Al Azhari crowned Eurocup-3 Vice-Champion with Barcelona victory
Round 8 – Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya – Report
Keanu Al Azhari ended an outstanding 2026 Eurocup-3 campaign by securing Vice-Champion honours with a commanding victory in the final race at Barcelona. Starting from pole, the Hitech driver won by five seconds to complete a superb weekend after finishing second and recording the fastest lap in Race 1.
The result capped a remarkable debut season for Hitech in Eurocup-3, with Keanu recording eight victories and four further podiums. His consistency was equally impressive, with just two finishes outside the top 10 all season.
Santino Panetta finished ninth in Sunday’s race, Gino Trappa took 12th, while Stefan Bostandjiev was unfortunately forced to retire.
Race 1
Keanu qualified fifth for Saturday’s opening race, with Gino Trappa eighth, Santino Panetta 13th and Stefan Bostandjiev 14th.
Keanu moved into fourth on the opening lap, while Gino held eighth, Stefan climbed to 11th and Santino dropped to 14th. An early Safety Car followed an incident elsewhere in the field and after the restart, Keanu passed Sztuka down the inside on the start/finish straight to move into third.
With 18 minutes remaining, Egozi was doing his best to keep Keanu behind, while Keanu was also keeping Lammers, another of Keanu’s championship rivals at bay.
With four minutes remaining, Keanu produced a superb move around the outside of Egozi at Turn 2 to take second. He then pursued race leader Dall’Agnol but ran out of time to challenge for victory.
Keanu finished second and recorded the fastest lap. Gino recovered to seventh, Santino finished 11th and Stefan took 15th.
The result left Keanu second in the championship on 197 points, eight ahead of Heitor Dall’Agnol heading into Sunday’s finale.
Race 2
Keanu made the perfect start to Sunday, securing pole position for the final race. Santino qualified ninth, Gino took 12th, while Stefan lined up 17th.
Starting from pole position, Keanu made an excellent start and quickly established himself at the front, building a four-second advantage over Eyckmans.
A Safety Car intervention extinguished his advantage and brought the field back together, but Keanu remained composed after the restart and continued to push.
He ultimately pulled clear to take a commanding five-second victory, securing Vice-Champion honours in emphatic fashion.
Santino finished ninth to secure another top-10 result, while Gino crossed the line in 12th. Unfortunately, Stefan was forced to retire.
A successful debut season
Hitech’s first Eurocup-3 campaign saw the team establish itself among the front-runners, with Keanu leading its challenge through eight victories and four additional podiums.
His success at the Red Bull Ring, Silverstone, Jerez and Barcelona, alongside consistent performances throughout the year, secured a deserved second place in the Drivers’ Championship. Finishing outside the top 10 on just two occasions, his consistency was a defining feature of an outstanding campaign.
Santino also enjoyed a productive rookie campaign, scoring 34 points and claiming Rookie podiums.
Keanu Al Azhari:
“What a way to end the year. It's had its ups and downs, but I think this is the best possible way to go into the winter. I was just so fast, the car was incredible, and we've done such a good job to get it where it is now. It was so much fun.”
“I executed everything perfectly. I had a lot of time to think and hold a nice, steady rhythm, which is always easier when you don't have anyone behind pressuring you.”
“Now I'm really looking forward to stepping up to FIA Formula 3 with this team.”
Bruin Beasley, Hitech Eurocup-3 Team Manager:
“It’s been a fantastic way to finish what has been a very special first season in Eurocup-3 for Hitech. Keanu has been exceptional throughout the year, and to finish as Vice-Champion with eight victories is a tremendous achievement. His consistency, speed and determination have been outstanding, and he thoroughly deserves this result.
“I also want to recognise the efforts of Gino, Santino and Stefan, who have each played an important part in our campaign. We’ve seen some great progress from all four drivers, and it’s been a real team effort from everyone involved.
Bruin continued:
“To finish third in the Teams' Championship in our debut season is something we can all be very proud of. A huge thank you to every member of the team for their hard work, commitment and dedication throughout the year. We've built a really strong foundation, and we're already looking forward to what comes next.”
