two days to find a good set-up for the Eifelland Racing single-seater, having in mind the start of the championship, which will be held at Circuit de Catalunya in less than a month. The eighteen years old young gun was happy with the development made by his team, as his car showed a promising handling. “I leave Silverstone with confidence. The car is much better, be it in the qualifying set-up or in the race set-up. The car is efficient and competitive, something that leaves me confident for the season.”, said Facu Regalia that added: “We still have one more test to do, which will help us to evolve a little more. I’m very happy with way we have been evaluating the car”. Today, the Spanish-Argentinean was the tenth fastest, something that didn’t worried him. “We are still working in the car’s set-up and we didn’t go for a time. In my best lap I made a small error that cost me some time and, which prevented me to be among the fastest”. Besides, the timesheet wasn’t very reliable: “Some drivers used at Becketts a line outside the track to do their times and I, as all the drivers of the team, decided to drive within the circuit limits so we could prepare in the best way the Silverstone weekend”. The pre-season is getting near from its end, as, after the Spa-Francorchamps test cancelation, there is only two more test-days, that will be held at Zandvoort at April 20th and 21st. Facu Regalia wants to improve at Silverstone In the next weekend Facu Regalia will be at Silverstone for the preseason third test of Formula BMW Europe. After the weather difficulties at Monza and his health problems at Montmeló, the young driver wants to get good results at the British circuit. The Hispano-Argentinean driver arrives at England with the goal of doing a good quantity of laps with the car prepared by Eifelland Racing, after the problems that prevented him to be in the track at the previous tests. “In the last few days with the guys from the team and I have been preparing me physically so I can be at Silverstone at my best shape”, said the eighteen years old driver before going to Silverstone to test in the next Tuesday and Wednesday. “After the snow that cancelled the second day of testing at Monza and the health problems that prevented me to be in the track in the first day of the Barcelona test, I want that, at Silverstone, everything goes according to plan”, underlined Facu Regalia who, though he didn’t cover to many miles during the Winter, was among the fastest at the Catalunya test. “It wouldn’t be strange if it rains in one of the test days, but I hope that we can end the week with set-up program almost done, because BMW suspended the Spa-Francorchamp test after the known problems with a tunnel”, concluded the Eifelland Racing driver. Facu Regalia going fast in the dry Facu Regalia was the sixth fastest in the second day of the Formula BMW Europe test at Barcelona, after a journey in which he was recovered from the gastroenteritis that he felt yesterday. The Hispanic-Argentinean driver completed the second day of testing without unpleasant surprises, though he still had some pains from the problems that he suffered Sunday. “I still have some headaches, but I’m much better than I was yesterday”, said the eighteen years old driver. Today, the drivers found in the track to completely different situations: dry in the morning and wet in the afternoon. With slick tires he showed a very strong pace which left him confident after the morning session. “I was the third fastest for a long time and, besides, when I was doing my best lap the team told me to get in the pits, so I couldn’t show my full potential. Later the track improved and some other drivers bettered their times and I fell to the sixth place”, underlined Facu Regalia at the midday. In the beginning of the afternoon the heavens opened and soaked the Circuit de Catalunya and the drivers and teams had to change their cars set-ups. In these conditions, Facu Regalia wasn’t as happy. “In the wet I wasn’t very comfortable. Probably, we didn’t find the right balance, but we start to work in the car in these conditions, which may be useful in the future”, said the young gun that will be this season at the wheel of a Eifelland Racing singleseater. After the Barcelona tests, Facu Regalia will be at Silverstone at April 6th and 7th, for another Formula BMW Europe test session. Facu Regalia overcomes a hard day Facu Regalia was the seventh fastest in the first day of the Barcelona Formula BMW Europe test. It was a tough day for him after a difficult night with gastroenteritis. The Hispanic-Argentinean driver was today at Circuit de Catalunya preparing the 2010 Formula BMW Europe season. However, Facu Regalia had to overcome huge difficulties to sign the seventh time, loosing just seven tenths to the fastest. He was the fastest within Eifelland Racing, though he completed just twenty laps. The last night and this morning were very hard for the young driver with a strong gastroenteritis putting