Oleksandr Bondarev ended a disappointing Formula 4 season in spectacular fashion. The Williams F1 Academy driver switched to Formula Regional European Championship (FREC) for the final two rounds, and immediately made an impact. Pole position and a win on his debut at Imola, plus two action-packed races at Hockenheim, proved the move was the right call.
At Imola, Bondarev was immediately on the pace with Van Amersfoort Racing. He was third in free practice, then stunned the field by taking pole for the second race. In that race, he withstood pressure from champion-to-be Emanuele Olivieri to claim his first win. "It was a really good feeling," Bondarev told Formula Scout. "Finally, I felt like the work I've been doing over the year to come back from the difficult moments has actually paid off."
A week later at Hockenheim, qualifying didn't go as smoothly. Bondarev had to start both races from outside the top 15. However, his drives through the field were impressive, scoring points in both races. "The package that VAR brought was really strong," he added. "After testing for all of August, I was really prepared."
The switch to FREC was prompted by a season in F4 that fell short of expectations. After winning the F4 UAE title at the start of the year, Bondarev returned to Prema for his second full season in Italian F4. He started with a win at Misano, but his form then deteriorated rapidly due to various technical issues. "Every time it has been different things, which was the most frustrating," he recalled. "Monza was the worst one. At Vallelunga in Euro 4 we had really strong pace in practice..."
VAR's FREC team manager, Danielle Geel, has also been impressed with Bondarev's two weekends with the team. "He matches very well with the team environment, in both directions," Geel said. "We also haven't had an easy season so far, so the fact that it came together and that he wanted to prove something and we also wanted to prove something shows this fighter's mentality from both sides."
Bondarev admitted that the move to FREC restored his confidence. "Now I can actually show what I can do," he said. "It was the first weekend since the UAE that I've had no issues with the car. Considering it's my first two weekends, I think I'm doing quite a good job."
With impressive performances in the last two races, Bondarev's future in racing looks bright. Will he continue in FREC next season? Or return to F4? One thing is clear: he has proven himself as a talent to watch.
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