Photo: Eurocup-3
Eurocup-3 began its new Dallara 326 era in earnest with three different winners from as many races in the opening round of the 2026 season at Paul Ricard.
James Egozi ended the weekend top of the championship standings having stormed to victory in race one. Keanu Al Azhari claimed victory in the final race to end the weekend 13 points adrift of Egozi while Christopher Feghali claimed victory in the sprint-format race two but struggled in the main races.
Winter series champion Al Azhari led both of Friday’s practice sessions and claimed pole position for Saturday’s opening race, but stalled as the lights went out leaving fellow front row starter Rene Lammers to shoot into the lead as the Alpine junior driver was swallowed by the pack.
Alex Powell stormed past Egozi at the first corner to initially claim second place while further back Thomas Strauven and Filippo Fiorentino made contact at turn 11, Strauven being sent airborne before re-joining in 12th.
The safety car was bought out after five minutes as Genaro Trappa ground to a halt on the pit straight following contact on the exit of the final corner.
With 15 minutes remaining the safety car was withdrawn with Lammers comfortably leading, but Egozi quickly closed up. The Palou Motorsport driver challenged into turn 8 but was forced to drop back into the clutches of Powell.
With five minutes remaining and the top five separated by just a second, Egozi looked to the inside of the turn 8 chicane and barged past Lammers. With clean air the American pulled away to claim victory ahead of Lammers with Powell, Ean Eyckmans and Gianmarco Pradel completing the top five.
In Sunday morning’s sprint race, reversed grid pole-sitter and Red Bull junior Enzo Tarnvanichkul led Feghali away at lights out. Behind, MP Alceu Feldmann came out on top of a battle with MP team-mate for third. Lammers suffered damage to his front wing heading out of turn 6 which dropped the Dutchman out of the top 10.
Up front, Feghali made his move for the lead, the Lebanese driver shooting past Tarnvanichkul heading into turn 12. He began to pull away, extending his lead to over a second with 15 minutes remaining.
The intra-MP battle continued with Ean Eyckmans trying to pass Pradel, but the Beglian driver was forced wide which allowed Egozi to move past for fifth.
Egozi continued to make moves, capitalising on an error from Pradel at turn 11 to move himself into fourth place with 10 minutes remaining.
Up front Feghali had extended his lead to over two seconds over Tarnvanichkul. Feldmann looked set to secure third on debut before a mechanical issue forced him to pull over at turn 5, promoting the fast-charging Egozi into the podium places.
With just six minutes remaining the safety car returned to leave the drivers with just two laps at the restart. Feghali controlled the field to claim victory ahead of Tarnvanichkul and Egozi. Eyckmans finished fourth, but stopped at turn 1 after the chequered flag with a mechanical issue, while Pradel who recovered to fifth.
Pradel lined up on pole for the final race of the weekend ahead of Eyckmans, but at lights out it was Egozi from third who got the better start, moving around the outside and into the lead. Behind, Al Azhari moved into third ahead of Eyckmans.
Contact at the rear of the field spun Filippo Fiorentino around, the Brazilian continuing on before the safety car came out once more, this time to recover the stricken car of Lorenzo Campos who ground to a halt at turn 6.
Pradel slowed under the safety car and pulled off to the side of the track with an issue, compounding a frustrating weekend for the Australian driver.
After 10 minutes under the safety car, Egozi led at the restart with Al Azhari close behind. Al Azhari challenged Egozi, looking to the outside of turn 11, but was forced by his rival to the outside, sending him into the air before he rejoined and pushed his way past into the final corner to claim the lead having run side-by-side for four corners.
With 15 minutes remaining the battle resumed as Egozi repassed Al Azhari at the same corner. Powell meanwhile overtook Lammers for third and the lead of the rookie standings with a forceful move up the inside of turn 9.
With nine minutes left, Al Azhari and Egozi resumed battle once more, the Emirati driver forcing his way up the inside of turn 1 before the pair ran wheel-to-wheel all the way up to turn 5 where Al Azhari moved up the inside to claim the lead.
Egozi tried to retaliate but Al Azhari held firm, redeeming himself after his stall from pole in race 1 to claim victory in the final race, just four tenths clear of Egozi. Powell received a five-second time penalty dropping him from third to fifth behind Eyckmans and Lammers.
Results round-up
Race 1 (14 laps)
1 James Egozi Palou Motorsport 32m01.526s
2 Rene Lammers MP Motorsport +1.218s
3 Alex Powell Campos Racing +1.346s
4 Ean Eyckmans MP Motorsport +2.051s
5 Gianmarco Pradel MP Motorsport +2.512s
6 Rafael Perard Palou Motorsport +4.558s
7 Keanu Al Azhari Hitech +5.192s
8 Heitor Dall’Agnol Palou Motorsport +7.155s
9 Enzo Tarnvanichkul Campos Racing +8.598s
10 Santino Panetta Hitech +8.752s
Pole: Al Azhari, 1m55.184s
Fastest lap: Al Azhari, 1m56.374s
Race 2 (11 laps)
1 Christophe Feghali Drivex 23m34.331s
2 Tarnvanichkul +0.943s
3 Egozi +1.560s
4 Eyckmans +2.164s
5 Pradel +3.094s
6 Dall’Agnol +4.006s
7 Al Azhari +4.438s
8 Thomas Strauven Campos Racing +6.261s
9 Powell +6.591s
10 Filippo Fiorentino Drivex +9.964s
FL: Egozi, 1m56.095s
Race 3 (15 laps)
1 Al Azhari 32m08.648s
2 Egozi +0.445s
3 Eyckmans +3.111s
4 Lammers +7.166s
5 Powell +7.631s
6 Genaro Trappa Hitech +7.893s
7 Kacper Sztuka Tecnicar +8.828s
8 Panetta +9.229s
9 Feghali +9.297s
10 Patrick Heuzenroeder Campos +10.253s
P: Pradel, 1m54.902s
FL: Al Azhari, 1m56.081s
Championship standings
1 Egozi 52 2 Al Azhari 39 3 Eyckmans 34 4 Lammers 30 5 Powell 27 6 Pradel 18 7 Feghali 12 8 Tarnvanichkul 11 9 Dall’Agnol 9 10 Perard 8