Javier Sagrera makes Eurocup-3 debut with podium finish

Sagrera demonstrates great talent with a comeback effort that goes unrewarded in the first race and multiple laps as the leader in the second.

Javier Sagrera and Palou Motorsport have kicked off the season with a podium. The 19-year-old driver secured the third place on the podium in the second race of the weekend, where he led several laps. The day was highly competitive among the top three drivers, who fought for victory throughout the race. With this excellent result, Sagrera concludes the first round of the European competition, which has been filled with changing weather conditions and the corresponding learning experiences.

The first race of the weekend took place under semi-wet conditions, and most drivers opted for dry tires. However, the winner of the race took a risk by choosing wet tires and made the right decision. On the other hand, Javier started from the thirteenth position after facing a setback with his single-seater in the first qualifying session. During the start, he managed to advance several positions and reached the sixth place. However, in a last lap to forget, he lost 20 seconds in just one turn due to a technical problem. Despite this, his achievement of starting on dry tires, which were less suitable for the track conditions, and climbing up to the sixth place, showcases his talent and ability to compete at the top of the overall standings.

"We had consecutive qualifying sessions, and in the first one, there was a misunderstanding regarding the procedure. The Formula 1 pit lane was supposed to have a green light turned on; it happened prematurely, causing us to leave later. We couldn't warm up the tires in advance and didn't complete a single lap with the right temperature. In the last two minutes, the tires were cold, and we ended up in the 13th place."

"In the second qualifying session, I finished third. The top two went out on dry tires, and I was the first with wet tires. The first race was challenging because almost everyone else went with slicks, except for three drivers who eventually formed the podium. I ran the race with slicks on a wet track. I went from 13th to 6th place with two safety car periods. I set the fastest lap among the drivers with slicks. If it weren't for the safety cars, I could have won. In the last lap, I had an electrical problem in the ECU, and the engine shut down. We were stranded."

"I started third on the grid for the second race (Q2 result). I made a great start and took the lead. I led the race almost throughout, but in the end, the tires degraded, and I was overtaken by two drivers in the last three laps. I am very happy because I led for many laps. Now, we need to work on understanding what we need to improve to get better tire performance in the final laps."

Javier Sagrera and Palou Motorsport will continue working at the team's headquarters to prepare for the next race, which will take place at Motorland (Aragon) on May 27th and 28th.