The Eurocup-3 championship reached its halfway point at the legendary Autodromo Nazionale Monza, with Round 4 of the 2025 season providing one of the most dramatic weekends so far. Monza, famed as the “Temple of Speed,” is a circuit that punishes hesitation and rewards bravery. With its endless straights, heavy braking zones, and reliance on slipstreaming, the Italian track traditionally reshapes the competitive order. This year proved no different.
Heading into the event, Poland’s Kacper Sztuka led the standings thanks to a commanding weekend at Paul Ricard. He held 104 points, while Mattia Colnaghi and Ernesto Rivera sat just behind on 99 apiece. Both Italians, Colnaghi and Valerio Rinicella, eyed Monza as home turf where momentum could shift. Rivera, meanwhile, carried renewed confidence after consistently qualifying near the front in earlier rounds. The pressure intensified further with the teams’ standings also finely poised, MP Motorsport leading but Campos Racing and Griffin Core by Campos lurking within striking distance.
Monza promised not just high speeds but also high stakes. The schedule packed all the action into three crucial days, beginning with extended testing on Friday before a frenetic weekend of qualifying and racing. Fans worldwide tuned in through live streams, eager to witness whether Sztuka could extend his lead or whether the chasing pack would strike back. Ultimately, the weekend turned the championship on its head. Rivera and Colnaghi rose to the occasion, Rinicella underlined his consistency, and Sztuka’s campaign faltered in the most punishing of ways.
Qualifying 1: Rivera takes pole as Sztuka struggles
Qualifying 1 on Saturday morning unfolded as one of the closest sessions of the season. The slipstream at Monza often reduces margins to mere hundredths, and this time was no exception. Ernesto Rivera delivered when it mattered most, setting a blistering lap of 1:45.611 to secure pole position. His Campos Racing machine looked perfectly balanced through the Ascari chicane and Parabolica, where fractions of a second often decide outcomes.
Valerio Rinicella, racing in front of his home fans, came agonisingly close. He stopped the clock just 0.015 seconds slower, a margin so narrow it equated to less than two metres at top speed. Maciej Gładysz also impressed, securing third just under half a second back, reminding the paddock of his raw pace. Behind the front three, Jules Caranta and Andrés Cárdenas positioned themselves well inside the top ten, aiming to convert strong starting positions into solid points.
For the championship leaders, however, the session brought frustration. Both Sztuka and Colnaghi struggled to extract maximum performance from their cars. Sztuka complained of balance issues that left him vulnerable on corner exits, while Colnaghi found himself stuck in traffic during his flying laps. As a result, both started Race 1 further down the grid, complicating their quest for vital points.
Nevertheless, the grid confirmed that Monza would once again produce unpredictability. With Rivera on pole, Rinicella threatening from the front row, and chaos often lurking into the Rettifilo chicane, the opening race promised drama. Momentum appeared to be swinging back in Rivera’s favour, though the margins suggested nothing was certain.
Race 1: Rivera claims lights-to-flag victory amid chaos
Race 1 on Saturday afternoon quickly descended into mayhem. At Monza, the opening Rettifilo chicane often sparks chaos, and this time proved no different. Multiple collisions in the midfield triggered the first of four safety car periods, setting the tone for a stop–start contest. Through all the interruptions, Rivera kept his composure at the front. Each restart tested his concentration, yet he never faltered, defending his lead with authority.
Behind him, Andrés Cárdenas took advantage of early incidents to climb into second. Though he briefly cut the escape road at Turn 2, the Peruvian held position and kept pressure on Rivera throughout. Valerio Rinicella, involved in contact on lap one, recovered strongly to secure third place, limiting the damage to his championship challenge.
The decisive moment for the title fight came midway through. While battling inside the top ten, Jesse Carrasquedo misjudged his re-entry at the Variante della Roggia and collided heavily with teammate Kacper Sztuka. The impact sent Sztuka into the barriers and out of the race, handing him his first non-finish of the season. Stewards penalised Carrasquedo with a ten-place grid drop for Race 2.
