An intense European summer for Dario Cabanelas
July was a busy month for the Eurocup3 single-seater championship, with no fewer than three events held in the space of four weeks. Swiss driver Dario Cabanelas was able to continue his progress in three different countries and on three leading European circuits: Paul Ricard in France, Zandvoort in the Netherlands and Motorland Aragon in Spain. With the MP Motorsport team, Dario enjoyed a number of satisfying experiences, particularly during the Qualifying sessions, but also fell victim to incidents which deprived him of deserved results.
05-07 July: Paul Ricard
A month after collecting significant points at Portimao in Portugal, Dario Cabanelas returned to the Paul Ricard circuit at Le Castellet, where he has often shown himself to be at ease.
‘Both in F4 and at the FIA Motorsport Games, I've shown that I'm quick on this track in the south of France,’ recalled Dario. ‘But right from Free Practice, I sensed that something wasn't quite right. I was comfortable with the car in terms of handling, but the lap times just weren't keeping up. In both Qualifying sessions and in Race 1, I was clearly out of my depth. The team didn't find the problem until Race 2, when the engine wasn't delivering its full power. So there was only one race left for me to show what I could do. By starting 9th, everything was still possible and I was hoping to climb back into the top five. Unfortunately, I got pushed off the track and ended up with a damaged front wing. I had to pit again, so any hope of a result was gone.’
13-14 July: Zandvoort
With no knowledge of the Dutch track and despite changing weather conditions at the start of the meeting, Dario Cabanelas demonstrated his ability to adapt to new tracks. He confirmed his competitiveness by keeping up with his more experienced teammates and taking a magnificent 2nd place in the first Qualifying session.
It's finally the kind of performance I've been looking forward to.’ Unfortunately, in the battle for the podium, Dario found himself in trouble on a kerb and couldn't avoid making a mistake at a tricky spot in Zandvoort: ‘When you're discovering a new circuit and you don't know your way around, mistakes can happen very quickly. As for Race 2, the car started to lack efficiency. I managed to salvage the 10th-place point, but starting from 8th position, I was hoping to score more points.’
26-28 July: Motorland Aragon
After a tour which took Dario Cabanelas from Belgium to the Netherlands this season via Austria, Portugal and France, Spain brings the Eurocup3 season to a close with Jerez in October and Barcelona in November. And it was the town of Alcaniz and its renowned Motorland Aragon circuit that hosted the 6th Eurocup3 event of 2024.
‘On this track, it's not uncommon to find yourself outside the limits of the track. During the first Qualifying session, I had a radio problem and I wasn't informed of the number of track limits I had completed. When I got back to the pits, I was unpleasantly surprised to learn that all my times had been cancelled because I'd exceeded the quota. I had to start from the back row, which has never happened to me before!’
30th on the grid, Dario drove a solid race and climbed back up to 18th after a series of passes. A strong performer at Motorland Aragon, Dario Cabanelas got involved in the battle for the top places in the second Qualifying session, with only small gaps between the best drivers.
‘It came down to a matter of tenths and I managed to get the 5th fastest time. But I'm definitely not having any success at the moment, as I was hit at the first corner by a runaway competitor. It's really annoying to lose so many opportunities to get good results because of race incidents like that.’
‘I really want to finish the season on a high to show everyone who follows me, the team and my partners that I have the potential to regularly finish on the podium in this highly competitive international Eurocup3 series. I'm still well placed in the Rookies' standings, but I really need to improve my overall position. See you in October,’ concluded Dario.
