In the space of just a few hours, Andreas Bakkerud saw his European title hopes suffer a major blow at Lousada. An extraordinary run of punctures, elimination in the quarter-finals and a €1,000 fine handed down by the stewards after the finish turned the opening day in Portugal into a nightmare for the Norwegian.
Johan Kristoffersson chose the perfect moment to strike. Victory in Race 1 at Lousada gave the eight-time World Champion his third win of the season and, more importantly, a major advantage in the fight for what would be the first European title of his career ahead of the final showdown of the 2026 campaign.
The opening day of competition at Lousada dramatically reshaped the picture across all four European categories. Johan Kristoffersson and Armin Raag took major steps towards the RX1 and RX5 titles, while Filip Melon completely reignited the RX4 championship battle. In RX3, the elimination of both Julien Meunier and Rytis Gurklys ensured the title fight will go down to Sunday.
Andrea Bénézet arrives at Lousada in a position that looks comfortable on paper, but one that will still require careful management on track. With a 24-point lead over Filip Melon heading into the final two races of the season, the Eleven Motorsport driver has a healthy margin, but he knows that one mistake on Saturday could completely change the complexion of his weekend.
Less than two weeks after sending Lohéac into raptures, Fabien Pailler is already facing a new challenge. The winner of the French Euro RX1 round will contest the final two races of the European season at Lousada this weekend, on a circuit that is completely new to him. Despite the confidence gained from his victory in Brittany, the Pailler Compétition driver has no intention of changing his approach. The Mégane still needs to be dialled in for a track its driver has never raced on, with everything still to be worked out ahead of first free practice later this afternoon.
Second at Lohéac behind an untouchable Fabien Pailler in the final, Andreas Bakkerud left Brittany with a result that could hardly have suited his championship ambitions any better. Without the pace he had hoped for, the Norwegian limited the damage and will head into the final two races of the season at Lousada with a one-point lead over Johan Kristoffersson.
Rytis Gurklys arrived at Lohéac with a 28-point lead over Julien Meunier. He left with just ten. Fifth in the final while his main rival took victory, the Lithuanian saw a large part of his advantage disappear ahead of the final two races of the season at Lousada this weekend.
One point. That's all that separates Johan Kristoffersson from Andreas Bakkerud ahead of the final two races of the season at Lousada. The Norwegian holds the advantage in the standings, but the KMS driver heads into the European finale in familiar territory: with everything still to be decided at the very end.
Fifth in the Euro RX1 final at Lohéac after having to work his way through from the back of the grid, Rokas Baciuška returned to competitive form at the end of a weekend that had almost unravelled during qualifying. A puncture to his front-left tyre in Q4 had a major impact on his progress, but did not prevent him from reaching the final in a 31-car field.
Just one point separates Juha Rytkönen from his target as he heads to Lousada with a clearly defined mission. Fourth in the European RX1 Championship with 118 points, the Finn trails Ole Christian Veiby by a single point ahead of the final two races of the season. While the title looks set to be decided between Andreas Bakkerud and Johan Kristoffersson, third place is now firmly within reach for the SET Promotion driver.
One year after making her FIA European Rallycross Championship debut, Rafaela Barbosa will return to Euro RX3 at Lousada this weekend. For her second appearance on the European stage, however, the 19-year-old Portuguese driver will switch cars, taking the wheel of the latest-specification Peugeot 208 normally raced by her father, Mário Barbosa.
Ten days after Lohéac, Johan Kristoffersson was not looking for excuses. Fourth in the French round after being beaten by Fabien Pailler in the semi-final, the Swede had the pace to aim much higher. But between poor starts, traffic and several mistakes, the multiple World Champion believes his team simply did not execute the weekend well enough. With the Lousada finale just days away, however, the most important thing remains unchanged: only one point separates him from Andreas Bakkerud.
At just 17 years old, Joni Turpeinen is already preparing to complete his first full season in the FIA European Rallycross Championship. Fifth in the standings ahead of the final two races at Lousada, the SET Promotion driver no longer has his fate entirely in his own hands when it comes to reaching the final championship podium. In Portugal, the focus will therefore be elsewhere: getting up to speed quickly on an unfamiliar circuit and making one final attempt to challenge the established Euro RX1 frontrunners.
João Ribeiro's first appearance at Lohéac came to an end in the semi-finals, just short of a place in the final. After a mistake in the rain compromised his Saturday, the Portuguese driver gradually fought his way back into contention for the final spots in the Top 6, battling the likes of Sébastien Loeb along the way.
Two drivers, separated by two points, and one European title to be decided in Portugal. In its first season as part of the FIA European Rallycross Championship, Euro RX5 could crown an Estonian driver. Armin Raag and Martin Juga hold the top two positions in the standings after claiming a one-two finish in Ireland and are now preparing to settle their title fight at the season finale.
Andreas Bakkerud left Lohéac with a second-place finish that carries weight beyond the result itself. Beaten by Fabien Pailler in the final, the Norwegian heads to the decisive double-header at Lousada with a one-point lead over Johan Kristoffersson in the FIA European Rallycross Championship standings.
Juha Rytkönen needed a result at Lohéac to remain firmly in contention for a top-three finish in Euro RX1. The Finn delivered with a third-place finish after a weekend in which he got the better of Sébastien Loeb and Johan Kristoffersson. Heading into the final weekend of the championship, he now sits just one point behind Ole Christian Veiby.
Joni Turpeinen had rediscovered the pace needed to fight at the sharp end during the final two qualifying heats at Lohéac. But three punctures at the same spot on the circuit took a heavy toll on the 17-year-old Finn’s weekend, with the last one finally ending his hopes in the quarter-finals.
Fabien Pailler’s victory at Lohéac did more than turn heads in the paddock with the quality of his performance. It also carried particular significance for Bruno Famin, whose history with the Pailler family dates back to his early days at Peugeot Talbot Sport, long before the international programmes that would later shape his career.
Nova Motorsport is continuing to develop its own competition tyre range with the ZZXC, a tyre designed specifically for the demands of mixed-surface Cross Car competition. Having returned several Avon Motorsport products to production since its formation in 2024, the British company has now taken a further step with its first tyre conceived, developed and manufactured entirely under the Nova Motorsport name.