Further incidents forced more neutralisations, and as the clock ran down, the race finished under the safety car. Rivera crossed the line first to claim a lights-to-flag victory. Cárdenas celebrated a long-awaited podium in second, while Rinicella’s recovery drive netted third. Gładysz secured fourth, his best since Spielberg, as Colnaghi salvaged sixth from a lowly grid slot. For Rivera, the win not only restored confidence but also carried him back into the championship lead.
Eurocup-3 Monza Race 1 Results
- Ernesto Rivera (Pole)
- Andrés Cárdenas
- Valerio Rinicella
- Maciej Gładysz
- Kacper Sztuka
- Mattia Colnaghi
- Emerson Fittipaldi Jr
- James Egozi (Fastest Lap)
- Juan Cota
- Isaac Barashi
Qualifying 2: Caranta steals pole as fine margins define the pack
Sunday’s Qualifying 2 delivered another thrilling session, again dominated by fine margins. This time, Jules Caranta stunned the field by snatching pole position with a lap of 1:45.796. The French driver, representing Campos Racing, produced his best performance of the season so far, beating home hero Mattia Colnaghi by just 0.028 seconds. Ernesto Rivera slotted into third, only 0.070s back, while Rinicella confirmed his consistency with fourth.
Caranta’s effort underlined the unpredictable nature of Eurocup-3. Having struggled in earlier rounds, he capitalised on clear track space and a perfectly timed run in the slipstream. For Colnaghi, the second-place start offered an ideal opportunity to challenge for victory on home soil. Rivera, meanwhile, entered the session brimming with confidence after his Race 1 triumph, while Rinicella kept himself firmly in contention with yet another top-five performance.
Further back, the grid order reflected Saturday’s drama. Sztuka, carrying the scars of his Race 1 retirement, faced a daunting challenge. Technical issues limited his pace, and he could manage only a midfield slot. Carrasquedo, meanwhile, dropped ten places as a penalty for his earlier clash, leaving him a mountain to climb.
As the field prepared for the 18-lap Sprint Race, anticipation soared. Caranta’s pole set the stage for a possible upset, yet the presence of Colnaghi and Rivera directly behind meant pressure would arrive instantly. With slipstream battles guaranteed and tyre wear adding an extra layer of strategy, Qualifying 2 ensured Sunday’s race would be no straightforward affair.
Race 2: Colnaghi edges Rinicella to claim victory
The second race of the weekend offered an entirely different spectacle: less chaotic, yet every bit as tense. At lights out, Caranta squandered his hard-earned pole with a sluggish getaway, immediately losing places to Colnaghi and Rinicella. Though he briefly reclaimed second around the outside at Roggia, he soon found himself under attack from rivals charging through the pack.
At the front, Colnaghi and Rinicella engaged in a fierce duel that lasted the full 18 laps. Rinicella, urged on by local fans, repeatedly closed in through Curva Grande and into Rettifilo, but Colnaghi defended resolutely. Lap after lap, the gap never extended beyond half a second. As the race reached its climax, Rinicella launched a final attack, yet Colnaghi held his line with clinical precision to win by just 0.238 seconds.
Behind them, Enzo Tarnvanichkul seized his chance. The Thai Red Bull Junior carved through the midfield, overtook Caranta, and secured his first podium of the season in third. Rivera’s race proved more complicated. Contact with Gładysz at Roggia dropped him to tenth, but he fought back to finish fifth, limiting the damage to his title campaign.
Sztuka, still struggling with technical gremlins, faded outside the top eight before salvaging ninth. Caranta’s early promise unravelled as he dropped to tenth, a disappointing end after his pole effort. As the chequered flag waved, Colnaghi celebrated a crucial third win of the year, Rinicella reinforced his consistency, and Rivera remained ahead in the standings by a narrow margin.
