SIX REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THE 2026 FIA EURO RX FINALE IN LOUSADA

Andreas Bakkerud leading Johan Kristoffersson in Euro RX1.
PHOTO CREDIT: FIA Rallycross Championships.

After years of mounting pressure, rising costs, and dwindling entry lists, the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) has taken the proverbial steering wheel, guiding the European Rallycross Championship to new heights. 

While the FIA World Rallycross Championship is on hold for the foreseeable future, the European Rallycross Championship has truly soared in 2026, with close racing, the return of legends like Sébastien Loeb for a one-off event and, most importantly, a championship fight that has gone right down to the wire.

Yes, that's right, a single point separates Andreas Bakkerud and Johan Kristoffersson at the summit of the RX1 standings after five rounds, with it set to be decided during a spectacular season-ending double-header at Portugal's Circuito Internacional de Lousada on 11-13 September.

Title deciders are also unique and interesting, but Portugal will turn it up to eleven with the first-ever FIA European Rallycross event to feature competitive action under floodlights. Yes, you read correctly: evening rallycross! 

With a 30-car RX1 field, two championship rounds (a double-header), and the biggest names in rallycross preparing for one final showdown, Lousada has all the ingredients for an unforgettable weekend.

So, why should you tune in for the battle in Portugal? We've prepared six reasons why you should not miss this season finale...

A CLOSE CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHT

If there is one reason to watch Lousada, it is the battle for the 2026 FIA European Rallycross Championship RX1 crown.

Andreas Bakkerud left Lohéac just one point clear of Johan Kristoffersson, who has accumulated 157 points across the opening five rounds. This means that after an entire season of racing across Europe, there's virtually nothing splitting two of the discipline's biggest names.

With a second-place finish for Bakkerud behind Fabien Pailler in France, and Kristoffersson in fourth, the championship picture was transformed from hunter to hunted. 

Heading into Portugal with two rounds still to go, neither driver can afford to simply settle for points. A poor start, one mistake, a puncture, an incident with a rival could dramatically change the championship picture.

"We will put on a show,” Tommy Kristoffersson, team principal of KMS, promises. “Many heats remain. We have been in precarious situations before, but have always come back and never left a final as a loser.”

The significance of the battle is also underlined by how the two drivers have performed throughout the season. Kristoffersson has taken victories in Latvia and Sweden, while Bakkerud has also stood on the top step twice, winning in Hungary and Ireland. Neither has been able to break away from the other, and their consistency ensured that the championship has remained incredibly close. Now, with only Lousada remaining, the title fight is perfectly poised.

TWO CHANCES TO FIGHT BACK

The Lousada finale is unlike a conventional championship decider. Rather than having one final opportunity to score points, the Portuguese event will host two complete rounds across the weekend, giving the championship contenders twice the opportunity to gain ground, but also twice the opportunity for things to go wrong.

The unique three-day format will begin on Friday evening, when competitive FIA European Rallycross action takes place under floodlights for the first time in the championship's history.

Saturday will see the remaining qualifying sessions take place before the first Semi-Finals and Finals are contested as daylight fades and the circuit comes alive under artificial lighting. The championship will then reach its final conclusion on Sunday.

Winning on Saturday could put one driver in control of the title fight, only for the situation to change completely again on Sunday. Conversely, a difficult opening round could force a championship contender into full attack mode for the final race of the season.

And in a championship separated by just one point, every qualifying position could prove important.

KRISTOFFERSSON VS. BAKKERUD

Few rivalries could provide a better headline for a championship finale. On one side - Johan Kristoffersson, arguably the benchmark of modern rallycross. The Swede is an eight-time FIA World Rallycross Champion and one of the most successful drivers the discipline has ever produced. Throughout his career, the Swede has demonstrated an ability to perform when championships are on the line.

On the other side of the paddock is Andreas Bakkerud, a driver who has spent years competing at the very highest level of rallycross and knows exactly what it takes to challenge for major titles. The Norwegian came agonisingly close to winning the 2019 World Rallycross Championship, finishing level on points with Timmy Hansen before ultimately being classified as vice-champion by virtue of the countback rule.

The pair have also demonstrated throughout the 2026 season why they remain two of rallycross's biggest names.

Kristoffersson opened the season with a victory in Latvia before adding another win at Höljes in Sweden. Bakkerud responded with victories in Hungary and Ireland, ensuring neither driver could establish a meaningful advantage in the standings.

