Flashback Friday: Münnich enjoys his day of days as big guns falter in France

The German is, by his own admission, a businessman first and a racing driver second – albeit a very skilled one. A comparatively late starter in the sport, he debuted in the FIA European Rallycross Championship in Hungary in 2007, finishing fourth on his maiden outing in Division 1A (now Euro RX3).

After swiftly stepping up to the top-tier Supercar category (now Euro RX1), Münnich ascended the podium for the first time at Höljes in Sweden in 2017 and repeated the feat on home soil at the Estering two years later on his way to clinching a career-high fifth in the overall standings. In 2021, he advanced to the FIA World Rallycross Championship final for the first time in the series’ Catalunya curtain-raiser – and then, six weeks later in Brittany, came his day of days.

Heading into the weekend, the German sat just ninth in the Euro RX1 ranking, but behind the wheel of his trusty SEAT Ibiza, he produced a strong run through the heat races at Lohéac to grab fourth spot in the intermediate classification amongst the 25 high-calibre contenders.

From the front row of the grid in his semi-final, a sensational start propelled Münnich into a lead that he would not subsequently surrender. From the front row again in the final, he looked set to scoop the runner-up spoils, until Andreas Bakkerud’s race-leading Škoda suddenly slowed and stopped with barely a lap remaining, enabling the closely-following  Löbau native to gratefully pick up the pieces.

Other fancied runners to falter in France included home hero Fabien Pailler – who lost second place to a battery issue – and Bakkerud’s ESmotorsport team-mate, Jānis Baumanis, who spun while attempting to wrest third position away from Tamás Kárai almost within sight of the finish line.

None of that, however, bothered Münnich, who motored serenely on to seal a maiden success at European level – a result that catapulted him seven spots up the title table into second.

“I feel fantastic!” enthused the ALL-INKL.COM Muennich Motorsport driver after the chequered flag fell. “Especially for the guys, for our first real international win in rallycross. It was unlucky for Andreas – he was leading and was for sure on the way to victory – but this is motorsport. Not only the driver, but also the car decides sometimes.”

Münnich wound up just over five seconds clear of closest pursuer, Andréa Dubourg, with a delighted Kárai rounding out the rostrum in third and champion-elect Bakkerud recovering from his earlier troubles to place fourth. 

Lohéac returns to the Euro RX calendar for the first time since that memorable weekend on 29-30 August this year, when it will host the penultimate round on the series’ 2026 calendar – one that two-time French Rallycross Champion Pailler has hinted could tempt him to return...

While you wait, why not re-live Münnich’s milestone race right here.