2026 | Eurocup-3 | Imola | Qualifying 1 & 2 | Egozi sweeps both sessions for Palou Motorsport

James Egozi delivered a commanding Qualifying performance at Imola, topping both Eurocup-3 sessions as Palou Motorsport controlled the fight at the front. The championship leader led Qualifying 1 with a 1:35.636, narrowly beating rookie teammate Heitor Dall’Agnol by 0.034 seconds. Keanu Al Azhari completed the top three for Hitech, only 0.089 seconds off the benchmark.

Egozi then improved to a 1:35.425 in Qualifying 2, securing another top spot as Palou Motorsport again filled two of the first three positions. Rafael Perard claimed second, while Al Azhari took third and stayed firmly in contention across both sessions.

Egozi leads Palou front-row lockout in Qualifying 1

Egozi, who was fastest in the Official Previous Test sessions, set the early standard in Qualifying 1 with a 1:35.636 on his seventh lap. The Palou Motorsport driver completed only eight laps, but his best effort stood as the fastest time in the opening session.

Dall’Agnol produced an impressive response in the second Palou Motorsport entry. The Brazilian rookie posted a 1:35.670 on the same lap number, falling just 0.034 seconds short of Egozi.

Al Azhari kept Hitech in the lead fight with a 1:35.725. His lap left him 0.089 seconds away from pole, while Perard secured fourth and gave Palou Motorsport three cars inside the top four.

Ean Eyckmans completed the top five for MP Motorsport. He led teammate Gianmarco Pradel, while Christopher El Feghali placed seventh for Drivex. Genaro Trappa, Kacper Sztuka and Enzo Tarnvanichkul completed the top 10.

The leading group remained closely matched despite Palou Motorsport’s advantage. Just 0.296 seconds covered the first four drivers, while less than one second separated Egozi from Tarnvanichkul in 10th.

Red flags disrupt Lammers and Panetta

Several drivers struggled to complete clean runs during the opening session.

René Lammers and Santino Panetta both caused red flags, and race control deleted each driver’s best lap under Article 30.7. Lammers ultimately finished 30th after recording a 1:42.652, while Panetta placed 20th with a 1:37.178.

The interruptions added further pressure in a short session where track position and clean execution mattered. As a result, drivers who completed their best laps before the stoppages gained a valuable advantage.

2026 Eurocup-3: Imola: Qualifying 1: Results

1. #48 James Egozi – Palou Motorsport – 1:35.636
2. #27 Heitor Dall’Agnol (R) – Palou Motorsport – 1:35.670
3. #14 Keanu Al Azhari – Hitech – 1:35.725
4. #33 Rafael Perard (R) – Palou Motorsport – 1:35.932
5. #4 Ean Eyckmans (R) – MP Motorsport – 1:36.188
6. #12 Gianmarco Pradel – MP Motorsport – 1:36.370
7. #7 Christopher El Feghali (R) – Drivex – 1:36.442
8. #84 Genaro Trappa (R) – Hitech – 1:36.497
9. #2 Kacper Sztuka – Tecnicar by Amtog – 1:36.523
10. #10 Enzo Tarnvanichkul – Griffin Core by Campos – 1:36.634
11. #11 Juan Cota (R) – TC Racing – 1:36.639
12. #5 Patrick Heuzenroeder – Griffin Core by Campos – 1:36.772
13. #41 Alex Powell (R) – Griffin Core by Campos – 1:36.774
14. #77 Bart Harrison (R) – Double R – 1:36.817
15. #9 Thomas Strauven (R) – Griffin Core by Campos – 1:36.834
16. #8 Alceu Feldmann – MP Motorsport – 1:36.948
17. #37 Filippo Fiorentino (R) – Drivex – 1:37.142
18. #22 Nacho Tuñón – Tecnicar by Amtog – 1:37.152
19. #23 Stefan Bostandjiev – Hitech – 1:37.158
20. #39 Santino Panetta (R) – Hitech – 1:37.178
21. #26 Tommy Harfield (R) – Double R – 1:37.238
22. #91 Lorenzo Campos (R) – Double R – 1:37.282
23. #6 Stylianos Kolovos (R) – Drivex – 1:37.477
24. #16 Bianca Bustamante – Palou Motorsport – 1:37.679
25. #31 Renzo Barbuy (R) – TC Racing – 1:37.728
26. #44 Rayan Caretti (R) – GRS – 1:37.749
27. #70 Yani Stevenheydens (R) – GRS – 1:37.759
28. #3 Édouard Borgna – Drivex – 1:38.212
29. #20 Benjamin Beckley (R) – Tecnicar by Amtog – 1:38.722
30. #99 René Lammers (R) – MP Motorsport – 1:42.652

Egozi lowers the benchmark in Qualifying 2

Egozi then raised the standard again in Qualifying 2.

