Guess who’s back? Bakkerud is back on top with first victory in four years after Hungarian masterclass.

Podium celebrations in Hungary.
PHOTO CREDIT: FIA Rallycross Championship

“Guess who’s back, Bakker again…” Under the searing heat of Hungary’s legendary ‘Red Cauldron’, through wheel-banging battles, strategic chaos, and sudden rain showers, Andreas Bakkerud delivered a dominant performance at the Kárai Trans Euro RX of Hungary. 

Arriving at the second round of the FIA European Rallycross Championship, determined to rebound from a frustrating season-opener in Latvia, where a podium challenge slipped away, the Norwegian fought off Johan Kristoffersson and a stacked Euro RX1 field to claim his first victory since Hell in 2022. 

From the moment practice began on Saturday morning, the stage was set for another chapter in rallycross’ modern great rivalry. Bakkerud topped FP1, Kristoffersson responded in FP2, and the pair traded fastest times by milliseconds around one of the championship’s most punishing circuits, Nyirád.

The Norwegian struck first, dominating, whilst his rival, Kristoffersson, who was already battling sluggish starts in Latvia, continued to haunt him throughout the weekend.

But despite the nightmare start, the eight-time World Rallycross champion hit back in Q2. Their first direct duel of the weekend quickly escalated into one of the standout races of the season so far, Kristoffersson edging Bakkerud by just 0.334s in a fierce battle that neither driver was willing to yield.

As rain rolled over Nyirád ahead of Q3, the circuit transformed from hot and dusty into a greasy survival test. Kristoffersson again bogged down at the start, leaving Bakkerud to aggressively defend into Turn One. At the same time, KMS opted to roll the dice early with joker laps for both Ole Christian Veiby and Kristoffersson.

Bakkerud and his SET Promotion supported stablemates, Joni Turpeinen and Juha Rytkönen, who had perfect launches. Turpeinen jokered first from the lead, Rytkönen followed shortly afterwards, whilst Bakkerud delayed his joker until the final lap. The strategy paid off perfectly, allowing the Norwegian to emerge crucially ahead of Kristoffersson and secure the overnight top qualifier spot.

“It feels good. It’s always brilliant to race against Johan. He’s such a strong driver and hardly ever puts a foot wrong, so you can never hold anything back against him,” Bakkerud said. 

By Sunday morning, teams had a better understanding of how to extract more performance; however, Bakkerud’s momentum only intensified.

He narrowly beat Kristoffersson to the Top Qualifier spot in Q4 before controlling both his Quarter-Final and Semi-Final from lights-to-flag, earning pole position for the all-important Final.

The EuroRX of Hungary final.

Source: TheRedsRX

And inevitably, alongside him on the front row was Kristoffersson. When the lights went out, the pair launched evenly, but Bakkerud held the inside line into Turn One and refused to surrender it. As he edged Kristoffersson wide, the closely following SET Promotion pair of Turpeinen and Rytkönen sensed opportunity. What followed was the defining moment of the weekend.

As the field compressed into the tight left-hander, slight contact pitched Kristoffersson into the outside tyre wall, dropping the reigning world champion to the back of the field and effectively ending his challenge for a podium spot.

Up front, the Bergen Motorsport Evolution by SET Promotion driver escaped the chaos unscathed. Rytkönen applied pressure throughout the race, but the outcome rarely looked in doubt. Bakkerud controlled the pace, set the fastest lap, and crossed the finish line just over one-and-a-half seconds clear.

After climbing from his ex-Ken Block Ford Fiesta, Bakkerud fought back tears as he reflected on his return to the top step of the podium.

“This means the world,” he said. “We fight hard, and I'm not meaning to stand here crying, but it means a lot. It was good. It's not often you get the chance to go door-to-door next to an eight-time world champion, and Johan is such a beast. He's such a character, such a driver. So, I mean, we come here with a car painter, a ventilation guy, a sticker guy. We do a good job.”

“We were the top qualifier as well. First, the semi-finals, pole in the final. The last time I was pole, was Barcelona 2021 with GCK. So, it's been forever. It's been many years. Tough time in America, coming back here, racing, starting a new chapter, and all the field of sport is back supporting us,” an emotional Bakkerud said. 

Side-by-side heading into turn one. 
PHOTO CREDIT: FIA Rallycross Championship

Behind him, Rytkönen completed a memorable one-two for the SET Promotion-supported Fiesta package, while 17-year-old Turpeinen continued his remarkable start to the season with a second consecutive podium finish.

The Finnish teenager had been one of the revelations of Saturday, overcoming gearbox issues in Q1 before consistently challenging the established stars throughout qualifying. His third-place finish leaves him firmly in the championship conversation after two rounds.

