Zeller heads to Brno with a commanding lead

Round 07: Austria Formula 3 Cup – Brno (CZE)
Following the race weekend at the Slovakia Ring, the Austria Formula 3 Cup continues with its next round from 10 to 13 September 2026. As part of the Masaryk Racing Days, the series will be making a guest appearance at the Automotodrom Brno in the Czech Republic, where Round 07, the next race of the season, is on the programme. Sandro Zeller (Jo Zeller Racing) heads to Brno with a comfortable lead in the championship. The Swiss driver has recently managed to significantly extend his lead at the top of the standings and now has 207 points following the Slovakia Ring round. Behind him, the battle for the remaining places remains tight: Michael Fischer (Red Rose Racing by LRT) and Andrea Benalli (Puresport) are in second and third place respectively, both on 92 points, whilst Christof Ledermann (Franz Wöss Racing) is already within striking distance of the two pursuers on 83 points. Stig Larsen follows in fifth place with 69 points, behind him are André Petropoulos, Nicolas Löffler and Janos Magyar, each on 66 points.

Zeller with a big lead – close battles behind him
Sandro Zeller has built up a comfortable points cushion following the Slovakia Ring and thus heads into the race weekend once again as the clear favourite. With a 115-point lead over Fischer and Benalli, the Swiss rider can focus on developments behind him. The battle for positions behind the championship leader is therefore particularly exciting. There are just 26 points separating Michael Fischer in second place and Janos Magyar in eighth. With 83 points to his name, Christof Ledermann has significantly closed the gap on the two riders directly ahead of him and could make further ground in Brno. André Petropoulos, Nicolas Löffler and Janos Magyar are also right in the thick of the tightly packed chasing pack. With 66 points each, all three still have the chance to climb several places in the overall standings with a strong weekend. Behind them are Kurt Böhlen on 54 points and Riccardo Perego on 53. The battle for the championship behind Zeller therefore remains wide open.

Brno – a demanding circuit with elevation changes and tough braking zones
At 5,403 metres in length, the Automotodrom Brno is one of the more demanding circuits on the calendar. A particularly distinctive feature is its pronounced elevation profile: there is a difference of 73.75 metres between the highest and lowest points. Over a 917-metre section, the track climbs at a gradient of up to 7.5 per cent, whilst a 410-metre section sees it descend at a gradient of up to five per cent. One of the track’s most striking features is the hard braking zone before the Schwantz Bend, which is also highlighted by the organisers as one of the circuit’s most spectacular sections. Several collective tests and free practice sessions are already scheduled for Thursday at the Automotodrom Brno. This offers the teams ample opportunity to fine-tune their cars on the demanding circuit and prepare for the official race weekend.

Friday – Practice and Qualifying
On Friday, the official programme for the Division 2 formula cars – under whose umbrella the Austria Formula Cup runs – begins with two 25-minute free practice sessions. Free practice 1 starts at 10.10 am and ends at 10.35 am. Free practice 2 follows from 12.25 pm to 12.50 pm. This gives the drivers a total of 50 minutes to adapt to the conditions in Brno and find the optimal set-up for the rest of the weekend. In the afternoon, the focus will shift to securing grid positions for the first time. The first qualifying session begins at 4.20 pm and lasts 25 minutes.

Saturday – first race on the programme
Things get serious for the first time on Saturday. The weekend’s first race, which will run for 25 minutes, starts at 12.45 pm. For Sandro Zeller, this presents the first opportunity to further extend his substantial lead in the championship. At the same time, Fischer, Benalli and Ledermann will be trying to put the Swiss driver under pressure and pick up vital points in the battle for the top places.

Sunday – second qualifying session and final race
The second qualifying session takes place on Sunday morning. From 10.45 am to 11.10 am, the drivers will battle it out for the starting positions for the second race. The racing weekend concludes in the afternoon with the second race at 1.00 pm. With two races, two qualifying sessions, a challenging circuit and an extremely close field of challengers, the Masaryk Racing Days promise to be an exciting seventh race weekend of the season. All times are subject to change.