Johan Kristoffersson has taken a giant step towards clinching a maiden FIA European Rallycross Championship title in the opening leg of this weekend’s double-header season finale at Lousada, as a third victory of the campaign allied to misfortune for arch-rival Andreas Bakkerud enabled the Swede to place one hand on the coveted crown.
As has often been the case in Euro RX1 this year, Kristoffersson did not have it all his own way in the Qualifying Heats. A lacklustre launch in Q1 dropped him down the order, and he then came off second-best in the first direct face-off between the championship contenders in Q2, as Bakkerud opportunistically snuck down the inside into the last corner when the Volkswagen driver found himself compromised by Juha Rytkönen ahead.
That left them just fourth (Kristoffersson) and fifth in the intermediate classification, but the flipside of losing out to Bakkerud on the run to the chequered flag in Q2 was that the eight-time FIA World Rallycross Champion would start Q3 from pole position. In front of a sun-kissed, sold-out crowd and in scorching temperatures in northern Portugal, it was an opportunity he did not squander.
A dominant run vaulted Kristoffersson to the summit of the standings and Top Qualifier honours – aided by ill-fortune for Bakkerud, Rytkönen and Ole Christian Veiby, who clashed into Turn One in the following race, putting the latter pair out on the spot and leading to a puncture for the Bergen Motorsport Evolution ace, which cost him a spot on the front row of the grid for the Quarter-Finals by a single point.
For the Norwegian, things were about to get significantly worse. Following a feisty start, the three-time European Champion then drifted wide in company with Casper Jansson through Turn Two and sideswiped the wall, picking up a puncture that culminated in him missing the Semi-Final cut. That heartbreak was starkly contrasted by Kristoffersson’s delight, as in the fading light, the KMS star went on to triumph by more than 12.5 seconds – an eternity in rallycross terms.
Wirth darkness swiftly descending, Kristoffersson subsequently staved off an early challenge from Lohéac winner Fabien Pailler in his Semi-Final to earn pole position for the all-important Final, which he similarly controlled from lights-to-flag to turn a one-point deficit to Bakkerud at the beginning of the day into a commanding 36-point advantage with only 40 points remaining in play.
The Arvika native’s closest pursuer in the Final was Patrick O’Donovan, who at last enjoyed a trouble-free run that allowed him to concretise the potential he has shown all year. Behind the wheel of his Team RX Racing-prepared Peugeot 208, the 2024 European Champion won all three of his Heats to secure a season-high second in the intermediate order, prior to prevailing once again in both his Quarter-Final and Semi-Final to line up on the front row for the Final.
Keeping Kristoffersson firmly in sight throughout, the runner-up spoils – less than two seconds shy of victory – marked comfortably O’Donovan’s best result of the campaign, with the family’s joy completed by seeing Ollie O’Donovan come home an excellent fifth, just two days before the 2007 British Rallycross Champion’s 60th birthday.
In-between the son-and-father duo were Rytkönen and Pailler, with the Finn overhauling the Frenchman courtesy of an early joker to reach the rostrum for the third time in 2026 and haul himself into contention for second place in the championship following Bakkerud’s early bath.
Laszló Kiss was another to impress on his seasonal debut with his new Volkswagen Polo, as the Hungarian determinedly fended off countryman Tamás Kárai in the Semi-Final to book his berth in the Final, while a number of drivers were left lamenting ill-fortune – Veiby chief amongst them.
After setting the pace in both of the opening two Qualifiers, the Norwegian – third in the championship entering the event – exited proceedings at the Semi-Final stage, when a start-line squeeze ultimately resulted in a puncture and a spin.
Highly-rated young gun Turpeinen was the other major casualty. Having impressed once again by giving no quarter to Kristoffersson during a thrilling Q2 duel, the Finnish teenager – the youngest driver in the high-calibre, 29-strong field – was another to fall foul of a puncture, which dashed an almost certain fourth Final appearance of the year.
Johan Kristoffersson, Kristoffersson Motorsport, said: “It was a good day, in the end. We had a little bit of a struggle initially with the starts, but we managed to find a very good setting and when I can take the start and drive my own race, I enjoy rallycross a lot. It was pretty nice to come out of Turn One first, and I’m super-pleased with the result. The crowd here has been mega, using their cell phone lights before the Semi-Finals and Final to create an amazing atmosphere. There are still points to fight for and points to prove tomorrow, so we will keep pushing.”
Patrick O’Donovan, Team RX Racing, said: To be honest, I thought our day was going to be over in the Semi-Final. I got a small tag from OC [Veiby] into Turn One, and I touched the wall. Thankfully, we survived and all of a sudden, I was on the front row for the Final. I got a great start and was slightly ahead of Johan [Kristoffersson], but ultimately, I had to back out of it because I wasn’t going to risk going around the outside as that would probably have ended pretty poorly. After that, I just stuck to his rear bumper. I gave him a little tap in one of the hairpins on lap two, mainly just because I wanted him to know that it was me behind! After the race, he was like, ‘you just had to hit me, didn’t you?!’ Having struggled so much here last year, this is absolutely amazing!”
Juha Rytkönen, SET Promotion, said: “It was definitely an eventful day! We had some good moments and some challenging ones, but overall, I’m really happy with how we managed to get through it and come away with P3. It’s an important result for the championship and a good step in the right direction. With OC [Veiby] missing the Final, we have a bit more breathing room in the championship, but I don’t think it changes our approach too much. We still need to stay focused, make the most of tomorrow and avoid taking unnecessary risks. The goal is to have another strong day and secure the best result we can. I’m feeling positive and looking forward to it.”
The seventh and last round of the campaign will take place on Sunday (13 September), with Q1 for Euro RX1 getting underway at just past 09:30 local time (GMT+1). To find out who will walk away with the season’s biggest prize, make sure you follow all of the action live on the FIA Rallycross Championships YouTube channel.
Click here to view the final classification from Day One of Euro RX of Portugal.
Click here to view the provisional championship standings.
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