The American improved to a 1:35.425 on lap six, beating his own Qualifying 1 benchmark by 0.211 seconds. His lap also secured a second session-topping result for Palou Motorsport.

Perard moved into second with a 1:35.475. The French rookie finished only 0.050 seconds behind Egozi and continued Palou Motorsport’s strong run at Imola.

Al Azhari took third with a 1:35.489, just 0.014 seconds behind Perard. Dall’Agnol followed in fourth with a 1:35.555, giving Palou Motorsport first, second and fourth in the session.

Pradel led MP Motorsport’s effort in fifth, ahead of Sztuka in sixth. Eyckmans, Trappa, Tuñón and El Feghali completed the top 10.

The leading four all broke into the 1:35s, while only 0.130 seconds covered Egozi, Perard, Al Azhari and Dall’Agnol.

Palou Motorsport controls the decisive laps

Palou Motorsport carried its Qualifying 1 strength into the second session and converted it into another dominant result.

Egozi took both session-topping times, while Dall’Agnol and Perard each secured a front-row position across the two Qualifying runs. That consistency gives the team a strong platform for the weekend’s main races.

Al Azhari remained the closest non-Palou Motorsport challenger. The Hitech driver finished third in both sessions and stayed within 0.089 seconds in Qualifying 1 and 0.064 seconds in Qualifying 2.

Behind the leading quartet, Pradel and Sztuka produced competitive second-session laps, while Eyckmans and Trappa kept rookies inside the top eight.

Panetta did not record a listed time in Qualifying 2. The provisional classification also noted a maximum qualifying time of 1:44.967.

2026 Eurocup-3: Imola: Qualifying 2: Results

1. #48 James Egozi – Palou Motorsport – 1:35.425
2. #33 Rafael Perard (R) – Palou Motorsport – 1:35.475
3. #14 Keanu Al Azhari – Hitech – 1:35.489
4. #27 Heitor Dall’Agnol (R) – Palou Motorsport – 1:35.555
5. #12 Gianmarco Pradel – MP Motorsport – 1:35.826
6. #2 Kacper Sztuka – Tecnicar by Amtog – 1:35.896
7. #4 Ean Eyckmans (R) – MP Motorsport – 1:36.144
8. #84 Genaro Trappa (R) – Hitech – 1:36.154
9. #22 Nacho Tuñón – Tecnicar by Amtog – 1:36.197
10. #7 Christopher El Feghali (R) – Drivex – 1:36.231
11. #23 Stefan Bostandjiev – Hitech – 1:36.351
12. #10 Enzo Tarnvanichkul – Griffin Core by Campos – 1:36.420
13. #9 Thomas Strauven (R) – Griffin Core by Campos – 1:36.440
14. #11 Juan Cota (R) – TC Racing – 1:36.444
15. #91 Lorenzo Campos (R) – Double R – 1:36.503
16. #41 Alex Powell (R) – Griffin Core by Campos – 1:36.506
17. #37 Filippo Fiorentino (R) – Drivex – 1:36.595
18. #77 Bart Harrison (R) – Double R – 1:36.600
19. #99 René Lammers (R) – MP Motorsport – 1:36.631
20. #5 Patrick Heuzenroeder – Griffin Core by Campos – 1:36.632
21. #26 Tommy Harfield (R) – Double R – 1:36.799
22. #8 Alceu Feldmann – MP Motorsport – 1:37.074
23. #70 Yani Stevenheydens (R) – GRS – 1:37.090
24. #16 Bianca Bustamante – Palou Motorsport – 1:37.256
25. #44 Rayan Caretti (R) – GRS – 1:37.422
26. #6 Stylianos Kolovos (R) – Drivex – 1:37.422
27. #31 Renzo Barbuy (R) – TC Racing – 1:37.549
28. #20 Benjamin Beckley (R) – Tecnicar by Amtog – 1:38.038
29. #3 Édouard Borgna – Drivex – 1:38.231
30. #39 Santino Panetta (R) – Hitech – No time listed

Egozi strengthens title momentum at Imola

Egozi entered Qualifying after setting the pace in the second Official Previous Test, and he carried that momentum into both competitive sessions.

His double Qualifying sweep gives him a clear advantage before racing begins, while Palou Motorsport’s depth places the team in an equally strong position. Dall’Agnol and Perard both delivered front-row performances, and each rookie kept pressure on the championship leader.

However, Al Azhari remains a significant threat. He qualified third in both sessions and stayed within one tenth of Egozi’s best time in each run.

Therefore, Palou Motorsport holds the early advantage at Imola, but the narrow gaps at the front suggest Al Azhari, MP Motorsport and the leading rookies can still challenge once the racing begins.