him in the bed in very bad shape. He tried to recover so he could be in good form for tomorrow, but in the afternoon he was feeling much better and decided to get in the car. “I would like to be in the track all day, so we could set up the car well for tomorrow. That’s why I decided to go to the circuit in the afternoon, though I had a hard headache and the team told me to stay in the hotel”, said the Hispanic-Argentinean driver after today’s session. The test proceeds tomorrow at Montmeló and Facu Regalia expects to be at his best so he may take part in this important session, because the 2010 Formula BMW Europe Championship, one of the most selective singleseater competitions, will start in this circuit at May 7th, 8th and 9th. Facu Regalia will be at Montmeló  Facu Regalia will be at the Circuit de Catalunya with his new team, Eifelland Racing, for another Formula BMW Europe test session at March 21st and 22nd. BMW choose the Spanish circuit to proceed the 2010 season preparation, following the Monza test, which was plagued by poor weather. Facu Regalia is looking forward to be in the car again, as he is hoping that the small problems that he felt in his chassis in the first test may be solved. On the other side, he hopes that he won’t meet snow again at the wheel of a racing car, at Barcelona. “I cannot wait to be in the car once more, because I hope we can work hard in the car, after the bad weather that prevented us to do what we wanted at Monza. Besides, I think that the team solved the problems that we felt in Italy and that gives me even more confidence”, said the Hispanic-Argentinean driver before going to Barcelona. The Montmeló tests have another deep importance to teams and drivers, because the Spanish circuit will held the first round of this year Championship at May 7th, 8th and 9th. Therefore, it’s vital to find a good set-up to reach a strong result in the debut of the season. “I want to show my strengths. I would like to be in the top positions in this test to give us a boost to start the season in good shape in this circuit”, underlined the young driver. Snow ends Facu Regalia test  The Monza circuit is under a strong snow storm which cancelled the Facu Regalia Formula BMW Europe test in the historical Italian track. The eighteen years old driver was at Monza to continue the test that he began yesterday, but the weather conditions were unbelievable – it snowed since yesterday’s afternoon – and the organization decided to put an end to it. It was consider extending the test for one more day, but the downsides of that solution were more important than its upsides and it was ruled out. Regalia would prefer to be in the car today but, nevertheless, he left Monza in a good state of mind. He expected to be between the fastest runners and not tenth, but he didn’t use new tires in the end of yesterday’s session and a chassis problem prevented him to be faster. “The mechanics discovered that we have a problem in the car, because it touches the ground in every corner of the circuit, which makes us lose some time. This leaves us confident, because we understood why we weren’t between fastest drivers yesterday and allows us to look to the next tests with confidence”, said the Hispano-Argentinean driver. Even with the problems that he suffered, Facu Regalia was the best within his team, Eifelland Racing, and, now, the young driver is looking forward for the next Formula BMW Europe test session, that will be held at Circuit de Catalunya between March 21st and March 22nd, the same circuit where the season will start in May. Good sensations to Facu Regalia at Monza Facu Regalia ended the first Formula BMW Europe day test at Monza with good sensations. The weather wasn’t pleasant and the snow showed up in the afternoon. The Hispanic-Argentinean driver had this Tuesday his first official test of the season. Monza was the backdrop chosen by BMW for the young drivers first outing before the debut race of the season, that will be held in May at Circuit de Catalunya, at the same time as the as the Spanish Formula 1 Grand Prix. Regalia was all day long in one of the Eifelland Racing cars and in the morning, when the weather conditions were at their best, the promising young driver was the fifth fastest. “It was difficult. I was the fifth fastest and fastest among my team’s drivers, with an eight tenths advantage, even though I used worn tires”, he said after the morning session. In the afternoon, the drivers had three hours of track time, even if the weather didn’t give them a break. Some of them choose to put new tires in their cars, something that allowed them to reach the top of the time sheets. Regalia and his team preferred to save the fresh rubber for the tomorrow’s session. “I lost a bit more than a second to the fastest driver, something that isn’t that bad because he used new tires and I didn’t. However, we have to improve the set-up a bit. I think we are in the right path and I’m enjoying to work with the team”, concluded