Bakkerud Edges Kristoffersson in Rallycross Standings as ICE Return Revives the Sport

The 2026 FIA European Rallycross Championship (Euro RX) has arrived at its midpoint with one of the most fiercely contested title fights in the sport's history. Following the opening rounds in Latvia and Hungary, Norwegian driver Andreas Bakkerud holds a razor-thin one-point lead over Swedish legend Johan Kristoffersson. Bakkerud, piloting a Ford Fiesta, sits atop the standings with 65 points, while Kristoffersson’s Volkswagen Polo trails closely at 64 points. The narrow margin sets the stage for a dramatic showdown as the series heads into the heart of the Scandinavian summer, but the tight leaderboard is only half of the story. For fans and competitors alike, the 2026 season represents a massive, successful reset for a motorsport discipline that had been teetering on the edge of irrelevance just a few years prior.[1]

The significance of this one-point margin extends far beyond the immediate battle for the championship trophy. It serves as a validation of the sport's recent, sweeping regulatory changes. For the past several years, rallycross struggled to balance the demands of technological innovation with the visceral entertainment that originally built its fanbase. Now, with the championship battle closer than it has been in half a decade, the paddock is breathing a collective sigh of relief. The intense, door-to-door racing between Bakkerud and Kristoffersson proves that the sport has successfully recaptured its core identity, delivering the high-stakes drama that fans demand while providing a stable, competitive platform for independent teams to challenge established champions.[6]

To understand the magnitude of the current season, one must look back at the turbulent period that preceded it. Following the 2025 season, the FIA made the drastic decision to cancel the World Rallycross Championship entirely. The global series had suffered from dwindling grids and waning public interest, prompting the governing body to elevate the European Rallycross Championship (Euro RX) to become the premier class of international rallycross for 2026. This restructuring consolidated the sport's top talent into a single, highly competitive arena, effectively turning the European championship into the de facto world stage while organizers worked to rebuild the discipline's foundation from the ground up.[3]

The cornerstone of this rebuilding effort was a massive technological pivot. In September 2025, the FIA announced that the top tier of international rallycross would abandon its mandate for electric vehicles (EVs) and return exclusively to internal combustion engines (ICE). The announcement marked a sharp reversal from the early 2020s, when the sport attempted to position itself at the bleeding edge of green automotive technology. While the EV push initially attracted manufacturer interest, it ultimately alienated the core fanbase and drove up the cost of competition, making it nearly impossible for privateer teams to survive in the premier class. The return to combustion power was a direct response to these existential threats.[3]

The electric era of rallycross, which spanned from 2022 to 2025, was marred by a series of high-profile setbacks. Beyond the staggering costs of developing and maintaining the electric powertrains, the series suffered a catastrophic blow in July 2023 when a massive battery fire at the Lydden Hill circuit in the UK destroyed two Lancia Delta Evo-e RX cars. The incident forced an enforced gap in the season and raised serious safety concerns about the viability of the technology in such a high-impact, aggressive motorsport. Furthermore, the silent nature of the electric cars stripped away the deafening, chest-rattling engine noise that had long been a hallmark of the rallycross spectator experience, leading to a noticeable drop in grandstand attendance.

The decision to return to internal combustion engines immediately revitalized the grid. When the 2026 Euro RX season opened at the Biķernieku Trase circuit in Riga, Latvia, an astonishing 30 Supercars took the start line across the various classes. This massive turnout stood in stark contrast to the thin, single-digit grids that had plagued the final years of the electric World Championship. The lower barrier to entry allowed independent teams to dust off their existing ICE machinery and rejoin the fray, instantly injecting the series with a level of depth and variety that had been missing for years. The roar of the engines returning to the Latvian forests signaled that rallycross was officially back in business.[5]

For the drivers, the regulatory reset has been a breath of fresh air. Andreas Bakkerud, who currently leads the championship, has been vocal about the positive impact of the ICE return. The Norwegian driver noted that the sport has effectively "reset" itself and, crucially, "listened to the fans." Bakkerud admitted that he had been deeply worried about the sport losing its audience during the EV era, but the renewed interest and packed grandstands in 2026 have completely changed his outlook. The return to traditional, aggressive rallycross dynamics has allowed drivers to push their cars to the absolute limit without the complex thermal management required by the electric powertrains.

