GriffinCore Campos Racing secures a strong haul of points at Monza
The fourth round of the 2026 Eurocup-3 season, held at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza and marking the halfway point of the championship ahead of the summer break, once again delivered a valuable haul of points for the overall standings. All four GriffinCore Campos Racing drivers finished in points-paying positions at some point during the weekend. Alex Powell did so on both days after staging comebacks in both races, besides he was second on the rookie class podium; while Patrick Heuzenroeder and Thomas Strauven scored points on Saturday, with Enzo Tarnvanichkul doing so on Sunday.
During Friday's two free practice sessions, Powell and Heuzenroeder were GriffinCore Campos Racing's best representatives in the morning session, finishing third and fourth respectively with times of 1m41.464s and 1m41.607s. The order was reversed in the afternoon, as Strauven and Tarnvanichkul moved up to second and third respectively with laps of 1m41.886s and 1m42.120s. The first qualifying session was scheduled for Saturday morning shortly before nine o'clock, determining the starting grid for the opening race. In a closely fought Q1, GriffinCore Campos Racing's drivers were once again among the front-runners. Powell stopped the clock at 1m41.496s, good enough for third place in the standings, although a subsequent five-place grid penalty for James Egozi, who had initially qualified second, promoted the American to the front row. Heuzenroeder, fifth fastest with a lap of 1m41.746s, also moved up to fourth as a result of the aforementioned penalty. Strauven qualified tenth for Saturday's race, while Tarnvanichkul started 17th.
The race took place in the afternoon, with temperatures higher than those experienced by the drivers earlier in the day. When the lights went out, Powell was left stranded at the start. Fortunately, all the drivers managed to avoid the American, who was able to get going again and rejoin at the back of the field. In the early stages, Heuzenroeder moved up to second place at the end of the opening lap, while Strauven had also gained several positions to run sixth.
Slipstreaming was to play a crucial role in the outcome of the race, with Keanu Al Azhari passing Heuzenroeder at the first chicane after taking advantage of the tow. Meanwhile, Strauven was also involved in a fierce battle for sixth with Christopher El Feghali. By then, both Tarnvanichkul and, above all, Powell were charging through the field. In a battle involving no fewer than six drivers, including Heuzenroeder and Strauven, positions changed hands several times until a safety car period caused by a car going off track regrouped the field. With four minutes remaining, the action resumed, with Heuzenroeder snatching fifth place from Al Azhari with the chequered flag already in sight. Strauven did likewise with Ean Eyckmans to finish seventh. Powell completed his superb comeback by taking tenth place and scoring one point, with Tarnvanichkul following him home in 11th.
On Sunday, during the second qualifying session, the drivers from the Alzira-based outfit struggled to put their best sectors together on the same lap. Combined with a red flag with five minutes remaining — as had also happened the previous day — this made the session particularly challenging for everyone. Heuzenroeder set the ninth-fastest time with a lap of 1m42.125s, while Strauven, Tarnvanichkul and Powell occupied 13th to 15th respectively on the grid.
The Sunday race, also scheduled for 30 minutes plus one lap, was littered with incidents that turned it into a genuine test of survival. At the start, Heuzenroeder and Strauven established themselves inside the top ten in the early stages, battling with René Lammers and Santino Panetta. Running eighth and ninth, however, an incident after three laps forced them into the pits, dropping them down the order. By the time the safety car was deployed on lap four following contact at the First Variante, Powell had already moved into the top ten in ninth, with Tarnvanichkul two places behind. The race resumed, but another incident at the first chicane involving the leaders left further casualties and allowed the GriffinCore Campos Racing drivers to continue climbing the order as the safety car was deployed once again.
When it headed back into the pits, Powell overtook Alceu Feldmann to move into sixth, but another incident that left three cars out of the race forced another neutralisation. The race finally resumed with three minutes remaining, with Powell immediately going on the attack and passing Ean Eyckmans to move into fifth. The American was eventually able to put himself in contention for a podium finish, crossing the finish line in fourth after a superb performance. Tarnvanichkul, who was also involved in a number of battles, eventually finished ninth. Heuzenroeder and Strauven were classified 17th and 18th respectively at the chequered flag.
With the first half of the season now complete, Powell sits sixth in the drivers' standings with 60 points. Heuzenroeder is also inside the top ten, in ninth place with 41 points. In the teams' standings, GriffinCore Campos Racing lies third with 124 points.
The next round will take place at Silverstone on the weekend of 11-13 September.