Lohéac provided another example of just how quickly the momentum can shift. Bakkerud controlled his semi-final before finishing second in the final, while Kristoffersson had to recover from a poor start and fight his way through the field, eventually finishing fourth. That result changed the championship lead.

With Bakkerud now holding the advantage, he heads to Portugal knowing he has the opportunity to beat the benchmark in rallycross, Johan Kristoffersson. 

"It will be exciting in Lousada," Kristoffersson says.

MORE THAN ONE CHAMPIONSHIP BATTLE TO WATCH

While most of the attention will naturally focus on Bakkerud and Kristoffersson, there is another fascinating battle developing behind the title fight. Ole Christian Veiby and Juha Rytkönen arrive in Lousada separated by just one point in the fight for third in the championship.

The Norwegian entered Lohéac third in the standings, but a difficult French round saw him lose significant ground. A poor start in his quarter-final left him fighting from the back, and a mistake on the gravel while attempting to recover ultimately ended his challenge.

Meanwhile, Rytkönen produced one of his strongest performances of the season. The Finn battled his way into the final and then held off Kristoffersson to claim third place behind Fabien Pailler and Bakkerud, allowing him to close dramatically on Veiby in the championship standings.

That means Lousada will not be about who wins the European title. There is also a fight for championship pride, a top-three finish.

Further down the standings, Joni Turpeinen and Casper Jansson are also looking to finish their seasons strongly, with a 30-car strong RX1 field, which means the established championship contenders will have plenty of competition throughout the weekend.

With so many drivers capable of influencing the outcome, Bakkerud and Kristoffersson cannot simply focus on each other.

LOUSADA – THE PERFECT VENUE FOR A FINALE

Circuito Internacional de Lousada, a historic track built in 1984, hosted the Euro RX Championship from 1992 until 2008, after which the Portuguese round moved to Montalegre. Since then, Lousada has been heavily renovated and currently hosts the national rallycross championship. 

The FIA specifically selected the Portuguese circuit for the season finale, describing the venue as one of rallycross's most atmospheric circuits and a fitting place to bring the season to a conclusion.

The Lousada finale will add another layer to the atmospheric element - because for the first time in FIA European Rallycross history, competitive action will take place under artificial lighting, with Friday evening's opening qualifying action marking a new chapter for the championship.

The first round of Semi-Finals and Finals will then take place on Saturday night, creating a completely different visual and sporting spectacle to anything seen previously in Euro RX.

HOW DO I WATCH THE ACTION?

Perhaps one of the best things about the 2026 FIA European Rallycross Championship is how easily available it is. It's live and free! And you don't need any expensive subscription.

Every session from every round is live-streamed and free on the official FIA Rallycross YouTube channel, with coverage also available through the championship's official Facebook page. 

So, whether you are a lifetime rallycross fan, or someone discovering the discipline for the very first time, there has never been an easier way to watch some of Europe's best drivers compete.

With Andreas Bakkerud holding a one-point advantage over Johan Kristoffersson, Ole Christian Veiby and Juha Rytkönen separated by just one point in the fight for third, a 30-car RX1 field and two complete rounds still to come, there is virtually no room for error. Add the first-ever night racing in FIA European Rallycross history, and all the ingredients is there for one of the most memorable championship finales in recent years.

You do not want to miss this one! 

THE 2026 FIA EUROPEAN RALLYCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP - RX1 ENTRY LIST

Pailler conquers Lohéac to claim maiden Euro RX1 victory on home soil.

PHOTO CREDIT: FIA Rallycross Championships

Fabien Pailler produced a weekend to remember in Lohéac, turning strong pace in difficult conditions into glory on home soil at the penultimate round of the 2026 FIA European Rallycross Championship.

The Frenchman had to work for it, however, with Saturday's qualifying providing a constantly changing challenge as heavy rain, a drying circuit and renewed showers repeatedly altered the balance of the field.

Juha Rytkönen was the man to master the opening conditions. With persistent rain falling across Circuit de Lohéac, the Finn produced a late charge in Q1 to snatch victory from Sébastien Loeb at the final corner and take the fastest time of the session. Pailler also showed his potential in the difficult conditions, finishing third behind Rytkönen and Loeb.

The rain eased for Q2, and the circuit began to dry, bringing a significant improvement in lap times. Johan Kristoffersson took advantage of the changing surface to win the session's headline race, while Rytkönen again finished strongly in second after recovering from an early battle with Loeb. Pailler finished fourth, keeping himself firmly in contention as the qualifying order took shape.

