The final round of the EuroCup-3 season took place this weekend at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. The team ended the year with a bittersweet weekend, scoring points but leaving with the feeling that the results could have been even better.
Round 8 of the EuroCup-3 season was held on November 15–16. The iconic Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya hosted the season finale, after which the championship bids farewell to the Tatuus T-318 as it prepares to welcome a new era.
GRS Team brought a highly competitive line-up to close out a very challenging year, in which the team was unable to contest the full season. Yani Stevenheydens, who had raced with the team at the start of the year, returned to the championship after a long absence. Alongside him, Maximilian Popov made his EuroCup-3 debut with GRS, taking an important step forward in his career after shining in Formula 4.
Both drivers showed strong pace from day one. Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday were dedicated to testing, allowing the drivers and the team to enter the weekend fully prepared.
Saturday confirmed that both our drivers had the potential to achieve strong results. In qualifying, Popov claimed an impressive P11 on his debut, while Stevenheydens -who had not raced in EuroCup-3 since June- secured 15th.
The Belgian driver launched himself into the fight for the Top 10 thanks to a great start in the race. Popov faced a more complicated opening lap, but both drivers managed to recover positions and capitalise on others’ mistakes to finish inside the Top 10 in what was an excellent race for the team. Stevenheydens finished 8th, with Popov taking 10th place.
On Sunday, the day began with the second qualifying session. In wet track conditions and on rain tyres, Stevenheydens delivered an excellent session and qualified in P8. Popov had a tougher time and could only manage 21st.
The weekend ended with a somewhat disappointing Race 2. Stevenheydens dropped out of the Top 10 in the opening laps and, despite fighting hard to re-enter the points, had to settle for 11th place. Popov gained several positions at the start and showed good pace, but track limits penalties compromised his final result, leaving him in 19th.
EuroCup-3 now concludes its third season. For GRS, it has been a complicated campaign, particularly due to being unable to participate in all rounds. However, we were able to end the year with a competitive weekend in which the team once again demonstrated its ability to fight for strong positions, supported by a driver pairing that delivered their maximum.
After three seasons, the championship closes its first era, defined by the use of the Tatuus T-318. Now it is time to continue working to face next season -one that is set to be more competitive than ever- fully prepared.
