The 2027 FIA FREC grid will expand to 36 cars across 12 teams following the official selection of two high-profile newcomers alongside all ten inaugural outfits. Organised by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile and the Automobile Club d’Italia, the championship confirmed that Formula 2 front-runners Invicta Racing and the newly established LN4 Fusion operation will join the field for the category’s second campaign under full FIA governing status.
This expansion increases the overall grid by six cars, reinstating a 36-car capacity that European Formula Regional competition last featured in 2023. Every participating squad will prepare three identical second-generation Tatuus T-326 single-seaters, reinforcing the series’ strategic role between national Formula 4 championships and the FIA Formula 3 Championship.
How the 2027 FIA FREC Grid Expands to 36 Entries
All ten founding organisations that entered the inaugural 2026 season reapplied and retained their places, according to the official FIA team selection announcement. Returning squads include R-ace GP, alongside ART Grand Prix, Prema Racing, MP Motorsport, Trident Motorsport, and Van Amersfoort Racing.
Rounding out the returning ten outfits are CL Motorsport, G4 Racing, Rodin Motorsport, and RPM. The championship transitioned from the Alpine-promoted FRECA format at the end of 2025. FIA Single-Seater Commission President Emanuele Pirro highlighted the retention as a strong validation of the series, noting that having all ten inaugural squads reapply underscores the platform’s importance for driver and team development.
High-Profile Newcomers Step Onto the Junior Ladder
The two newcomers join established teams already competing in the Formula Regional category.
Invicta Racing Extends Single-Seater Reach
United Kingdom-based Invicta Racing enters the European intermediate category after success in the FIA Formula 2 Championship. The team captured consecutive F2 drivers’ titles with Gabriel Bortoleto in 2024 and Leonardo Fornaroli in 2025. At the time of the FIA’s 14 October announcement, Rafael Câmara led the F2 drivers’ standings for the squad with two rounds remaining.
Establishing an entry in FREC grants Invicta an operational foothold at an earlier phase of the single-seater ladder. The new entry places the team at an earlier step in the development route towards Formula 2.
LN4 Fusion Adds Experienced Leadership
Recently established and co-founded by reigning Formula 1 world champion Lando Norris, LN4 Fusion has recruited experienced junior-series personnel. The organisation runs dual headquarters, pairing its primary international racing facility in the Veneto region of northern Italy with a base in the UK.
Sporting leadership rests with former Prema Racing team principal René Rosin, who brings extensive experience from junior motorsport championships. Guillaume Capietto directs technical and sporting coordination across the team’s wider projects. As detailed in Pit Debrief’s junior category reporting, the team also acquired selected assets from AIX Racing, including its 2027 FIA Formula 3 entry, creating an integrated pathway from Italian F4 through FREC and F3.
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Spec Machinery and Development Pathway Context
All 36 drivers will pilot the Gen2 Tatuus T-326 chassis, paired with Toyota engines and control Pirelli tyres. Developed jointly by Italian constructor Tatuus and the FIA, the car incorporates Formula 1-inspired aerodynamic principles to facilitate close following and overtaking. Cockpit-operated Race Mode push-to-pass capability allows competitors to trigger peak engine performance during offensive or defensive manoeuvres.
Formula Regional competition serves as a critical proving ground for modern Grand Prix talent. Recent graduates currently competing on the Formula 1 grid include Kimi Antonelli, Franco Colapinto, Bortoleto, and Isack Hadjar. That developmental pedigree was evident throughout 2026, which featured 11 different race winners before Italian racer Emanuele Olivieri provisionally sealed both the Drivers’ and Rookie championships for R-ace GP at Hockenheim.
Expanded Ten-Round Calendar and Grand Prix Support Plans
Alongside grid expansion, the championship will grow from eight to ten events for its 2027 season. The campaign begins at Portugal’s Autódromo Internacional do Algarve in Portimão from 8 to 11 April, before concluding at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya from 7 to 10 October.
Silverstone joins the calendar to give the series a British venue, while promoters continue working to secure a high-profile support slot at the Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix at the Hungaroring, subject to final contract. The calendar and expanded team list set out the shape of the 2027 season, while the Hungarian support slot remains subject to confirmation.