Eurocup-3 Monza Race 2 Results
- Mattia Colnaghi
- Valerio Rinicella (Fastest Lap)
- Enzo Tarnvanichkul
- James Egozi
- Ernesto Rivera
- Jesse Carrasquedo Jr
- Andrés Cárdenas
- Francisco Macedo
- Kacper Sztuka
- Jules Cantara (Pole)
Rivera claims lead after Sztuka’s disappointing Monza weekend
The battle for the 2025 Eurocup-3 crown has tightened dramatically following Monza. Ernesto Rivera now leads the standings with 136 points after a superb weekend of damage limitation. His lights-to-flag win in Race 1, followed by a determined recovery to fifth in Race 2, proved decisive. Rivera not only regained the lead but also underlined his ability to balance aggression with composure — a trait that increasingly defines champions.
Close behind, Mattia Colnaghi sits on 132 points. The Italian delighted home fans by winning Sunday’s Sprint Race in a thrilling duel with teammate Valerio Rinicella. With three victories already this season, Colnaghi has momentum on his side and poses a constant threat. Rinicella himself remains firmly in contention. His tally of 124 points, built entirely on consistency and podium finishes, leaves him only twelve behind the leader. Without yet securing a victory, his ability to score heavily at every round ensures he stays within striking distance.
Kacper Sztuka, the pre-Monza leader, dropped to fourth on 106 points after a nightmare weekend that included a collision and technical problems. Nevertheless, his early-season pace suggests he could rebound quickly. Further down, Jesse Carrasquedo Jr holds fifth with 70, ahead of Maciej Gładysz (65), James Egozi (63), and Jules Caranta (61). Enzo Tarnvanichkul, boosted by his maiden podium, climbed to ninth on 44, while Andrés Cárdenas’ breakthrough weekend lifted him to tenth with 39.
The championship is now finely balanced, with just 12 points covering the top three. Every race in the second half of the season promises to swing the title pendulum one way or another.
MP Motorsport extends advantage
The Monza weekend also shifted the dynamics of the Teams’ Championship. MP Motorsport extended its advantage at the top, now standing on 286 points. The Dutch outfit benefitted from Colnaghi’s victory and Rinicella’s relentless consistency, ensuring they outscored their closest rivals once again. Their strength in depth — multiple drivers consistently finishing in the points — makes them the benchmark for the rest of the field.
Griffin Core by Campos holds second place with 219 points. Despite not taking a win at Monza, their steady stream of top-five results kept them ahead of the main Campos Racing squad, which sits third on 187. Both teams remain competitive, but the gap to MP Motorsport continues to widen, underlining how crucial their drivers’ consistency will be in the coming rounds.
Further back, Palou Motorsport finds itself in fourth with 64 points, largely dependent on the fortunes of Kacper Sztuka. His difficult weekend prevented the team from closing the gap to the leaders. Saintéloc Racing maintains fifth on 33 points, while KCL by MP Motorsport improved slightly to 16. GRS Team (10) and Drivex (2) round out the table, yet both still search for breakthrough weekends.
The standings suggest MP Motorsport is edging closer to establishing unassailable control, though Campos and Griffin Core remain within range if misfortune strikes. With six rounds left, the fight for second looks set to be equally gripping as the battle at the very top.
Drivers’ Championship Standings after Eurocup-3 Round 4 at Monza
- Ernesto Rivera – 136 points
- Mattia Colnaghi – 132 points
- Valerio Rinicello – 124 points
- Kacper Sztuka – 106 points
- Jesse Carrasquedo Jr – 70 points
- Maciej Gładysz – 65 points
- James Egozi – 63 points
- Jules Cantara – 61 points
- Enzo Tarnvanichkul – 44 points
- Andrés Cárdenas – 39 points
- Garrett Berry – 33 points
- Francisco Macedo – 21 points
- Emerson Fittipaldi Jr – 21 points
- Alexander Abkhazava – 11 point
- Yani Stevenheydens – 10 points
- Kai Daryanani – 3 points
- Oscar Wurz – 2 points
- Juan Cota – 2 points
- Isaac Barashi – 1 point
Teams’ Championship Standings after Eurocup-3 Round 4 at Monza
- MP Motorsport – 286 points
- Griffin Core by Campos – 219 points
- Campos Racing – 187 points
- Palou Motorsport – 64 points
- Saintéloc Racing – 33 points
- KCL by MP Motorsport – 16 points
- GRS Team – 10 points
- Drivex – 2 points
