Fifth win of season amidst challenges for Yevan David in Austria
Highs and Lows for David in the Austrian mountains
Sri Lankan driver Yevan David took his fifth race win of the season in an overall challenging weekend at the Red Bull Ring in Austria for the sixth round of Euroformula Open to remain in third place in the championship standings with two rounds and six races remaining.
With his FIA Formula 3 debut for 2026 announced in the summer break, David set the third fastest time in qualifying at the venue for the Austrian Formula 1 Grand Prix, but would start from P2 on the grid for the first race of the weekend due to a penalty for a rival driver.
”It was a decent Saturday with P3 in qualifying so we clearly had good pace.”
Race 1 brought drama early. A rapid start had David in the mix through the opening corners, but close contact forced the Sri Lankan off track, sending him down to eighth place. From there, it was all about recovery, as he weaved his way back up to finish sixth. The result allowed title rival Tymek Kucharczyk to extend his lead, increasing the deficit to 25 points.
“Unfortunately, in the race I had a bit of an incident on the first lap. On the plus side, I recovered to P6 which meant pole for the second race.”
Sunday offered a fresh chance, starting from pole position in Race 2 courtesy of the reverse-grid format, with a trademark start building a comfortable gap before a Lap 3 Safety Car neutralised the field. Once racing resumed, David had a perfect restart, pulling away to take his fifth win of the season and tenth podium, reducing the championship gap back down to 15 points.
"What can I say? We had a tough start to the weekend but now we bounced back when it mattered. It's been a rocky last few rounds but I have kept my head down and the team has pushed hard, so I'm very thankful for that and now we've got to win on Sunday morning so I'm super happy."
In Race 3, starting from fourth on the grid, David made a strong launch, but contact in the crowded field heading into Turn 1 meant a slow lap back to the pits with a punctured left rear tyre. The Motopark crew got David back in action, but with no Safety Car periods, David would circulate at the back of the field to finish an eventual 11th with no points scored.
“It was a tough end to the weekend with a puncture early in Race 3 and you never want to end a weekend that way. But once again we had promising pace and we know there are six races left to go. Overall, I was happy to pick up points and a race win over the weekend.”
Two rounds remain with David leaving Austria third in the overall standings, 31 points adrift from championship leader Tymek Kucharcyzk. Two rounds remain; at Spain’s Circuit de Catalunya and at Monza in Italy, with the Barcelona race taking place in two weeks’ time.
“I’ve never raced at Barcelona, but I’ve done a few test days there. It’s a very well-known circuit, with long, high-speed corners that really suit this car’s downforce. The long straights also make overtaking possible, so there will be plenty of chances to capitalise and get more points.”
Yevan David’s 2025 Euroformula Open campaign is supported by Merc Stop, Alcom, Dayholi, and the Ceylon Motor Sports Club (CMSC). He is contesting his first full season in the ultra-competitive single-seater championship, which features identical Dallara 324 chassis powered by TOM’S engines.