Fabien Pailler (Renault Mégane Mk4) won round 5 of the 2026 FIA European Rallycross Championship, Euro RX of France, at Lohéac in France today (August 30). In front of an impressive home crowd, he won the RX1 final from Andreas Bakkerud (Ford Fiesta Mk7 ST) and Juha Rytkönen (Hyundai i20). In the RX3 category, the win also went to a Frenchman, with Julien Meunier (Audi A1) winning the final from Audrius Kragas (Škoda Fabia Mk2).
It was Johan Kristoffersson (VW Polo Mk6) who won Q4 on Sunday morning, his first qualifying win of the weekend. Kristoffersson set his time by winning the penultimate Q4 session. In the final session, Andreas Bakkerud won it with the second-fastest time overall. Overnight leader Juha Rytkönen was also in the final session, finishing fourth behind Bakkerud, Joni Turpeinen (Ford Fiesta Mk7 ST) and Fabien Pailler. With his Q4 win, Kristoffersson became the top qualifier ahead of Rytkönen, Pailler and Bakkerud, meaning these four drivers were in separate Quarter-Finals.
In the first Quarter-Final, top qualifier Kristoffersson shared the front row with his teammate Ole Christian Veiby (VW Polo Mk6). Veiby missed out on the start, with Kristoffersson taking the lead and Patrick O’Donovan (Peugeot 208) moving into second on the way to turn two. Veiby then immediately went into the joker lap section and tried to move up places lap by lap. However, in the end, he did not make it into the Semi-Finals. Kristoffersson won it ahead of O’Donovan, with Nils Volland (Audi S1) finishing third and becoming the third Semi-Final qualifier.
The second Quarter-Final had a front row with overnight leader Rytkönen and Sébastien Loeb (Peugeot 208). Rytkönen had the better start and went into the lead ahead of Loeb. He led from lights to flag. Behind the Finn, in the joker-lap battle, Loeb eventually got beaten by Irishman Eoin Murray (Honda Civic) for second place. Nevertheless, Murray and Loeb, together with race winner Rytkönen, were through to the Semi-Finals.
The third Quarter-Final had a French front row with Fabien Pailler and Julien Fébreau (Peugeot 208). The rain that had started in the previous Quarter-Final intensified during this one while the drivers were on dry-weather tires. Pailler managed to bring the Mégane home ahead of Fébreau. Rokas Baciuška (Hyundai i20) was the other qualifier, leaving Kevin Hansen (Hyundai i20) out of the Semi-Finals.
In the last Quarter-Final, Bakkerud was on pole with Turpeinen alongside him. Then the start was delayed by a few minutes to give the teams some time to change tires to adapt to the changing weather conditions, but it was understood that none of the teams switched tires in the end. Bakkerud had the better start and led it until the end. Turpeinen spun the car at the beginning of the second lap and did not finish. Second- and third-place finishers João Ribeiro (Hyundai i20) and Ollie O’Donovan (Peugeot 208) made it through to the Semi-Finals together with Bakkerud.
The first Semi-Final had Kristoffersson and Pailler on the front row. The second row was occupied by O’Donovan and Fébreau, while the grid was completed by Volland and Baciuška. Pailler outstarted Kristoffersson and took the lead in turn one, while O’Donovan closed in as third. Kristoffersson then went into the joker on the penultimate lap and rejoined the main track in second. Then, when Pailler did the same on the following lap, he was able to hold off Kristoffersson and take victory in his Semi-Final. Baciuška, who opted for an earlier joker, finished third.
Rytkönen and Bakkerud shared the front row for the second Semi-Final. On the second row were Murray and Ribeiro, while Loeb and Ollie O’Donovan were on the last row. Bakkerud took the lead immediately and led the field towards turn two ahead of Rytkönen and Ribeiro. Ribeiro went into the joker lap section on the second lap and managed to rejoin the main track ahead of Loeb, who had passed through it the lap before. Then, on the third lap, the nine-time FIA World Rally Champion overtook Ribeiro. With Rytkönen taking the joker on the penultimate lap and Bakkerud on the final lap, the positions did not change, and Bakkerud, Rytkönen and Loeb all qualified for the Final.
