After an electrifying season opener in Austria, the Eurocup-3 Championship travelled to the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve for Round 2 of the 2025 season. The 4.6 km Portimão circuit, renowned for its blind crests, sweeping elevation changes, and challenging low-grip surface, promised another weekend of high drama.
Coming into the Portuguese round, Mattia Colnaghi led the championship following a strong showing at the Red Bull Ring. But with 30 drivers on the grid and a tightly packed midfield, the question was whether the Italian could extend his advantage—or whether a new contender would seize control.
Fans were treated to a full schedule: two qualifying sessions, three races (including the season’s first sprint), and plenty of on-track battles. And by the end of Sunday, the championship picture had shifted dramatically.
Qualifying 1: Sztuka claims maiden pole
The first qualifying session of the weekend saw Kacper Sztuka deliver a statement of intent by securing his maiden Eurocup-3 pole position. The Polish driver edged out Mexican star Jesse Carrasquedo Jr, who lined up second, while recent F3 debutant Ernesto Rivera completed the top three.
This front-row battle set the stage for a dramatic opening race later in the day, with Sztuka looking to convert pole into victory while Rivera and Carrasquedo aimed to upset the odds.
Race 1: Carrasquedo wins as chaos strikes
From his first-ever Eurocup-3 pole, Sztuka initially held off Carrasquedo into Turn 1. But the race was neutralised almost immediately when Garrett Berry spun Alexander Abkhazava at Turn 5, prompting a safety car. Berry later received a three-place grid penalty for the sprint race, costing him a front-row start.
The drama truly began on the restart on lap three. Sztuka launched late on the pit straight, but his hesitation allowed Carrasquedo and Rivera to slipstream past on either side heading into Turn 1. Things worsened for the Pole as Enzo Tarnvanichkul and Jules Caranta went around the outside through Turns 2 and 3, relegating him to fifth.
Sztuka regrouped and retook fourth from Caranta on lap 10, shortly before the race was neutralised again due to a collision between Berry and Lenny Ried at Turn 4. At the restart on lap 13, Carrasquedo executed a perfect launch to secure his second Eurocup-3 victory, with Rivera settling for second and Sztuka salvaging third by passing Tarnvanichkul on the restart.
Post-race drama struck Mattia Colnaghi, who finished fifth on the road but dropped to 21st after a 25-second penalty for overtaking under safety car conditions—an early blow to his championship campaign.
Eurocup-3 Portimão Race 1 Results
- Jesse Carrasquedo Jr (Fastest Lap)
- Ernesto Rivera
- Kacper Sztuka (Pole)
- Jules Caranta
- Valerio Rinicella
- James Egozi
- Maciej Gładysz
- Andrés Cárdenas
- Yani Stevenheydens
- Kai Daryanini
Sprint Race: Egozi joins the winners’ club
The inaugural Sprint Race of the season delivered tension rather than flat-out racing, as nearly half of the laps unfolded under safety car conditions.
The first caution flew on lap two when Emil Hellberg beached his car at Turn 4. A second deployment followed on lap five, moments after the restart, triggered by Theodor Jensen in an incident that also involved Oscar Wurz and Kai Daryanani.
When the green flag finally waved for good, James Egozi converted his reverse-grid pole into a breakthrough victory, marking his first Eurocup-3 win. Behind him, Alex Abkhazava celebrated a return to form with second place—his first podium in nearly a year—while Valerio Rinicella finished third after a post-race penalty demoted Francisco Macedo, who had briefly taken the final podium spot on track.
Both Tarnvanichkul and Sztuka stalled at the start, severely compromising their races. While Tarnvanichkul recovered to ninth, Sztuka limped home in 25th, putting him under pressure heading into Race 2.
