Patrick Heuzenroeder secures strong fifth place in Silverstone downpour
The second half of the 2026 Eurocup-3 season got underway this weekend at Silverstone Circuit, which hosted the fifth round of the calendar. GriffinCore Campos Racing travelled to the British venue with its four Dallara 326-Toyotas entrusted to Patrick Heuzenroeder, Enzo Tarnvanichkul, Thomas Strauven and Francisco Macedo, the latter making his return to the championship with the Alzira-based team. In a weekend that presented the drivers with virtually every type of condition and challenge, the GriffinCore Campos Racing quartet showed a clear upward trend throughout the event.
In free practice, Heuzenroeder was fourth fastest with a lap of 1m55.764s. Strauven also made a positive start, taking sixth place with a 1m56.044s lap, while Tarnvanichkul was seventh with a time of 1m56.096s. Macedo adapted quickly to the car and stopped the clock at 1m57.689s. The two qualifying sessions followed in the afternoon, with a similar pattern emerging.
Heuzenroeder was once again GriffinCore Campos Racing’s fastest driver in Q1, taking fifth place with a 1m51.569s lap. Tarnvanichkul was 11th with a 1m51.944s effort, while Macedo and Strauven were further back in 13th and 14th respectively, with times of 1m52.106s and 1m52.165s.
In Q2, Heuzenroeder once again matched his previous position, qualifying fifth with a 1m50.959s lap. Tarnvanichkul improved to seventh with a 1m50.989s effort, while Macedo continued his rapid progress to take 11th place with a 1m51.391s lap. Strauven was 13th, setting a new personal best of 1m51.467s.
Saturday morning’s race featured plenty of action, with the team’s drivers involved in several close battles. Heuzenroeder held on to fifth place at the start, while Tarnvanichkul moved up to ninth after just one lap, at the end of which the Safety Car was deployed following an incident. Racing resumed on lap five, with Heuzenroeder now engaged in a close battle with Gianmarco Pradel. Further back, Strauven was also gaining positions at the expense of Stefan Bostandijev.
Tarnvanichkul’s recovery was equally impressive and, with ten minutes remaining, he had already caught up with the group led by Heuzenroeder, with the pair then battling for sixth place. Unfortunately, Heuzenroeder was forced out of the race with just a few minutes remaining and could not reach the chequered flag. Tarnvanichkul therefore crossed the finish line in sixth place, although a subsequent five-second penalty for an incident dropped him to ninth. Strauven finished 12th, inheriting the position initially occupied by Macedo, who lost two places following another five-second penalty.
Sunday’s race unfolded in completely different fashion as the rain that is commonplace at Silverstone at this time of year finally arrived. In extremely challenging conditions, where even the smallest mistake could result in a driver going off track, the GriffinCore Campos Racing drivers found an ideal opportunity to recover positions. Heuzenroeder first overtook Pradel and then Keanu Al Azhari to establish himself inside the top five, as the track gradually dried and lap times began to come down.
Tarnvanichkul and Macedo also climbed through the field and, before the halfway point, were running ninth and tenth respectively. At the chequered flag, Heuzenroeder secured an impressive fifth place, earning valuable points that were a deserved reward for his efforts throughout the weekend. Tarnvanichkul and Macedo finished ninth and tenth respectively, while Strauven once again narrowly missed out on the points in 13th place.
The Eurocup-3 field will return to the Iberian Peninsula for the next round, with Circuito de Jerez set to host the sixth event of the season on 26 and 27 September.
