Al Azhari strengthens P2 bid with Hungaroring double podium
Round 7 - Hungaroring - Report
Keanu Al Azhari strengthened his bid for second in the 2026 Eurocup-3 Drivers’ Championship with a double podium at the Hungaroring, finishing second in Race 1 before taking third in Race 2 at the penultimate round of the season.
Keanu made an excellent start to Saturday’s race, moving from third on the grid into second through the opening corners. He maintained his position at the front and showed impressive pace throughout to secure another podium, keeping himself firmly in contention as the championship battle intensified.
He followed up that result on Sunday with another strong drive, climbing onto the podium once again in a Race 2 that finished under Safety Car conditions. The double podium provides valuable momentum ahead of the season finale in Barcelona, where Keanu will continue his fight for second in the standings.
Santino Panetta also enjoyed a productive weekend, finishing sixth in Race 1 and eighth in Race 2. Gino Trappa took 22nd and 15th respectively, while Stefan Bostandjiev finished 16th in Race 1 before retiring from Sunday’s race following an incident.
Race 1
Starting third, Keanu made a superb getaway and surged into second as the field shuffled through the opening corners. He remained among the front-runners as the race progressed and recorded the fastest lap during the contest, underlining his pace on the way to the runner-up finish.
Santino made strong progress from ninth on the grid to secure sixth, while Stefan recovered from 21st to finish 16th. Gino endured a difficult race after dropping down the order in the early stages, eventually finishing 22nd.
The podium was an important result for Keanu who arrived in Hungary third in the Drivers’ Championship on 163 points, just two behind Lammers in second.
Keanu Al Azhari:
“I’m really happy with the result. We made a great start to move into second and had strong pace throughout the race. It’s an important podium for us at this stage of the championship, and we’ll keep pushing to carry this momentum into the final round.”
Race 2
Keanu started fourth for Race 2 and once again delivered a strong performance, crossing the line in third to secure his second podium of the weekend. Santino followed up his Saturday result with another top-10 finish in eighth, while Gino finished 15th.
The race featured multiple Safety Car periods, with the final intervention coming with seven minutes remaining following an incident involving Stefan. The field remained neutralised until the finish, leaving no opportunity for a late restart. Stefan was forced to retire.
Keanu’s third place completed an excellent weekend for the Emirati driver, while Santino’s consistent results ensured further valuable points.
Bruin Beasley, Hitech Eurocup-3 Team Manager:
“It’s been a positive weekend for Keanu, with a strong second place in Race 1 followed by another podium in Race 2. He’s shown great pace and consistency, and we’re right in the fight for second in the championship heading into the finale. Santino also delivered two solid results, while it was unfortunate to lose Stefan from Race 2 after the late incident. We’ll take the positives from Hungary and give it everything in Barcelona.”
Next stop: Barcelona
The 2026 Eurocup-3 Championship concludes at Barcelona from 6–8 November, with Round 8 set to decide the final championship positions. Keanu heads into the finale firmly in contention for second in the Drivers’ Championship following his double podium in Hungary. Hitech will aim to carry this momentum into the final round, maximise its points across all four cars and finish the campaign on a high.