Rytkonen leads Loeb and Pailler on Saturday.
PHOTO CREDIT: FIA Rallycross Championships

Q3 delivered the first major indication that the home driver could challenge for victory. Andreas Bakkerud won his heat after a strong start, while contact involving Kristoffersson and Patrick O'Donovan left the latter with a puncture. Pailler, meanwhile, produced the fastest performance of the session, setting a 2:34.976 to finish ahead of Joni Turpeinen and Bakkerud on the overall Q3 times.

That result moved Pailler into second overall behind Rytkönen at the end of Saturday, with Kristoffersson completing the top three.

It meant the Frenchman had put himself in a strong position for Sunday, despite having had to contend with conditions that had changed dramatically throughout the opening day. Rytkönen carried the overnight advantage, while Kristoffersson, Bakkerud and the remainder of the field remained within striking distance.

Kristoffersson then took control of the overall rankings after Q4 on Sunday morning, setting the benchmark time ahead of teammate Ole Christian Veiby, Loeb, Tamás Kárai and Rokas Baciuška. Bakkerud won his heat but could not match the Swede's overall pace, while Pailler finished fifth.

The eight-time World RX Champion therefore entered the Quarter-Final stages at the head of the field, followed by Rytkönen, Pailler and Bakkerud.

The Quarter-Finals brought another twist as Veiby, who arrived in France third in the championship, failed to progress after another poor launch and a wide moment on the gravel. Rytkönen controlled the second Quarter-Final, while EuroRX Championship debutant Eoin Murray impressed by taking second ahead of Loeb.

Pailler then continued his progress by winning Quarter-Final 3 ahead of Julien Fébreau as rain returned, leaving the drivers to negotiate a slippery circuit on slick tyres. Bakkerud controlled the Quarter-Final 4 after another strong launch, with João Ribeiro and Ollie O'Donovan also progressing.

By the time the Semi-Finals arrived, Pailler had established himself as a genuine threat. Starting alongside Kristoffersson, the Frenchman produced a superb launch and swept around the outside of the KMS Polo to take the lead.

With the home crowd roaring from the grandstands, Pailler remained composed as Kristoffersson stayed within striking distance. Neither driver had taken the joker by lap four, but the Frenchman had built enough of a margin to maintain his advantage through the final phase of the race. He crossed the line ahead of Kristoffersson to secure pole position for the final, while Bakkerud won the second Semi-Final to join them alongside Rytkönen.

Fabien Pailler leads Andreas Bakkerud and Juha Rytkonen in the final.
PHOTO CREDIT: FIA Rallycross Championships

As the pressure increased, Pailler seemed cool, calm and collected, and when it truly mattered in the final, he produced another perfect start. Bakkerud attempted to cover his run into Turn One, but Pailler held his ground and emerged in the lead. Behind them, Kristoffersson and Loeb made light contact, which allowed Rytkönen to move ahead as Pailler began to establish a gap at the front.

Kristoffersson took his joker on lap four in an attempt to escape the traffic, but Pailler, Bakkerud and Rytkönen waited until the final lap. By then, the race was already in Pailler's hands.

He emerged from the joker lap comfortably in front to secure his first Euro RX1 victory, with Bakkerud in second and Rytkönen resisting Kristoffersson's pressure to complete the podium.

After building his weekend through the unpredictable qualifying conditions and then defeating Kristoffersson in the Semi-Final, the Frenchman had delivered the biggest victory of his career in front of his home crowd.

“I feel amazing. Honestly, I cannot believe the pace we have shown and how smoothly everything went this weekend – it is almost unreal. There has been so much effort from the team since Rīga. The team has put so much energy into getting the engine back after Mondello and making sure everything worked perfectly again,” Pailler said. “I am so happy for everybody involved. Winning here is completely crazy. Even in the Semi-Final, when I was ahead of Johan, and the team told me the gap, I could not believe we were able to stay in front. It was also a very clean fight, and he came to congratulate me afterwards. That felt very special.”

While Pailler celebrated his breakthrough victory, Bakkerud leaves France with an even more significant championship reward. The Norwegian's second-place finish moved him into the Euro RX1 championship lead by a single point over Kristoffersson, setting up a dramatic title showdown at the season finale double-header in Lousada on 12-13 September.

“I have lost a championship on a tie before, so one point can sometimes be enough, even though there are still two races to go. It feels amazing to finish second here behind Fabien. The only thing I wanted was to win. I have finished second here five or six times and come so close – this is the race every driver wants to win, so it is bittersweet. But if there was one guy to win today, it was Fabien. They live ten minutes down the road, and standing on the podium listening to the French national anthem even gave me goosebumps. We said at the beginning of the year that we have nothing to lose. We are a brand-new team, so Lousada is going to be exciting, and we are going to give it everything,” Bakkerud said.

