Bakkerud admits “we have a gap to catch” after Euro RX season opener.

PHOTO CREDIT: FIA European Rallycross Championship

‘Today is a good day, because today is a race day.’ The phrase became synonymous with rallycross stalwart Andreas Bakkerud over the years. Across the opening round of the 2026 FIA European Rallycross Championship in Riga, those words once again rang true.

The iconic Biķernieki trase roared back into life as the Euro RX curtain-raiser delivered one of the most competitive rallycross entry lists in years, with fierce battles throughout the field, and the benchmark pace set by Kristoffersson Motorsport.

For Bakkerud, the weekend in Latvia ultimately ended with mixed emotions. Whilst he had incredible launches, he showed flashes of strong pace throughout the event. He remained firmly in contention across the knockout stages, but narrowly missed out on a podium finish after a dramatic final.

“The first race of the year is done and in the history books already. Pretty pumped that we managed to be here in Riga, very proud of that, but when it comes to the result, you always wish for more,” Bakkerud said. “We ended P4, won the quarter-final, second against Johan in the semi-final, started on the outside in the final, had a very, very good launch around the outside. Unfortunately, I would have been in the fence on the outer wall. Into turn one, there was a bit of a collision, so I lost a few positions. Then I caught up with the pack ahead, but then my tyres were done, so I had nothing more to come with.”

Despite missing out on a podium finish, Bakkerud’s pace throughout the weekend offered encouraging signs heading into the season. His driving style, tactics, and ability to attack in wheel-to-wheel combat remained evident, particularly during the knockout phases, where he managed to take victory in the quarter-final before fighting hard against the rallycross ‘benchmark’ Johan Kristoffersson in the semi-final.

Andreas Bakkerud entering turn 1 with Rokas Baciuska behind..
PHOTO CREDIT: FIA European Rallycross Championship

However, the opening round also highlighted the scale of the challenge facing the rest of the field.

Kristoffersson Motorsport, a last-minute entry for the opening round, arrived with formidable pace; however, their only Achilles heel proved to be their launches. Whilst Bakkerud and SET Promotion have estimated that KMS holds an advantage of roughly seven to nine tenths over their rivals, a sizeable margin in rallycross terms.

Closing that gap will become the primary focus for many ahead of the next round in Hungary; however, it remains to be seen whether Kristoffersson Motorsport will feature on the entry list.

“Anyway, the car is getting prepped for Hungary, which is in two weeks. Tomorrow, I start testing. We have a gap to catch,” Bakkerud said.

While fourth place may not have been the result Bakkerud had hoped for, Riga still demonstrated that the Norwegian and SET Promotion remain firmly in the fight. In a championship expected to feature some of the strongest competition seen in recent seasons, consistency and development across the year could prove just as important as outright speed.

As attention now turns to Hungary in two weeks. Teams and their drivers will take a deep dive into the data obtained in Riga, and test various solutions in a hunt to unlock some more pace. Will their hard work pay off in the pursuit of unlocking a few tenths? Find out soon, as all roads lead to Nyirád.