João Ribeiro sets the pace on Dramatic Opener.

Ribeiro, carrying a 24-point cushion into the season finale, began cautiously in Q1. A sluggish launch left him chasing, but the 42-year-old Portuguese ace quickly reeled in the leaders, his Audi A1 surging into clean air by turn one. Countryman André Sousa snapped at his heels throughout, but Ribeiro absorbed the pressure to bank 42 points. In Q2, he raised the bar, fending off Gurklys in a masterclass of precision driving to claim the maximum 50 qualifying points putting him on 92 at the end of the day.

Gurklys was every bit Ribeiro’s equal. The young Lithuanian lit up Q1 with a rocket start, muscling past Hungary’s Sámuel Kovács in a fierce duel that only ended when a small mistake from the Hungarian handed him the advantage. His Q2 was scrappier, boxed in by midfield battles, but he still hunted down Ribeiro to keep the championship fight alive. Ninety-two points on the board leaves the pair inseparable going into Sunday.

Kovács sits third overnight after sparring with both frontrunners, his early fight with Gurklys in Q1 one of the highlights of the day. His consistency across both sessions ensures the Hungarian remains a threat if the leaders stumble in the remaining heats.

Behind them, Nicolas Geleyns endured a bruising Saturday. The young Barbadian has shown flashes of speed all year, but Istanbul’s low-grip gravel proved unforgiving. Struggling to settle into a rhythm, he finished fourth in both heats, leaving him with plenty of work to do if he is to mount a podium challenge on Sunday.

The day’s drama, though, came from the Sousas. In the closing stages of Q1, André blasted out of the joker only to meet Rogério at speed on the standard lap. The heavy collision ended Rogério’s day instantly and drew a stinging “silly” from commentator Andrew Coley. André salvaged points later, but the incident leaves both on the back foot.

With Saturday wrapped up, attention now turns to Sunday’s all-important finale. Battles are raging for position right through the championship order, and with pride, podiums and points still to be decided, Istanbul is set for a showdown that will demand