On a scorching afternoon in Lousada, Johan Kristoffersson filled the last empty space in his rallycross record. The Swede secured his first Euro RX1 European crown, adding the title to the eight world championships that already make him the most successful driver in the sport's history.
Chaos on the Portuguese dirt
The final descended into disorder almost immediately. Ole Christian Veiby crashed his Volkswagen Polo, damaging the suspension and forcing a red flag; Nils Volland's Audi was also stranded sideways on the circuit, both cars too broken to restart. On the resumption, Kristoffersson darted through an opening at the first corner to take the lead.
That lead vanished when contact with Patrick O'Donovan sent the Peugeot 208 into the wall with a shattered rear-right suspension. Fabien Pailler slipped ahead in his Renault Mégane, only for a puncture to his own rear-left tyre to leave him powerless. Kristoffersson drove through and won by 52.355 seconds, the final clocked at 4:06.044 minutes, while Juha Rytkönen nursed a burning Hyundai i20 to third and the championship runner-up spot.
The title won before the gate dropped
The European crown was already his. He reached Lousada carrying a 36-point lead over Andreas Bakkerud and swept all three qualifying heats. Victory in his quarter-final delivered the six points that made the mathematics final, leaving the afternoon's chaos as something closer to a coronation.
"The title was already settled in the quarter-finals," Kristoffersson told reporters afterwards. "The crowd here has been incredible, so it was good to have the chance to give them a little show with the donut on the last corner." Nearly 15,000 spectators filled the Lousada International Circuit across three days, which also hosted rallycross's first night race.
Nine titles, one quiet giant
Bakkerud, who had led the standings entering Portugal, missed the final after a gearbox failure on his Ford Fiesta and ended the season third overall. Kristoffersson's record eight world titles include a dominant 2022 electric-era campaign with eight round wins from ten. The European honour was the one that had stayed out of reach, until a chaotic afternoon under the Portuguese sun delivered it at last.
