Thomas Strauven and Maximilian Popov End the Season with More Points in Barcelona
The Circuit de Barcelona – Catalunya brought the 2026 Eurocup-3 season to a close with the final two races of the calendar taking place last weekend. GriffinCore Campos Racing travelled to the Spanish venue with its four Dallara 326-Toyota cars, driven by Thomas Strauven, Maximilian Popov, Enzo Tarnvanichkul and Matteo Giaccardi, aiming to finish the campaign on a positive note.
Following the collective test organised by the championship on Thursday and Friday's free practice sessions, Saturday marked the first major competitive challenge with the opening qualifying session. With thirty cars on track and just twenty minutes available, finding the perfect moment to set a competitive lap was crucial. Strauven, who had recorded a purple sector on one of his attempts, was among those unable to complete their flying lap. Tarnvanichkul eventually secured the eleventh-fastest time with a 1m33.116s lap. Strauven and Popov shared the eighth row of the grid, posting times of 1m33.337s and 1m33.411s respectively. Meanwhile, Giaccardi, making his debut in the category, stopped the clock at 1m33.498s to qualify eighteenth.
Saturday's opening race got off to a difficult start for GriffinCore Campos Racing. A multiple-car incident at the first chicane eliminated both Tarnvanichkul and Giaccardi, while Popov was also caught up in the incident but managed to continue. The safety car was subsequently deployed and remained on track until lap four. By that stage, Strauven had already climbed to eleventh position. Popov's misfortune continued when he was hit from behind by another competitor, sending him into a spin. Strauven, meanwhile, continued to make progress, overtaking Kacper Sztuka first and Rafaël Pérard shortly afterwards. After nineteen laps had been completed within the thirty-minute race, the Belgian crossed the finish line in ninth position. Popov, having been affected by the various incidents, finished twenty-fourth.
Sunday's second qualifying session started slightly later than scheduled due to the persistent fog covering the circuit. On this occasion, Strauven and Popov managed to deliver stronger performances, securing places on the fourth row of the grid. Strauven qualified seventh with a 1m32.752s lap, while Popov was eighth in 1m32.776s. Tarnvanichkul and Giaccardi would start further down the order, with respective lap times of 1m33.030s and 1m33.151s.
At the start of the second race, Strauven gained one position and climbed as high as sixth during the opening stages, while Popov was also involved in a close battle for the leading positions. The safety car was deployed on lap six, during which Tarnvanichkul was forced to retire. Four laps later, the race resumed, although another incident shortly afterwards brought out the safety car once again. Racing finally returned to green-flag conditions from lap thirteen, with the field completing the remaining laps without further interruptions. Strauven and Popov made the most of the opportunity, delivering a solid performance to cross the finish line in seventh and eighth positions respectively.
With the Barcelona event now completed, GriffinCore Campos Racing brings its 2026 Eurocup-3 campaign to an end. The Alzira-based team will now turn its attention to analysing the lessons learned throughout the championship and continuing preparations for the 2027 season. The experience gained with the Dallara 326-Toyota and the work carried out alongside its drivers will provide an important foundation as the team continues to develop and looks ahead to its next challenges.
Photos: Fotocar13
