The 2026 Eurocup-3 season began at Circuit Paul Ricard with an intense and closely fought opening round, where James Egozi, Christopher El Feghali and Keanu Al Azhari emerged as the key protagonists, each claiming a victory across a competitive and action-packed weekend.
Friday’s qualifying sessions already set the tone. In Qualifying 1, Al Azhari (Hitech GP) secured pole position with a 1:55.184 lap, edging René Lammers by just four thousandths, with Egozi close behind in third. The margins were minimal, confirming the level of competitiveness. In Qualifying 2, Gianmarco Pradel (MP Motorsport) took pole with a 1:54.902, ensuring varied grids for the two main races.
Race 1 delivered immediate drama. Starting from pole, Al Azhari suffered a problem at the start that dropped him to the back of the field, completely reshuffling the race. From there, the Emirati driver produced one of the standout drives of the weekend, carving his way back through the pack to recover into the points.
At the front, Egozi (Palou Motorsport) seized the opportunity, executing a decisive move to take victory, while Alex Powell secured third place, marking an important podium result behind the leading fight.
The sprint race introduced another key chapter of the weekend. Christopher El Feghali delivered a flawless and controlled performance to take victory, marking the first Eurocup-3 win both for the driver and for Drivex. He was followed by Enzo Tarnvanichkul in second, while Egozi completed the podium in third and also set the fastest lap, once again underlining his consistency and pace across all race formats.
Sunday’s Race 2 saw Al Azhari return to the top step, securing victory for Hitech GP with a composed and commanding performance that underlined both his pace and resilience after the setback in Race 1. Egozi once again featured among the frontrunners, while Ean Eyckmans claimed third place, adding another key podium finisher to the weekend’s competitive order.
The depth of the field was another defining feature of the weekend, with as many as 16 different drivers scoring points, clearly highlighting the competitiveness and balance across the grid.
As a result, Egozi leaves France as the first championship leader of the season, while MP Motorsport heads the teams’ standings after a strong collective performance across the weekend. Full standings available here.