Facu Regalia. Facu Regalia starts his pre-season at Monza The historical Italian circuit was chosen by BMW to hold the first collective test of its competitive championship. Facu Regalia will be present with one of the Eifelland Racing’s cars. The promising Hispano-Argentinean driver is looking forward to start the 2010 season preparations. The Autodromo Nazionale de Monza, placed in Lombardia, was chosen by BMW to start the official tests of the very competitive Formula BMW Europe Championship, and almost every driver of the field will be there, between March 9th and 10th, to set-up their cars for the new season. Facu Regalia, who is eighteen years old, will be at the wheel of a Eifelland Racing’s Mygale, the team with whom he signed a 2010 deal. The Hispano-Argentinean wants to keep the trend that he started in his team private tests, held at January in Braga, when he signed a new record for this type of cars in the Portuguese circuit. Already at Italy, Regalia said: “I’m looking forward to drive the car again. I worked very hard physically in the last few weeks so I could arrive here in good shape. I want to keep the good sensations that I had with Eifelland Racing in Braga and I hope I can be among the frontrunners”. In the new season, Regalia is committed to achieve podium and wins, but he knows that he will have a strong opposition and that he will need all the support he can get. “I want to thank to my parents all the effort that they are putting in my project, as to all the persons that support me”, concluded the Eifelland Racing driver. Facu Regalia: The young´s profile.  Facu Regalia will take part in the Formula BMW Europe this season, a year that will be very important to him. The young Argentinean driver drove for Eurointernational, with whom he was the third best rookie in 2008 and won the Okayama races at 2009, and for Jose Kaufmann Racing, but signed with Eifelland Racing for this season and is confident that he has the conditions to tackle championship organized by BMW in good shape. Now, Regalia reveals himself as a person. - What do you like to do when you are away from the races? “Well, I like sport activities in general and when I’ve the time I play paddel, tennis, football and ping-pong. In the Winter I do snowboard and in the Summer I do windsurf. Besides, I like to run which is important to my fitness.” - How do you keep studying and racing at the highest level at the same time? “That’s really hard because, with the tests and the race weekends, I’ve to miss the class so many days. I’ve to organize my time very well so I can get it. It´s one of the biggest challenges which I have to afford but I can´t forget others.” - Do you think you are losing your youth, as you can’t do the same things as the others young men? “I don’t think so. When I’m not in the race weekends or in testing or school tests, I go out with my friends and I take a good time. Nevertheless, I want to be racing driver, so sometimes I’ve to do some sacrifices in my personal life.” - What do you usually do to prepare yourself for the Formula BMW Europe Championship? “Usually I try to train every time I’ve the opportunity to do it. Three or four days per week, one and half to two hours a day, I go to the gym where I prepare my endurance and my muscles. I do some running, too, bicycling, etc… I’ve a person that accompanies me to improve my muscular mass. To say the truth, I think that the Formula BMW Championship isn’t so demanding, but it’s important to be well prepared for the day in which I’ll be in a superior championship like Formula 3 or GP3.” - What’s your personal goal in the racing world? “My main goal is, as always with any young racing driver, to reach Formula 1, but, as I say, if for any problem I can’t reach that objective, because it’s really hard to be a Grand Prix driver, I would love to race professionally in other championship. But today my main goal is to tackle each race of this season in a way that allows me to end the championship in the three first places.” - As you see yourself as a driver? “I see myself as a fast driver, I know what to do in each moment and I think I’m physically and emotionally strong. I think that I don’t do too many mistakes, but I’m human and make my own errors, but I try to learn with them. - How is your relationship with the other Formula BMW Europe drivers, who are your rivals, too? “I’ve a good relationship with the Spanish drivers, mainly with Javier Tarancón and Dani Juncadella, though this one went to Formula 3 this season. With the drivers from other countries I have no problems, but in the racing track there is no friends.” Facu Regalia signs with Eifelland Racing for 2010 The promising Spanish-Argentinean young driver will race in the Formula BMW Europe 2010 season, after reaching an agreement to seat in one of the Eifelland Racing cars, one of the strongest teams in the field and with profound experience with the Mygale FB02. The 18 years old youngster will be for the third time in