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SARGA.CO – Andreas Bakkerud has finally returned to the top of the podium in the FIA European Rallycross Championship (Euro RX). The Norwegian won the Hungarian round at the Nyirád Circuit on Sunday (31 May 2026), ending a long four-year wait for a victory at European level.

This success felt particularly special for the three-time European champion. After spending the last few seasons primarily competing in the United States, Bakkerud returned to a full Euro RX season in 2026 with Bergen Motorsport Evolution, supported by SET Promotion. On the legendary Nyirád track, known as the ‘Red Cauldron’, he delivered a near-flawless performance from practice sessions right through to the final.

This victory has also reshaped the title race. Thanks to his result in Hungary, Bakkerud has now taken the lead in the provisional standings from his main rival, Johan Kristoffersson.

The weekend’s biggest drama unfolded just seconds after the start of the final. Bakkerud and Kristoffersson, who were on the front row, charged side-by-side towards the first corner. Bakkerud, on the inside, managed to hold the ideal line and forced Kristoffersson wide as they entered the tight left-hand bend.

The opportunity was immediately seized by the two SET Promotion drivers, Joni Turpeinen and Juha Rytkönen. Both slipped in on the inside of Kristoffersson’s Volkswagen Polo. As the four leading cars jostled into the first corner, a minor collision was unavoidable. Kristoffersson lost control, spun, and crashed into the tyre wall on the outside of the track before rejoining the race from the back of the field.

Rytkönen applied pressure throughout the race, but Bakkerud managed to maintain his rhythm. He even set the fastest lap of the final before eventually crossing the finish line with a lead of over 1.5 seconds.

Behind them, Turpeinen managed to hold onto third place despite facing pressure from Ole Christian Veiby. Kristoffersson ultimately could only climb back to fifth, whilst Casper Jansson finished last after a competitive performance throughout the weekend.

The rivalry between Bakkerud and Kristoffersson had actually been the main attraction since the first qualification round, Saturday (30 May 2026). The two drivers took turns setting the fastest times from the free practice sessions onwards, with the margins being extremely tight.

Bakkerud started the weekend by setting the fastest time in Free Practice 1 (FP1) and dominated Qualifying 1 (Q1). Kristoffersson then struck back in FP2 and Q2, showing that the duel between these two former World RX rivals would be the deciding factor for victory at Nyirád.

The competition became even more intriguing when the weather changed drastically during Q3. After high temperatures had dominated throughout the day, rain fell and altered track conditions. Bakkerud take advantages to maintain his position at the top of the provisional standings.

Whilst Kristoffersson and his KMS teammate, Ole Christian Veiby, attempted an early joker lap strategy to steal positions, the SET Promotion camp were able to read that tactic. Turpeinen and Rytkönen adopted a different strategy, whilst Bakkerud delayed his joker lap until the final lap. This strategy saw him return to the main track ahead of Kristoffersson and maintain his lead heading into the second day.

(Read more about the Joker Lap here)

“It feels amazing. It’s always a pleasure to race against Johan,” said Bakkerud after the qualifying session.

Bakkerud’s dominance continued on the second day. He was the fastest in Q4, securing the Top Qualifier status, then won the Quarter-Final and Semi-Final to secure pole position for the decisive race. This result gave him pole position for the final, something he hadn’t experienced in a long time.

“The last time I started from pole was in Barcelona in 2021 with GCK. It feels like it’s been ages,” said Bakkerud.

That front-row starting position proved crucial. When the lights went out in the final, Bakkerud managed to hold the inside line into the first corner and laid the foundations for his first Euro RX victory since 2022.

Aside from Bakkerud’s victory, another major story from Nyirád was the dominance of the SET Promotion team, which swept all podium positions.

Juha Rytkönen was Bakkerud’s closest challenger throughout the final and ultimately secured second place. This result marked an important resurgence following a disappointing start to the season in Riga.

“It’s been a good weekend. We didn’t start the season in the best way in Riga, but I’ve really enjoyed working with SET Promotion. We’re getting closer to the front and this result feels like a win to me,” said Rytkönen.

Turpeinen’s race wasn’t entirely smooth. He experienced gearbox issues in Q1, but managed to bounce back and even set the fastest time in Q3. In the final, he managed to avoid the chaos at the first corner and held onto his podium position right to the finish line.

“Three SET Promotion drivers on the podium – it’s mad. I never expected the start of the season to go this well. The first corner was absolute chaos; all the cars were darting in every direction like rockets, but I managed to stay clean on the inside line and finish third again,” said Turpeinen.

On the other hand, the usually dominant KMS team failed to place a single driver on the podium. Veiby had to settle for fourth place after previously recovering from a broken gear lever in Q1. Kristoffersson himself could only manage fifth place after an incident at the first corner ruined his chances of victory.

Victory at Nyirád has propelled Andreas Bakkerud to the top of the provisional Euro RX1 2026 standings. The Bergen Motorsport Evolution driver now has 65 points, holding a narrow one-point lead over Johan Kristoffersson, who has 64 points.

The battle at the top is also becoming more and more exciting as three other drivers remain within relatively close reach. Ole Christian Veiby sits in third place with 44 points, followed by Joni Turpeinen with 41 points and Juha Rytkönen with 38 points.

Two consecutive podium finishes secured by Turpeinen in Riga and Nyirád keep the 17-year-old Finnish driver firmly in the title hunt. Meanwhile, SET Promotion’s dominance in Hungary helped the team place three of its drivers in the top five of the standings.

The result produced a 16-point swing in the championship standings. Having trailed by 15 points after the opening round in Riga, Bakkerud now leads Kristoffersson by a single point, 65 to 64.

With four rounds remaining this season, the one-point gap between Bakkerud and Kristoffersson leaves the battle for the European title wide open. If the performance in Hungary is any indication, the duel between these two former World RX rivals looks set to be the main story for the remainder of the 2026 season.

Top 10 of the 2026 Euro RX1 Standings

1. Andreas Bakkerud – 65 points
2. Johan Kristoffersson – 64 points
3. Ole Christian Veiby – 44 points
4. Joni Turpeinen – 41 points
5. Juha Rytkönen – 38 points
6. Casper Jansson – 24 points
7. Patrick O'Donovan – 24 points
8. Andor Trepák – 17 points
9. Damian Litwinowicz – 14 points
10. Zoltán Köröczi – 11 points