The Final saw Bakkerud and Pailler as front-row starters, with Pailler taking the lead after turn one and Bakkerud closing in on him in second. Rytkönen managed to make his way past Kristoffersson towards turn three. Kristoffersson took his joker on the fourth lap, rejoining in fifth behind Loeb. Loeb was then down to sixth place after he took his joker on the penultimate lap. The others went into the joker on the last lap, with Pailler, Bakkerud and Rytkönen all keeping their top-three spots and securing themselves the Lohéac RX1 podium. Kristoffersson finished fourth ahead of Baciuška and Loeb. In the championship, with the double-header season finale to come, Bakkerud (158 points) takes the championship lead by one point over Kristoffersson (157 points).
In RX3, Julien Meunier set another fastest time on Sunday morning, in addition to the two fastest times set on Saturday, to become the top qualifier. Audrius Kragas qualified second ahead of Nicolas Geleyns (Audi A1) and championship leader Rytis Gurklys (Audi A1).
Meunier went underway in the first Semi-Final, where he had to battle with Geleyns, who led for most of the race. However, with Geleyns taking the joker on the final lap, Meunier was able to pass him and win the first Semi-Final. French driver Tom Le Jossec (Škoda Fabia Mk3), who opted for an early joker, was third and qualified for the Final as well. The second Semi-Final had an all-Lithuanian front row with Kragas and Gurklys. Here, Gurklys was leading it on the final lap but got overtaken by Kragas, who beat his compatriot. Markus Røsrud (Škoda Fabia Mk2) finished third and went through to the Final.
In the RX3 Final, Meunier had the better start and took the lead ahead of Kragas, Geleyns and Gurklys. Meunier extended his lead lap by lap and was able to pass through the joker lap section without losing the lead. Behind the Frenchman, Kragas, Geleyns and Gurklys were battling for the remaining podium spots. Geleyns took his joker on the penultimate lap, while the two others did the same on the last lap. In the meantime, Le Jossec was trying to pass Gurklys. When the latter took his joker, Le Jossec as well as Geleyns were able to pass the championship leader. Meunier won it with Kragas second and Le Jossec third. Gurklys remains in the lead in the championship, holding a ten-point gap over Meunier.
The next round of the 2026 FIA European Rallycross Championship is the double-header season finale at Lousada in Portugal on September 12-13.
Results
Euro RX1 – Final: 1. Fabien Pailler (F), Renault Mégane Mk4; 2. Andreas Bakkerud (N), Ford Fiesta Mk7 ST; 3. Juha Rytkönen (FIN), Hyundai i20; 4. Johan Kristoffersson (S), VW Polo Mk6; 5. Rokas Baciuška (LT), Hyundai i20; 6. Sébastien Loeb (F), Peugeot 208.
Euro RX3 – Final: 1. Julien Meunier (F), Audi A1; 2. Audrius Kragas (LT), Škoda Fabia Mk2; 3. Tom Le Jossec (F), Škoda Fabia Mk3; 4. Nicolas Geleyns (B), Audi A1; 5. Rytis Gurklys (LT), Audi A1; 6. Markus Røsrud (N), Škoda Fabia Mk2.
Standings
Euro RX1 (5/7): 1. Andreas Bakkerud (N), 158; 2. Johan Kristoffersson (S), 157; 3. Ole Christian Veiby (N), 119; 4. Juha Rytkönen (FIN), 118; 5. Joni Turpeinen (FIN), 91; 6. Casper Jansson (S), 60; etc.
Euro RX3 (5/7): 1. Rytis Gurklys (LT), 138; 2. Julien Meunier (F), 128; 3. Nicolas Geleyns (B), 70; 4. Sámuel Kovács (H), 55; 5. Markus Røsrud (N), 54; 6. Libor Teješ (CZ), 54; etc.