Pailler's victory provided a fitting conclusion to the 50th-anniversary Euro RX of France, but the attention now turns to Portugal. 

With Bakkerud holding a one-point lead over Kristoffersson and two races still to run, the 2026 FIA European Rallycross championship will be decided at Lousada with little separating the two title contenders.

THE 2026 FIA EUROPEAN RALLYCROSS (EURO RX1) CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS - TOP 10 ONLY:

1. ANDREAS BAKKERUD - 158 pts

2. JOHAN KRISTOFFERSSON - 157

3. OLE CHRISTIAN VEIBY - 119

4. JUHA RYTKONEN - 118

5. JONI TURPEINEN - 91

6. CASPER JANSSON - 60

7. FABIEN PAILLER - 60

8. PATRICK O'DONOVAN - 49

9. NILS VOLLAND - 30

10. ROKAS BACIUSKA - 27

Why the FIA’s push to make rallycross more affordable and accessible can’t come soon enough?

The 2026 FIA Euro RX1 grid for the season opener in Latvia. 
PHOTO CREDIT: FIA Rallycross Championship

Since their inception, the European and World Rallycross Championships sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) have based their reputation on the short, sharp, and action-packed wheel-to-wheel racing. The dual-surface discipline championship attracted some of the biggest names in motorsport – from Sébastien Loeb and Ken Block to Mattias Ekström and Petter Solberg – while packed grids and unpredictable racing helped rallycross carve out a unique identity within global motorsport. Somewhere along the way, though, both championships lost sight of what made rallycross so appealing in the first place: the affordability and accessibility factor.

With a rich history dating back to 1976, the European Rallycross Championship excelled in its early years, growing from strength to strength and eventually attracting manufacturer involvement. The same can be said about the World Championship, which was formed in 2014. For a time, rallycross appeared to be thriving. However, that momentum quickly unravelled once conversations around electrification began to dominate the future of the World Rallycross Championship, ultimately leading manufacturers to pull the plug on their programmes.

WRC Promoter took over the management and promotion of the championship under Rallycross Promoter GmbH in 2021. More changes occurred when the championship was moved behind a broadcast paywall (Rally.TV), while the push toward electrification accelerated. Grid numbers steadily declined, with entry lists shrinking from nine cars to as few as six at times.

The introduction of the ‘Battle of Technologies’ – pitting electric and internal combustion-engined machinery against one another – brought moments of genuine excitement, but it failed to generate the sustained growth many had hoped for. 

Then came a bombshell: Rallycross Promoter formally withdrew as the championship's promoter, effective 2025.

Attempts were made to find a new promoter for the FIA-sanctioned rallycross championships, but none proved successful. Eventually, the FIA stepped in to take control of the discipline.

Eight-time World RX Champion Johan Kristoffersson leading into turn 1. 
PHOTO CREDIT: FIA Rallycross Championship.

Now at the helm of rallycross, the governing body has made the bold decision to pause the World Championship, as it attempts to rebuild the category with the long-term goal of eventually reintroducing the World Rallycross Championship (World RX) in the future.

With World RX on hold, the FIA shifted its focus toward a more European-based structure, reinstating the FIA European Rallycross Championship as the discipline's top-tier category, alongside a separately sanctioned FIA Rallycross World Cup set to take place in Jakarta later in the year.

The aim is clear: rebuild rallycross and make it accessible and affordable again. And, for many within the paddock, this shift cannot come soon enough.

The clearest sign yet that the FIA understands the current model is unsustainable is the introduction of the new RX4 category for 2026. By allowing Rally4 machinery into rallycross competition and targeting car costs around €70,000, the FIA is openly acknowledging what fans, teams, and drivers have been saying for years – modern rallycross has become far too expensive.

Within the current Euro RX1 environment, teams are often forced into budgets that are completely unrealistic for emerging talent, privateers, and even experienced drivers without major financial backing.

The era of specialized Supercars, expensive development programmes, and the Battle of Technologies may have produced moments of utter brilliance, but it also hollowed out the grid. The issue is no longer about attracting audiences to rallycross. It is about keeping talented drivers in race cars. Fewer examples illustrate that reality better than Klara and Niels Andersson, who share no relation.  

