Hitech stars across the field in thrilling Jarama weekend
Round 2 - Jarama - Report
Hitech enjoyed a strong weekend at Circuito de Madrid Jarama during Round 2 of the Eurocup-3 Winter Series, with all four drivers delivering standout performances across a chaotic three-race schedule.
Qualifying 1
The weekend began with Qualifying 1, where Keanu Al Azhari demonstrated impressive pace, securing second on the grid. Stefan Bostandjiev qualified 11th, Santino Panetta 15th, and Gino Trappa 17th.
Race 1 – Keanu Claims Victory
Keanu Al Azhari entered Race 1 as the championship leader and wasted no time in showing his intent. Starting from P2, he applied early pressure on Pradel. By lap 2, a two-car incident brought out the Safety Car, bunching the field together. Gino Trappa had already moved up to 14th, while Stefan Bostandjiev and Santino Panetta battled further back.
When racing resumed, Keanu remained relentless, keeping close to Pradel and waiting for the perfect opportunity. With less than five minutes to go, he executed a brilliant move around the outside, taking the lead with exceptional skill and composure.
Keanu pulled out a significant lead to take victory, marking his second consecutive win and first of the Jarama weekend.
Keanu Al Azhari:
“It means a lot, a wonderful race. Every time I get on track I want to do the best I can and go for the win. Gianmarco raced me very respectfully and we put on a great show. It takes time – calculating, thinking, then I took my chance and it stuck. So glad to give this result for the team – they’ve been working so well.”
Sprint Race – Stefan Bostandjiev Triumphs
The Sprint Race saw Stefan Bostandjiev start from P2 and move into the lead, calmly maintain his position throughout. He went on to claim victory with a composed and controlled performance, demonstrating maturity in his second season of single-seaters after moving up from sports cars.
The race was chaotic behind him, with incidents and multiple Safety Car periods affecting other drivers, but Bostandjiev’s steady pace secured a deserved win for him and the team.
Stefan Bostandjiev:
“Feels good being my second season in single-seaters. Having made the jump from sports cars, I’m super proud. It’s a great feeling to reward the team for all their hard work.”
Qualifying 2
In Qualifying 2, Keanu’s pace was impressive, taking pole position ahead of the weekend’s races. Santino qualified 8th, Stefan 9th, and Gino 13th, positioning Hitech strongly across the grid.
Race 3 – Trappa finishes 4th, Keanu Charges Back to 5th
The polesitter got off to a strong start initially but the race quickly turned eventful. Keanu overcooked the first corner and ran wide into the gravel, dropping to the back of the field, from where he went on to stage a remarkable recovery.
Santino initially fought up to 5th, making fantastic overtakes past El Peghali and Perard, while Gino climbed to 10th and Stefan also worked his way forward.
Multiple Safety Car periods disrupted the race, with one incident affecting Santino, who was forced to pit for a punctured left-rear tyre, dropping him to 25th.
Keanu produced a stunning recovery, overtaking four cars in four corners before the next Safety Car and then passing Pradel to move into 10th. He followed with another decisive move past Harrison, climbing to 9th just before the fourth Safety Car.
With just a minute-and-a-half remaining, Keanu executed one final push, finishing 7th, on the tail of teammate Gino Trappa in 6th, despite missing a chunk out of his nose from earlier contact. Meanwhile, Santino recovered to 16th and Stefan Bostandjiev finished 14th, showing resilience in a chaotic finale.
Following the application of post-race penalties, Gino and Keanu were elevated to 4th and 5th respectively.
The team now looks ahead to the final round at MotorLand Aragón (13–15 March), carrying momentum and valuable lessons from an intense and Jarama weekend.
