Maya Weug returns to FRECA

Ferrari Driver Academy's Maya Weug, currently competing in F1 Academy, will return to Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine at the Imola round with KIC Motorsport, marking her return after a successful 2023 season in the series.

Photo credits: Racers - Behind the Helmet

Ferrari driver Academy racer Maya Weug is set to return to Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine this weekend at Imola, having sealed a deal with KIC Motorsport.

Weug, who currently competes in F1 Academy and sits fifth in the drivers' standings after four rounds, will thus team up again with the Finnish team, following a highly positive 2023 season.

The seventh round of the FRECA championship will therefore feature the inaugural F1 Academy champion, Marta Garcia, as well as two current F1 Academy drivers - Doriane Pin and Maya Weug.

Maya, who joined the Ferrari young driver programme after winning the inaugural edition of the Girls On Track - Rising Stars selection, has been one of the outstanding upcoming talents in karting before making her Formula 4 debut in 2021.

In two years of Italian Formula 4, Weug claimed nine point-scoring finishes, with a sixth place as her personal best in Imola.

In 2023, she stepped up to the uber-competitive Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine, joining KIC Motorsport for a learning-oriented season.

After an initial learning curve, Weug impressed with a remarkable second half of the season: she collected two top-ten finishes in Spa Francorchamps, then continued to score points at Mugello, Le Castellet and Monza, often battling at the front of an-almost 40 car field. With one rookie win, she was third in the rookie's standings.

The 20-year-old was then announced as the Ferrari representative for the 2024 season of the all-female F1 Academy championship, in a Prema-run operation. Maya kicked off the season with two podiums in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, including a second place as her best finish.

She then scored more valuable points in Miami, adding a top five to her tally - before a challenging round at Circuit de Catalunya left her with a retirement.

Her home race at Zandvoort, however, was another notable step forward: Weug was P3 in race 1 and matched her personal best with another second place in race 2, which propelled her into fifth place in the standings, just one point behind Nerea Marti.

The KIC Motorsport announcement for the Imola round marks another important step for Weug, who returns to mixed-gender competitions in a car that she has often proved to be quick in.

"We are excited to announce that Maya Weug will be rejoining our team for Round 7 of FRECA at Imola this weekend", the team's statement reads.

"Maya’s return to the team is a highlight for us, and we are eager to see her in action again on the iconic Imola circuit. With two thrilling races on the horizon, we look forward to an action-packed weekend of racing."

Friday' schedule at Imola sees two 50-minute free practice sessions, followed by Saturday morning's first qualifying that will set the grid for Race 1 in the afternoon. A similar program will feature a second qualifying session on Sunday, followed by Race 2.