one of the Europe hardest singleseaters competition, which has a high level of driving, imposing itself as one of the most important junior championships. The Argentinean young gun debuted in the championship in 2008 with the Eurointernational team, ending the season as the best rookie, and with a good participation in the BMW World Final, at Mexico, where he finished tenth in car prepared by Josef Kaufmann Racing. The 2009 season would be harder for Facu Regalia but, even with the problems that he had, he finished seventh, showing the strength of his character. In the end of the season he took part in a couple of weekends of the Formula BMW Asia and his driving quality was clearly shown with two dominant wins at Okayama. At Macao, one of the hardest street circuits in the world, he was the fastest in the practice against some of the best European drivers. The pre-season has already started for the Spanish-Argentinean driver and it started in a good way. In a test at the Portuguese circuit of Braga, Facu Regalia ended the week with the best time of all the drivers at the track, beating comfortably in the process the circuit record for these cars. After the Braga test Facu Regalia was very pleased with his first contact with his new team: “the relationship with the team is great. We had a week test and the development work went in the good direction”. The eighteen years old driver will have an intensive physical program during the next month so we may be in good shape at March, when he will have the official tests organized by BMW. The first race of the season will be held at Circuit de Catalunya, during the Spanish Grand Prix. Facu Regalia is very committed to the new season and his aim is the top of the field: “I feel stronger than ever and with the will to fight for the championship or, at least, to end in the first positions of the drivers tables”. Facu, selected by the winner team  Facu Regalia who has recently classified 10th and fourth best rookie during the BMW World Final, has also been selected by the FBMW winner team, Josef Kaufmann Racing in order to take part in the European contest in 2009, as an opening race for Formula 1. Further information about the team: www. Jk-racing.de/ Facu will fight in the World Final this weekend to test a Formula 1 with BMW Sauber.  Facu, the Spanish Argentinian driver, is racing this weekend for the World Final to test a Formula 1 car with BMW Sauber at the urban circuit “Autodromo Hermnos Rodriguez” in Mexico D.C after having won a good position during the test for having finished the third best rookie of Formula BMW Europe championship. Facu Regalia will be one of the drivers who will compete to get the reward he has been dreaming about since he began in karts . “My goal is to win and although it seems too soon to think so for being a rookie, I feel quite qualified for this new challenge. Facu ,who has just been 17 years old , has made amazing progress this season since he started to drive in a single-seater and has finished the season fighting for the first positions. Considering we are going to race longer than usual in comparison with the European championship, I feel even more prepared for next weekend. However my main rivals Esteban, Juncadella, Christensen and Rossi have the advantage of being better prepared for this race. Most of them have already taken part in tests in other continents since the end of the European championship” added the Spanish-Argentinean driver. The World Final will be held in a circuit opened to racing events 50 years ago, and which witnessed Gerard Berger’s win in 1996 with a BMW engine during the Formula 1 world championship. So Facu will have the first opportunity to drive a Formula 1 car and for sure he will fight hard at it. In spite of his age and of having competed in single-seater for one year only, “Facu will be a clear opponent for his rivals since his best weapon is ”his talent” concluded Emilio de Villota, his sport mentor. Facu ends third rookie for the Formula BMW Europe  Madrid , 15 September 2008.-Facu Regalia has finished third in the Formula BMW Europe Championship for the rookie category after an outstanding performance by obtaining one of the exit pole positions at the Italian Monza circuit totally unknown to him. Although wet conditions and his very first contact with the track were against him, Facu was able to show his talent by achieving the best second time for timed qualifying sessions of the last competition. The weekend target was to finish both races and to keep his third position for the rookie general standings. Not only did he reach this objective but also added to his personal record an exit at the pole position line , his first one of the season. The races were very complicated due to weather conditions and some mechanical trouble. In spite of this, the 16-year-old VARLION driver could keep his head clear and was concentrated during both races until reaching the finish line to fulfill his main target which was to keep his third position for the rookie category. However, the season for Facu has not finished yet. He still has to compete for the Formula BMW World final for the best rookies in different continents where he will face up drivers from this category in America and Facu is training hard to get ready for such event. Facu , ready for the last F.BMW race in Monza  Monza, 11 september 2008.