Klara Andersson carrying out VBOX analysis for Rokas Baciuska.
PHOTO CREDIT: Klara Andersson

Klara established herself as one of rallycross’ brightest prospects after transitioning into the discipline from karting. Her breakthrough came with victory in the 2021 Swedish Rallycross Championship in the SM (Senior) 2150 category, before she further impressed with a fourth-place finish in the FIA RX2e Championship on debut just one year later.

In 2022, Andersson joined the Extreme E Championship and also signed with the Construction Equipment Dealer Team for the electric era of World RX. She scored podium finishes at the highest level and consistently demonstrated the pace to fight at the front.

Yet despite those achievements, Klara has still found herself battling to secure the funding required to compete in the Euro RX Championship.

“Yeah, it's a bit heartbreaking [not to be on the grid for Euro RX1], but I'm still here, still fighting for it. So, I hope to be back on the grid at some point this season,” Andersson said during the Euro RX of Latvia livestream.

Niels Andersson, another highly-rated Swedish talent, claimed numerous titles at both European and FIA junior rallycross levels; however, the rising cost of competing full-time forced him to shift his focus from driving to team management duties with reigning World Champions Kristoffersson Motorsport.

Niels Andersson running the operations of KMS in Extreme E.
PHOTO CREDIT Nils Andersson

When speaking to Andrew Coley during the 2026 FIA European Rallycross Championship season opener in Latvia, Andersson admitted he still hopes to return to racing.

“I do [miss it] so much. I still want to drive. I mean, I am looking for something to do,” he said.

The financial strain has not only impacted drivers. Teams have also felt the pressure. One of the clearest examples of this came in 2025, when Hansen Motorsport withdrew from the penultimate round of the World RX season, citing financial reasons. In a remarkable show of unity within the paddock, the CE Dealer Team stepped in to help support the operation. Rivals helping rivals highlighted the strength of the rallycross community – but it also exposed the severity of the situation.

Despite the support from the CE Dealer Team for the penultimate round, Hansen Motorsport required funding to compete at the final round of the season, which they were unable to secure, and thus withdrew from the final round of the championship. That in itself should concern everyone involved in the discipline because the Hansens' have raced in every World Championship round since its inception. 

When drivers with the résumés and the talent of Klara and Nils Andersson are still scrambling to secure funding to simply compete, then you know rallycross clearly has a serious problem. Motorsport will never be cheap, but rallycross was never meant to become an exclusive discipline reserved only for those with enormous budgets.

Its identity was built on accessibility, improvisation, and grassroots ingenuity. Fans fell in love with packed grids and unpredictable racing – not engineering arms races that reduced participation year after year.

To the FIA’s credit, the governing body’s new roadmap at least recognises that reality. Alongside RX4, they have introduced RX5, which has expanded the role of Cross Car machinery within the European Rallycross Championship ladder with the view to create more accessible pathways into the sport.

Niels Andersson, whose own career began in Cross Car competition, praised the changes. “So, I come from cross car as a background, which is a great school,” he explained. “I really like the addition this year that we introduced the RX5 category, because it’s a great school. I learnt the basics there and moved onto cars.”

The FIA’s long-term vision also includes aligning rallycross more closely with rallying, including sharing technical regulations with the World Rally Championship (WRC) from 2028 onwards.

The newly introduced RX4 category in action at the 2026 season opener in Latvia.
PHOTO CREDIT: FIA Rallycross Championship.

There is clear logic behind that strategy. Rally4 cars already exist. Teams already own them. Drivers already understand them. Suddenly, rallycross becomes less about building bespoke machinery and more about simply going racing again. More importantly, it gives privateers a reason to believe they belong.

The rallycross community has been fairly positive about the changes brought forward by the FIA, largely because many recognize that without intervention, both World RX and Euro RX risked spiraling further toward irrelevance as grids continued to shrink.

Of course, affordability alone will not magically save rallycross. The FIA still requires stable promotion, stronger event consistency, manufacturer confidence, and a clearer development ladder for young talent. But lowering the financial barrier is the single most important starting point.

Because talent has never been the problem, the paddock remains full of drivers capable of producing incredible racing. Drivers like Klara Andersson, Niels Andersson, Viktor Vranckx, Niclas Grönholm, Reinis Nitišs, Janis Baumanis, and the Hansen brothers, who all should be on the grid full-time because of their abilities – not sidelined by sponsorship spreadsheets and seven-figure operating budgets.

Rallycross became great because it was attainable. The FIA finally seems ready to remember that. The only question that remains is: why did it take this long?