Patrick Heuzenroeder converted reverse-grid pole into victory in a chaotic Eurocup-3 Sprint Race at Imola, surviving multiple Safety Car periods and a red flag to claim the win. The Griffin Core by Campos driver started alongside Juan Cota on the front row, with Enzo Tarnvanichkul and Kacper Sztuka lining up directly behind on the second row.
After finishing second in Race 1, Heuzenroeder made the most of his front-row starting position, while Race 1 winner Ean Eyckmans faced a tougher challenge from eighth on the reverse grid.
Red Flag immediately on Lap 1
Heuzenroeder got off the line ahead of Cota, but Tarnvanichkul did not get away at the start, with Alceu Feldmann slamming into the back of him. As Tarnvanichkul was hit, he then also took out Stefan Bostandjiev as an innocent bystander, as well as Santino Panetta.
When racing resumed following the red flag, the field returned to the circuit behind the Safety Car, with the race set to restart via a rolling start.
As the green flag waved with 12 and a half minutes remaining, more drama unfolded almost immediately. Heitor Dall’Agnol and Bart Harrison made contact, with Harrison spinning after the collision. Dall’Agnol sustained front-left suspension damage and went straight on through the Villeneuve Chicane. The Safety Car was deployed once again to recover the stranded Palou Motorsport car, while Harrison returned to the pit lane for a new front wing.
The second restart also failed to produce a clean racing lap. With seven minutes remaining, Heuzenroeder led the field away, but another incident unfolded into Turn 1. Renzo Barbuy slowed to avoid the cars ahead, only for Rafaël Pérard to collide with the rear of his car. The impact spun Barbuy into the gravel, prompting yet another Safety Car intervention.
Heuzenroeder claims the Sprint Race victory
With just three minutes left on the clock, the field had still not completed a full racing lap under green flag conditions. On the third restart, Sztuka attempted an overtake on Cota but ran wide onto the grass. Although he rejoined the circuit, the excursion dropped him several positions.
Keanu Al Azhari then made an ambitious move on Ean Eyckmans into Tamburello but ran wide through the gravel. As he rejoined the circuit over the kerb, his left-rear suspension failed, forcing him to pull off in a safe location and bringing out a yellow flag. Alex Powell also ran wide on the opposite side of the circuit during the same sequence but managed to keep his Griffin Core by Campos car running.
Further down the order, Nacho Tuñón outbraked himself, running straight into the gravel. Unable to continue, he eventually returned to the pit lane on the final lap.
Heuzenroeder crossed the line to win his maiden Eurocup-3 Sprint Race, with Cota in P2 and Trappa in P3. Cota later recieved a 10 second time penalty, dropping him off the podium positions, with Pradel inheriting P3.
2026 Eurocup-3: Imola: Sprint Race: Results: Provisional Classification
- #5 Patrick Heuzenroeder – Griffin Core by Campos
- #84 Genaro Trappa (R) – Hitech
- #12 Gianmarco Pradel – MP Motorsport
- #4 Ean Eyckmans (R) – MP Motorsport
- #2 Kacper Sztuka – Tecnicar by Amtog
- #48 James Egozi – Palou Motorsport
- #41 Alex Powell (R) – Griffin Core by Campos
- #44 Rayan Caretti (R) – GRS
- #9 Thomas Strauven (R) – Griffin Core by Campos
- #11 Juan Cota – TC Racing *
- #91 Lorenzo Campos (R) – Double R
- #26 Tommy Harfield (R) – Double R
- #99 René Lammers (R) – MP Motorsport
- #6 Stylianos Kolovos (R) – Drivex
- #7 Christopher El Feghali (R) – Drivex *
- #16 Bianca Bustamante – Palou Motorsport
- #77 Bart Harrison (R) – Double R
- #3 Edouard Borgna – Drivex
- #20 Benjamin Beckley (R) – Tecnicar by Amtog
- #70 Yani Stevenheydens – GRS *
- #22 Nacho Tuñón – Tecnicar by Amtog (+1 Lap)
- #14 Keanu Al Azhari – Hitech (+ 2 laps)
Not Classified
- #31 Renzo Barbuy (R) – TC Racing
- #33 Rafaël Pérard (R) – Palou Motorsport
- #27 Heitor Dall’Agnol (R) – Palou Motorsport
- #10 Enzo Tarnvanichkul – Griffin Core by Campos
- #8 Alceu Feldmann – MP Motorsport
- #37 Filippo Fiorentino (R) – Drivex
- #23 Stefan Bostandjiev – Hitech
- #39 Santino Panetta (R) – Hitech
Penalties
- 10 second time penalties – El Feghali, Cota and Stevenheydens
- Drop of 3 grid positions in the next race the driver participates in (not a Sprint) – Dall’Agnol
- 5 second time penalty – Stevenheydens