- Facu Regalia is facing this weekend the last formula BMW Europe race of the season in Monza, Italy, with a good chance of getting the third place for the general rookie standings. The 17-year-old driver knows exactly which his options are for the Formula BMW Europe last two races on Saturday and Sunday. Although Facu does not know the circuit, his team Eurointernational, has a great experience of driving there, which technically seems to be a very promising race. The knowledge the team has of the circuit along with Facu’s intuition showed at fast circuits such as Valencia where he demonstrated that he could reach leading positions and also in Hungary where he could control very well the track during practices. As a result Facu can have be very hopeful about results “ However, the first important thing is the general rookie standings” commented Facu. Although the third position is almost a reality I can’t afford to make mistakes. This is the last race and it is important for me to get the third position for the future final in America in December” said the Spanish Argentinian young driver. Therefore, the next 13 and 14 September, the Madrid driver might enjoy the third place on the podium at Monza circuit if he is lucky with results . TOUGH WEEK-END FOR FACU IN BELGIUM  Spa-Francorchamps, 8 september 2008- The Madrid driver had a tough weekend at the Belgian circuit , penultimate race of BMW Europe Formula. Mechanical and weather problems did not give him a chance of achieving his targets. Despite starting from behind, Facu was finally able to gain positions and to finish ahead as best as he could during the two races. To keep the third position of rookie general standings was still up to him. However, during the first race Facu overtook 6 positions and 8 during the second race . The most important point was to be ahead of his rookie opponents who had some trouble in keeping right on the problematic Belgian asphalt. The Euro international team consider that technical difficulties regarding the single-seater performance will disappear for the next race taking place in Monza, Italy. HOPEFUL FACU ARRIVES AT THE LEGEND SPA CIRCUIT  Spa-Fracorchamps – 4th September 2008.- Facu has arrived today at the Spa circuit, the most difficult one in the calendar, with hope of getting his goals for this penultimate race after his brilliant performance in the Valencia Street Circuit. “To keep my position as the best rookie and to finish both races among the top five drivers” said the Madrid driver when asked about his objectives for the weekend. “I like very much the second sector of the Spa circuit and I think that if I drive well and improve the two remaining corners , I might even get a podium place.” He added. It is not the first time that Facu has been to Spa. He has driven there before during the collective tests of the Formula BMW Europe championship. Although the weather is chilly and usually unpredictable as far as its forecast is concerned, Facu hopes to be lucky and to drive races and training sessions in dry conditions since he does not know the track very well when wet. Facu Regalia’s brilliant performance at the Valencia Street Circuit  The 16-year- old Madrid driver finished in sixth and seventh position in full view of spectators who came to Valencia to watch the Valencia F1 Grand Prix. Facu started from the seventh position in the first race and was the best placed among rookies. When starting, he could dodge with mastery the melée which was being formed and soon came in fourth position. Soon after he moved to third position and kept it until the two last laps out of the ten laps the race was made up. However, a suicidal move by Kevin Breysse on trying to pass from inside a corner was about to send the Spanish driver out of the race. Facu’s both right wheels were lifted in the air but fortunately he was able to keep on and finished sixth. If not for this incident , Facu could have got a podium position which was within his reach. During the second race, he came out tenth but this did not prevent him from getting the fourth position and finally ended seventh and first one among rookies. This weekend performance confirms the young driver’s , born in Argentina, slow but sure progress since he had already finished in fourth position in Hungary by surprising all teams with achieving the fourth best time during timed sessions. The Madrid driver ranks 16th on general standings and 3rd on rookie championship. He will face his next challenge within two weeks at the Belgian circuit of Spa-Francorchamps. |
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