The Emirati, who continued with the Mercedes-AMG Formula 1 junior programme this year, produced a pole position, victory and second place during Round 5 in Hungary.

Al Dhaheri topped both Thursday practice sessions before missing the fastest time in his qualifying group for Race 1 by only 0.019s. Starting P3, he made a strong getaway to take P2 place on the opening lap and maintained the position to secure a podium.

Race 2 belonged to the R-ace GP driver. A special lap earned him outright pole in a field of 30 drivers representing 20 nations, adding two additional championship points to his tally. He converted pole into a lights-to-flag victory despite several Safety Car periods repeatedly erasing his advantage.

Al Dhaheri controlled every restart and rebuilt his lead each time before taking a commanding win, celebrating on his Yas Heat-liveried car with a falcon-inspired pose in tribute to the UAE emblem displayed on his helmet.

The championship then moved to Circuit Paul Ricard, where Al Dhaheri again showed strong pace by topping Friday practice.

He qualified P4 for Race 1 after missing pole in his group by 0.022s. However, contact damaged his front wing and compromised the car’s balance before another incident dropped him to the rear. Starting P10 on Sunday, Al Dhaheri recovered to sixth, overtaking several rivals and collecting valuable points.

The Hungary result allowed him to retain the championship lead and become the first driver from the MENA region to lead an FIA championship. The season resumes at Imola from September 3-6 before the finale at Hockenheim from September 10-13.

Al Dhaheri established himself as a serious FIA Formula Regional European Championship title contender during the first half of the 2026 season, taking three victories and making history for Emirati motorsport.

The 17-year-old Mercedes-AMG Formula 1 junior began his campaign with an impressive opening round at the Red Bull Ring. After qualifying on pole in his group, the R-ace GP driver led several laps before finishing second in Race 1.

He then charged from 11th on the reverse grid to win Race 2, becoming the first Emirati to claim a FRECA victory. Al Dhaheri completed the weekend by recovering from 15th to fifth despite technical problems.

His next victory came during Round 4 at Monza. After contact dropped him to 12th in the opening race, Al Dhaheri responded by climbing from eighth to win a chaotic Race 2 featuring multiple overtakes and Safety Car periods. A technical issue affected qualifying for Race 3, but he recovered to ninth and collected further points. 

Mercedes driver development advisor Gwen Lagrue praised Al Dhaheri’s progress after Monza and confirmed that challenging for the championship had been the target for the season: "We are very happy with his development.

"He is definitely a title contender this year, which was the target, and we are working hard to bring him to the top," added Lagrue, who will depart Mercedes to head up the Red Bull young driver programme. The Frenchman a mentor to Kimi Antonelli.

Al Dhaheri strengthened his title challenge at the Hungaroring in Round 5. He topped both Thursday practice sessions, finished second in Race 1 and then secured outright pole for Race 2 with a 1:37.639 lap against a 30-car field.

He controlled the second race from start to finish, maintaining the lead through several Safety Car restarts and repeatedly rebuilding his advantage. The victory and double podium extended his championship lead. His team also identified him as the first driver from the MENA region to lead an FIA championship. 

Across the three highlighted rounds, Al Dhaheri demonstrated qualifying speed, overtaking ability, composure and resilience. Victories in Austria, Italy and Hungary transformed his season from a promising campaign into a genuine championship challenge.