The 2026 EuroCup-3 Spanish Winter Championship season got underway this weekend in Portimão. In the competitive debut of the Dallara 326, GRS delivered a strong performance, scoring a solid haul of points.
The EuroCup-3 Spanish Winter Championship kicked off on February 21–22 at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve, hosting the opening round of the season and the race debut of the new Dallara 326.
GRS Team attended this key event with its full winter season line-up: Yani Stevenheydens and Gianni Giovanelli. The Belgian star, who competed in several EuroCup-3 rounds with the team in 2025, returned to act as a reference point in these first races with the new car. Meanwhile, the Argentine driver made his championship debut after completing an extensive testing and preparation programme over recent months.
During Thursday and Friday, the drivers took part in pre-event test sessions to finalise car set-up and accumulate valuable mileage at the circuit. The pace shown by both GRS drivers was encouraging, giving the team positive expectations heading into the races.
Saturday began with the first qualifying session. Giovanelli delivered a solid performance, finishing less than two seconds off pole position in his first European qualifying session, placing 25th. Stevenheydens, meanwhile, was unable to complete his final run, scheduled for the closing minutes, due to a red flag, and had to settle for 15th on the grid.
Race 1 saw Yani produce a brilliant recovery following the qualifying setback. He gained several positions at the start, capitalised on rivals’ mistakes, and showed excellent pace to finish 7th, scoring the team’s first points of the season. Giovanelli recovered from a difficult start, but contact with another driver forced him to pit for a front wing replacement. The Argentine was able to continue and ultimately finished 25th.
The Sprint Race proved less fortunate for Giovanelli, as he was involved in another incident and was forced to retire in the early stages. Stevenheydens, however, once again delivered a standout performance. The Belgian spent much of the race fighting for a points position until chaos unfolded during a late restart. Several drivers made mistakes or were caught up in incidents, but Yani avoided trouble and navigated his way through the field to cross the line in sixth place. A post-race penalty for one of his rivals later promoted him to a final classification of P5.
Sunday was a more challenging day. On his birthday, Stevenheydens qualified 16th, while Giovanelli had to start Race 2 from the back of the grid due to a penalty. In the race, the Argentine was forced to retire again following an incident, while Stevenheydens stalled at the start and recovered from the back of the field to finish P16.
This concludes the first weekend of the Dallara era in EuroCup-3. For GRS Team, it was a positive event, with Stevenheydens once again demonstrating his outstanding talent by securing valuable points for the team. Despite his race misfortunes, Giovanelli showed solid and consistent pace on his debut and will undoubtedly be able to convert that speed into finishes and further progress throughout the winter season. The team is already preparing for the next round, which will take place next week at Circuito de Madrid Jarama.
