Rallycross — 30 cars in RX1 and 68 drivers in total for the season opener in Riga

The Euro RX1 grid hasn't been this strong in a long time. Thirty cars will be on the starting grid in Riga, headlined by Johan Kristoffersson, eight-time world champion and dominant figure in the discipline in the modern era. The 37-year-old Swede has only made one Euro RX appearance since 2014, and the transformation of the world championship into a European championship allows him to return. Facing him is no shortage of serious competition: Germany's Andreas Bakkerud, three-time European champion; reigning Euro RX1 2024 champion Patrick O'Donovan; Finland's Juha Rytkönen; two-time French Supercar champion Fabien Pailler; and local driver Jānis Baumanis, who will benefit from the enthusiastic support of the Latvian public on the historic Biķernieku circuit. Kristoffersson's KMS teammate, Ole Christian Veiby, completes a particularly impressive list of victories for this first round.

The rising generation will also be well represented. Damian Litwinowicz, runner-up in the 2025 championship, is among the most serious outsiders alongside Joni Turpeinen, Andor Trepák, Martin Enlund and Maiko Tamm — all drivers who will make this season opening a first full-scale test of the hierarchies for the months to come.

Junior categories are booming

Apart from Euro RX1, the Latvian round welcomes 15 drivers in Euro RX3, 15 in Euro RX5 and 8 in Euro RX4 — two new categories launched this season as part of the FIA's policy to open up the rallycross to a new generation of drivers. Euro RX4 brings together five different nationalities with Rally4 cars Renault, Peugeot and Ford, while the Euro RX5 follows the same technical specification as the FIA ​​European Cross Car Championship.

In Euro RX3, a category dominated by Audi since 2018, the battle promises to be wide open between several serious contenders. Lithuanian Rytis Gurklys, runner-up last year, will be one of the favorites, alongside Nicolas Geleyns, Libor Teješ, and the young Frenchman Julien Meunier. Also of note is the intriguing presence of Dominik Senegacnik at the wheel of a... Alfa Romeo Mito — a brand absent from the international rallycross scene since the end of 2018 — and Dylan Dufas in a Volkswagen Polo built specifically for the event. In total, 19 different nationalities will be represented in Riga for what promises to be a spectacular season opener.

ALSO READ > Kristoffersson and Veiby return to Euro RX1 to start the season in Riga