Mexicans Carrasquedo and Rivera make it 2-1 in Eurocup 3 in Portugal

From the Editorial Staff

La Jornada Newspaper, Sunday, June 8, 2025, p. a11

Mexican drivers Jesse Carrasquedo and Ernesto Rivera took first and second place, respectively, in the first race of the second round of the Eurocup-3, held yesterday at the Algarve International Raceway in Portimão, Portugal.

Carrasquedo, 18, originally from León, Guanajuato, had qualified second for the first of two races scheduled for yesterday, after clocking a lap time of 1:39.902 on the 4,653-kilometer track, a position from which he started to fight for victory.

The Escudería Telmex Telcel driver faced a close battle with his compatriot, who was only 16 years old and tried repeatedly to overtake him; however, he was unable to do so. Polish driver Kacper Sztuka, who started from pole position , crossed the finish line in third place, ahead of Frenchman Jules Caranta.

Sztuka had made a good start, but after the immediate intervention of the safety car due to contact between the Russian Alexander Abkhazava, the American Garrett Berry and the Dane Theodor Jensen at turn five of the first lap, he was surprised by Carrasquedo, who took first place, leaving the Pole in second place, who even fell to fifth place.

Running in first place, Carrasquedo held off the attacks of Rivera, a Mexico City native who became dangerous at the restart following the second safety car following Berry's retirement. A brief duel then erupted between the two tricolors, but the Leonese driver soon pulled away to win his second race after the one he contested in Alcañiz in 2024, also in Eurocup 3.

It was fantastic to be able to fight with Ernesto and win the duel, but it was also a great happiness to get that 1-2 for Mexico , declared Carrasquedo, who in the second race started from 11th place on the reverse grid to finish sixth.

Fellow tricolor Cristian Cantú finished in 16th place in the first competition, while in the next he finished in 15th place.

The second round of the 2025 Eurocup 3 season will conclude this Sunday.