Eurocup-3 Portimão Sprint Race Results
- James Egozi
- Jules Cantara
- Valerio Rinicella
- Francisco Macedo
- Mattia Colnaghi
- Jesse Carrasquedo Jr
- Maciej Gładysz
- Andrés Cárdenas
- Enzo Tarnvanichkul
- Emerson Fittipaldi Jr
Fastest Lap: Kacper Sztuka
Qualifying 2: Rivera inherits pole as Carrasquedo penalised
The second qualifying session of the weekend belonged to Jesse Carrasquedo, who secured pole position with an impressive lap. However, the celebration was short-lived: the Mexican driver received a five-place grid penalty for ignoring yellow flags during qualifying, dropping him down the order for Race 2.
As a result, Ernesto Rivera inherited pole, with Kacper Sztuka alongside him on the front row. This set the stage for a thrilling showdown between the two emerging title contenders.
Race 2: Rivera claims maiden victory
Ernesto Rivera seized his opportunity from pole and controlled the final race of the weekend to claim his first Eurocup-3 victory. The start was frenetic, with Sztuka initially losing out to Jules Caranta and Mattia Colnaghi, before both drivers engaged in a fierce exchange with the Pole during the middle phase of the race.
There was only one safety car intervention, coming on lap two to recover Francisco Macedo’s stranded car at Turn 8. At the restart, Colnaghi and Sztuka passed Caranta on lap six, only for the Frenchman to spectacularly reclaim the place by sweeping around the outside of Turn 1 the very next lap. Caranta then sealed second place with another bold move around the outside of Turn 4, dropping Sztuka to third.
Colnaghi’s afternoon ended in disappointment when a 10-second penalty for overtaking off-track at Turn 5 demoted him from fourth to seventh.
A win from pole for Ernesto Rivera!
— EuroCup-3 (@Eurocup_3) June 8, 2025
WHAT A DRIVE 🔥 #Eurocup3 pic.twitter.com/eslXZyoTCZ
Eurocup-3 Portimão Race 2 Results
- Ernesto Rivera
- Jules Cantara
- Kacper Sztuka
- Enzo Tarnvanichkul
- Valerio Rinicella
- Maciej Gładysz
- Mattia Colnaghi
- James Egozi
- Emerson Fittipaldi Jr
- Garrett Berry
Pole: Jesse Carrasquedo Jr
Fastest Lap: Jesse Carrasquedo Jr
Rivera leads as championship battle tightens
The Portimão weekend proved pivotal in reshaping the championship narrative. With a pair of podium finishes, including his maiden Eurocup-3 win, Ernesto Rivera now leads the standings on 66 points, five clear of Kacper Sztuka.
Former leader Mattia Colnaghi endured a challenging round but remains firmly in contention in third, while standout performances from Jules Caranta, James Egozi, and Jesse Carrasquedo have added even more intrigue to an already unpredictable season.
The fight for supremacy continues as the series heads toward Round 3, with momentum firmly on Rivera’s side—but with multiple drivers within striking distance, the 2025 Eurocup-3 title race is far from settled.
Drivers’ Championship Standings after Eurocup-3 Round 2 at Portimão
- Ernesto Rivera – 66 points
- Kacper Sztuka – 61 points
- Mattia Colnaghi – 59 points
- Valerio Rinicella – 48 points
- Jules Cantara – 47 points
- Jesse Carrasquedo Jr – 42 points
- Maciej Gładysz – 39 points
- James Egozi – 33 points
- Garrett Berry – 21 points
- Enzo Tarnvanichkul – 16 points
- Andrés Cárdenas – 11 points
- Yani Stevenheydens – 10 points
- Alexander Abkhazava – 9 points
- Francisco Macedo – 7 points
- Emerson Fittipaldi Jr – 3 points
- Oscar Wurz – 1 point
- Kai Daryanani – 1 point
Teams’ Championship Standings after Eurocup-3 Round 2 at Portimão
- MP Motorsport – 124 points
- Campos Racing – 115 points
- Griffin Core – 103 points
- Palou Motorsport – 33 points
- Saintéloc Racing – 21 points
- KCL by MP Motorsport – 10 points
- GRS Team – 10 points
- Drivex – 1 point