The revitalized grid has also provided the ultimate test for Johan Kristoffersson, the undisputed king of modern rallycross. The eight-time world champion dominated the season opener in Latvia, suggesting that his reign would continue uninterrupted in the new ICE era. However, Bakkerud's subsequent victory at the Nyirád Racing Center in Hungary proved that the Swedish legend is vulnerable. Bakkerud’s triumph in Hungary was his first international victory in four years, reigniting the title fight and proving that the current regulations have successfully leveled the playing field. Kristoffersson now faces his toughest championship challenge in years, forced to extract every ounce of performance from his Volkswagen Polo to keep pace.[2]

The championship battle is far from a two-horse race. The depth of the 2026 grid means that any slip-up by the leaders will be immediately punished by a hungry chasing pack. Ole Christian Veiby currently sits in third place with 54 points, keeping himself within striking distance of the top two. Right behind him is Joni Turpeinen with 53 points, while Juha Rytkönen rounds out the top five with 48 points. The presence of multiple drivers consistently challenging for podiums ensures that the points standings will remain volatile throughout the summer. With so many capable cars on the grid, the semi-final and final races have become unpredictable, high-stakes lotteries where a single mistake or a poorly timed Joker Lap can ruin a weekend.[1][2]

The resurgence of the sport has not gone unnoticed by its governing body. Anna Nordkvist, the FIA Vice President for Sport Europe, recently highlighted the massive surge in engagement from teams, drivers, and fans across the continent. She noted that the first two rounds of the 2026 season delivered exactly the kind of close, competitive racing the FIA had hoped to create when drafting the new regulations. The packed grandstands and robust online viewership numbers indicate that the decision to prioritize entertainment and accessibility over cutting-edge green technology has paid massive dividends, stabilizing a sport that was previously in freefall.[2]

The championship now heads to one of the most revered venues in all of motorsport: the Höljesbanan circuit in Sweden for the legendary "Magic Weekend." Scheduled for July 4-5, the Euro RX of Sweden is widely regarded as the spiritual home of rallycross, attracting tens of thousands of fans who camp in the surrounding Värmland forests. The festival-like atmosphere and the circuit's iconic tabletop jump make it the ultimate proving ground for the sport's top drivers. For Bakkerud, defending his one-point lead in Kristoffersson's home country will require a flawless performance, while Kristoffersson will be desperate to reclaim the top spot in front of his passionate local supporters.[2][4]

While the current focus remains squarely on the European championship battle, the FIA has already laid out an ambitious roadmap for the sport's global future. To maintain international momentum, a special non-championship Rallycross World Cup is scheduled to take place in Jakarta, Indonesia, in December 2026. The event will bring together the best drivers from the European championship and other regional series for a massive showdown at the Jakarta International e-Prix Circuit, utilizing the same ICE-powered RX1 vehicles that have made the 2026 season such a success. The World Cup serves as a crucial stepping stone to reintroduce the sport to markets outside of its traditional European stronghold.[3]

The ultimate goal of this rebuilding phase is the triumphant return of the FIA World Rallycross Championship. When the World Rally Championship (WRC) introduces its new technical regulations in 2028, rallycross is slated to adopt those exact same rules. This alignment will dramatically reduce development costs for manufacturers, allowing them to build cars that can compete in both rallying and rallycross with minimal modifications. Until that global relaunch occurs, the 2026 Euro RX season stands as a vital, highly entertaining bridge—a year where the sport remembered its roots, listened to its fans, and delivered a championship battle for the ages.[3][6]