Academy Report: Poles, podiums and wins in Abu Dhabi

Oleksandr Bondarev secured two more victories, whilst Kean Nakamura-Berta visited the rostrum for the first time this year

Published

26 JAN 2026

Est. reading time

3 min

Imagery: @mumbaifalcons

Two Williams F1 Team Driver Academy drivers returned to action in Abu Dhabi over the weekend for the second round of their winter campaigns.

Kean Nakamura-Berta and Oleksandr Bondarev both delivered impressive performances across the Formula Regional Middle East Trophy and UAE4 Series – here’s how their weekends unfolded.

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Kean Nakamura-Berta

Formula Regional Middle East Trophy

Kean Nakamura-Berta took a strong step forward in his debut Formula Regional Middle East Trophy campaign, claiming his first podium finishes of the season.

Our Japanese-Slovak racer set the benchmark in qualifying 1, securing pole position, before securing third in qualifying 2. From the front row for race 1, Kean lost the lead at the start but remained firmly in contention, maintaining pressure on the race leader to finish second and claim rookie honours.

Abu Dhabi receives around 3-5 inches of rainfall annually, and it turns out that most of that fell ahead of the reverse-grid race 2. Unsurprisingly, in the difficult, wet conditions, the race started and ended behind the safety car, but in that time Kean managed to climb the order and was classified fifth after post-race penalties were applied.

First two podiums of 2026 secured for Kean

Starting race 3 from the second row, Kean made a decisive move into second place on the opening lap and stayed within striking distance of the lead for much of the race. Despite sustained pressure in the closing stages, he crossed the line second to secure his second podium of the weekend.

After Round 2, Kean sits second in the Formula Regional Middle East Trophy standings with 68 points to his name as the championship heads to Dubai for the next round.

Oleksandr Bondarev

UAE4 Series

Oleksandr Bondarev continued his strong start to the 2026 season with another standout weekend in the UAE4 Series, claiming two victories and extending his championship advantage at Yas Marina.

The 16-year-old showed his intent early, qualifying second in the opening session before taking pole position in qualifying 2. Starting race 1 from the front row, Bondarev seized the lead at the start and controlled proceedings despite multiple safety car interruptions.

Oleksandr secured his second and third victories of 2026 over the weekend

Race 2 proved more challenging under the reverse-grid format. Starting deep in the field, Sasha made limited progress before rain and multiple stoppages curtailed the action, eventually being classified tenth to pick up a valuable point.

He returned to the front in emphatic fashion in Race 3. Launching cleanly from pole, Sasha quickly established a commanding lead and was never seriously challenged, crossing the line more than four seconds clear to seal his third victory of the year.

After two rounds, Sasha remains at the top of the UAE4 standings with 102 points, strengthening his position heading into this weekend's round at Dubai Autodrome.

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Alessandro Giusti

Formula E Rookie Free Practice

Alessandro is busy preparing for his sophomore season in Formula 3, but this weekend he will fly to Miami for his first taste of a Formula E car.

Our 19-year-old French racer will drive for Jaguar TCS Racing at the Miami International Autodrome this Friday, piloting the car that finished second in the series last season.

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