There are still a few certainties in the world of Rallycross, and one of them is that, every year, on the first weekend of July, Höljes, Sweden, hosts one of the sport’s most iconic events. This year, the small town in the forests of Värmland welcomes the third round of the 2026 FIA European Rallycross Championship – Euro RX of Sweden. After a dramatic opening day of racing, Patrick O’Donovan (Peugeot 208) is holding the overnight lead in RX1.
The event got underway on Friday evening with a first free practice session, where the Kristoffersson Motorsport drivers Johan Kristoffersson (VW Polo Mk6) and Ole Christian Veiby (VW Polo Mk6) claimed the top two positions. Championship leader Andreas Bakkerud (Ford Fiesta Mk7 ST) set the fourth-fastest time behind Casper Jansson (Peugeot 208). Saturday morning’s a second free practice session produced a repeat of the Friday evening results, with another one-two finish for Kristoffersson Motorsport.
The benchmark in Qualifying 1 (Q1) was initially set by Fabien Pailler (Renault Mégane Mk4) in the opening race. Following the draw, Andreas Bakkerud lined up in the third Q1 race and won it, setting the fastest time. That remained the benchmark until the final race, where Johan Kristoffersson and Casper Jansson finished first and second, both improving on Bakkerud’s time. Kristoffersson’s teammate Ole Christian Veiby suffered a puncture during his Q1 race and was unable to record a competitive time. Set Promotion’s Joni Turpeinen (Ford Fiesta Mk7 ST) was fourth fastest, ahead of Pailler.
After the lunch break, Veiby, based on his Q1 result, lined up in the opening race of Q2 and took a comfortable victory. Rytkönen, whose car had stalled on the start line in Q1, attempted to beat Veiby’s time but fell 0.7 seconds short. The final race, with the top five drivers from Q1, looked the most promising on paper but ultimately ended in disappointment. Bakkerud made the best start, but behind him there was contact on the run to Turn 2. Turpeinen and Kristoffersson collided, with Kristoffersson hitting the rear of Jansson’s car, which in turn was pushed into the back of Bakkerud’s car. Kristoffersson then got into the lead, and the race turned into a time trial, with the Swede initially setting the fastest time. Pailler, who had taken the joker lap on the opening lap, avoided the incident and finished second, recording a fourth-fastest Q2 time overall.
However, following an investigation by the Race Director, Kristoffersson was black flagged for ‘causing a collision’ promoting teammate Veiby to the fastest time in Q2. The drama did not end there, as Kristoffersson Motorsport protested the Race Director’s decision. The Stewards of the Meeting, however, declared the protest inadmissible because it had been lodged outside the 30-minute time limit as stipulated in the regulations.
Following his black flag in Q2, Kristoffersson lined up in the opening race of Q3, where he secured a lights-to-flag victory while setting what would ultimately remain the fastest time of the session. Bakkerud, competing in the second race, fell 0.9 seconds short but recorded the second-fastest time. By the time the final RX1 race of the day got underway, rain had arrived, making it impossible for Veiby and the remaining drivers to challenge the times set by Kristoffersson and Bakkerud in the earlier races. Ulrik Linnemann (VW Polo Mk5) won the final race, while Fabien Pailler, who had led the standings after Q2, received a 30-second penalty for not passing through the joker lap section.
After three qualifying sessions, Patrick O’Donovan, with the seventh-, eighth- and fifth-fastest times, holds the overnight lead ahead of Andreas Bakkerud and Joni Turpeinen. Despite setting the fastest times in Q1 and Q3, Kristoffersson is sixth overnight, while Pailler ends the opening day in ninth following his Q3 penalty. Kristoffersson’s teammate Veiby, who was fastest in Q2, is 15th overnight.
In RX3, Julien Meunier (Audi A1), winner of the previous two rounds in Latvia and Hungary, holds the overnight lead. The Frenchman opened with a second-fastest time in Q1 behind Lithuania’s Rytis Gurklys (Audi A1), before topping both Q2 and Q3. Gurklys is second overnight with his countryman Audrius Kragas (Škoda Fabia Mk2), who finished second in Q3, completing the top three.
RX4 saw the debut of Marius Solberg Hansen (Renault Clio Mk5). The Norwegian topped both Q1 and Q2 and currently leads the standings. Filip Melon (Peugeot 208), winner of the previous event in Hungary and fastest in Q3, is second. Championship leader Andréa Bénézet (Renault Clio Mk5) had a difficult day and currently sits seventh overall.
Following an early warm-up session on Sunday morning, the event will continue with Q4 for all categories at 09:30 local time, followed by Quarter-Finals (RX1 only), Semi-Finals and the Finals for all categories.
Results
Euro RX1 (ranking after Q3): 1. Patrick O’Donovan (IRL), 112; 2. Andreas Bakkerud (N), 109; 3. Joni Turpeinen (FIN), 107; 4. Johannes Rafoss (N), 107; 5. Martin Enlund (S), 107; 6. Johan Kristoffersson (S), 106; etc.
Euro RX3 (ranking after Q3): 1. Julien Meunier (F), 145; 2. Rytis Gurklys (LT), 124; 3. Audrius Kragas (LT), 123; 4. Dominik Senegacik (A), 121; 5. Sámuel Kovács (H), 120; 6. Libor Teješ (CZ), 114; etc.
Euro RX4 (ranking after Q3): 1. Marius Solberg Hansen (N), 145; 2. Filip Melon (PL), 135; 3. Thomas Quincé (F), 127; 4. Albert Ako Kokk (EST), 119; 5. Ivo Gabrāns (LV), 119; 6. Haotian Deng (CHN), 115;
Euro RX5 (ranking after Q3): 1. Armin Raag (EST), 140; 2. Martin Juga (EST), 126; 3. Valentin Comte (F), 124; 4. Diego Martínez (E), 123; 5. Tim Braumüller (D), 119; 6. Marin Le Jossec (F), 114; etc.