Gladysz’s perfect Saturday sets up winner-takes-all Eurocup-3 finale

Photo: Maciej Gladysz

MP Motorsport’s Maciej Gladysz had a perfect Saturday in the last round of Eurocup-3’s winter series to set up a winner-takes-all final race at Motorland Aragon.

In qualifying, the Pole claimed pole by setting a 1m52.511s. He was fastest by 0.249 seconds over team-mate Alexander Abkhazava, with Campos Racing’s Jesse Carrasquedo Jr a further 0.005s behind.

MP’s points leader Mattia Colnaghi was fourth fastest, and also within half a second of pole were Campos’s Ernesto Rivera and Palou Motorsport’s James Egozi. The two points Gladysz earned meant he entered race one 26 points behind Colnaghi.

What followed was a great drive by Gladysz, who nailed the start to lead easily into turn one. Abkhazava meanwhile locked up going into the chicane at the end of the lap. After quickly building a gap of 1.68 seconds, his lead was reduced as Palou’s Zack Scoular stopped off-track on lap two and the safety car was summoned as his vehicle was retrieved.

Before racing was neutralised, Carrasquedo had attacked Abkhazava and Colnaghi had cleared MP’s Andres Cardenas after dropping four places on lap one. Another driver on the backfoot was MP’s Valerio Rinicella, who started 25th and made it to 20th.

Following the lap five restart, Gladysz had a lonely race in which he set the fastest lap multiple times. He faced a challenge late on though, as Carrasquedo snatched the fastest lap from him on the penultimate tour. Gladysz responded by taking it back by 0.012s as he met the chequered flag for a maximum score.

Carrasquedo had to cover off Egozi on the restart, with Rivera on their tail. Once again Abkhazava locked up into the final chicane, and Rivera had a moment which led to him losing ground to the drivers ahead.

Abkhazava ran wide entering the back straight on lap seven, giving Carrasquedo the opportunity to get alongside on the outside. He looked to be ahead, but Abkhazava braked late, had another lock-up and retained second place. It was only brief, as Carrasquedo moved past at the next corner.

It only took a lap for Egozi to pressure Abkhazava into another mistake and dive past at the chicane, but Abkhazava reclaimed third with a great move around the outside at turn one on lap nine. They fought for a few more corners before Egozi was left with a train behind him. There was chaos at the chicane, as Abkhazava locked up once more, and Colnaghi tried going down the inside of Rivera but sent him into a half-spin.

Egozi went into lap 10 in fourth place, ahead of MP’s Emmo Fittipaldi, Cardenas, Rivera and his fellow Red Bull junior Jules Caranta. Colnaghi fell down the order and needed a new front wing, which he pitted for and consigned him to a points-free result. It also meant Gladysz’s performance put him level on points.

Abkhazava’s overworking of his tyres and fight with title contender Egozi meant he dropped to 11th on the last lap, and Campos’s Francisco Macedo retired.

Race results (19 laps)