“Three SET Promotion drivers on the podium – it’s crazy! I absolutely didn’t expect to have such a successful start to the season,” Turpeinen said. “It was quite chaotic in Turn One in the Final – everyone was flying everywhere like rockets, but I was able to stay clean on the inside line, and it was good to finish third again. My tyres were completely gone by the end of the weekend, but we’ll have good ones for Höljes!”

Ole Christian Veiby climbed to fourth despite spending much of the weekend recovering from a broken gear lever that cost him valuable time in Q1, with team-mate Kristoffersson recovered to fifth after his opening-corner drama.

“We're done here in Hungary. Started off with qualifying four, which put us second overall, and managed to win our quarter-final and semi-final. Started from the outside of the final. I had a good start, which was really promising, but then I was just too wide and going into turn one. And yeah, with all the loose gravel on the outside there, I lost it going into the wall and had a spin. So, lost a lot of time there, but managed to get one position back and ended up P4 overall. So, we scored enough points for second overall in the championship, one point behind Bakkerud. It was a fun weekend in Hungary. It's a proper rallycross track, so I really enjoyed the fight,” the eight-time champion said. 

A sixth-place finish may not seem impressive to some, but Casper Jansson truly demonstrated a very mature and strong performance throughout the weekend. The young Swede is a definite driver to watch in the coming events, having unlocked more pace from his Peugeot 208 with assistance from 14-time European Rallycross ace Kenneth Hansen. 

Elsewhere, Patrick O'Donovan demonstrated both his speed and aggression despite suffering accidents on consecutive days, Fabien Pailler rebounded strongly from a nightmare season-opener in Latvia, where he was plagued by engine issues, whilst home hero Andor Trepák showed flashes of genuine front-running pace before narrowly missing out on a place in the final.

O’Donovan, a former EuroRX Champion, did not mince his words when reflecting on the weekend and an incident with Ole Christian Veiby in the semi-finals, as he explains: “heartbreak for myself. I did the hard work. And I mean, we beat OC in the quarterfinal. And then into the semi, I beat him out of the joker. I couldn't have gone any wider because I was on the absolute limit of where the grip is before you hit the marbles. And, I mean, he was completely off his line. If you go back to any other lap, he just drove out there with the intent to hit me. And you can see his car go sideways. You're telling me the best car in rallycross, if he doesn't want it to, isn't going to be going forward at that point. He's driven there to take me out. And I mean, yeah, it's a really bitter pill to swallow. And, I just hope we can get out for Holjes at this point, because at the moment, looking at the car in there, it's really unlikely.” 

It’s unfortunate for Team RX Racing and O’Donovan, with the clock well and truly ticking to repair his Peugeot 208. However, ultimately, Nyirád belonged to one man, Andreas Bakkerud, who reminded everyone that he still knows exactly how to beat the best in the business.

Whilst victory catapulted Bakkerud into the championship lead by a single point over Kristoffersson heading into the iconic Höljes ‘Magic Weekend’ in July, it’s evident that both teams and drivers will take a deep dive into their data in an attempt to unlock more pace, which truly sets the stage for an epic battle in the Värmland forest!

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?

Bakkerud crowned Euro RX Champion on 30th birthday.

PHOTO CREDIT: FIA World RX Media

Andreas Bakkerud was crowned FIA European Rallycross Champion for the third time in his career at Spa-Francorchamps on Sunday.  

At first, the 29-year-old looked destined to miss the 2021 season after struggling to put the budget together, but with all the pieces of th puzzle falling into place. Andreas was able to ink an 11th-hour deal to join the grid in the Euro RX1 category with ESMotorsport.

Having clinched a podium finish at round one in Sweden. There were signs that Bakkerud had the potential to fight for victories, if not the title, but the question remained: Would he return for the full season? Well! As the weeks progressed it became fairly clear that he would return for a few more events, which in the end resulted in him completing the full season. 

With one podium finish under his belt, Andreas found himself in championship contention with one round remaining. The scene was set... the title would be decided at the iconic Spa-Francorchamps circuits. 

The ESmotorsport driver claimed the top qualifiers spots and won his respective semi-final setting the scene for a thrilling finale in the Ardennes. 

PHOTO CREDIT: Red Bull Content Pool

A lights-to-flag victory cemented a hugely popular title triumph for Bakkerud, as Pailler followed him home to seal the runner-up spot with Jānis Baumanis in the second ESmotorsport Škoda Fabia completing the top three in both the event and the championship standings.

"This is absolutely crazy!" Andreas Bakkerud said. "I owe ESmotorsport a big ‘thank you’ for giving me the opportunity to compete in Euro RX1 this year – it really didn’t look like that would be happening before the start of the season. Everybody in the team has done such a great job. I’m very proud of them all, and there’s more to come."

"Hopefully, we have an even brighter future together."