Ribeiro victorious after dramatic Finnish RX3 weekend

The FIA European Rallycross Championship’s RX3 category served up high drama in Finland, as João Ribeiro fought back to claim victory in the Finnish forests.

The Portuguese championship leader endured a tough start to the weekend, unable to find his usual pace in Saturday’s heats and ending the day down in fifth overall. Sunday morning brought little improvement, keeping him on the back foot heading into the semi-finals. But when the rain arrived later in the afternoon, shaking up conditions for the knockouts and final, Ribeiro seized his chance.

In the first semi-final, Antiguan rising star Nicolas Geleyns capitalised on early chaos to secure his place in the final. Balázs Körmöczi, who had shown lightning pace in qualifying, suffered heavy contact at turn one, halting his Volkswagen Polo and eliminating him from the competition. With Körmöczi out, Geleyns opened a clear gap to the pack and drove confidently to victory.

The second semi-final promised fireworks, with Lithuania’s Rytis Gurklys starting from pole after topping both days’ qualifying. At the start, Gurklys, Ribeiro and fellow Portuguese driver André Sousa made it a three-wide drag race into turn one. Contact between the two countrymen dropped Sousa down the order, while Ribeiro slotted into second behind Gurklys. A tactical joker battle followed, with Ribeiro taking his on lap one in a bid to undercut the Lithuanian.

Gurklys immediately responded, covering the move and rejoining just ahead at the merge. The pair ran nose-to-nose for the remainder, trading tenths in a thrilling fight with Gurklys ultimately holding on to secure pole for the final.

That set up a showdown featuring two of the category’s brightest young talents on the front row – Gurklys and Geleyns – with Ribeiro and Sousa looking to pounce behind. Gurklys made the stronger launch and seized the lead, only for disaster to strike in the first corner when Ribeiro lunged down the inside. Contact sent the Lithuanian spinning to the back, ending his hopes of victory.

With Gurklys out of contention, Ribeiro snatched the advantage and pushed hard to build a gap. Geleyns responded with a charging drive, cutting into Ribeiro’s lead and setting up a tense finish. Geleyns came within six tenths of a second at the flag – agonisingly close, but not quite enough to deny Ribeiro.

The podium was rounded out by Rogério Sousa, who delivered a superb tactical race from sixth on the grid. Timing his joker to perfection, Sousa leapt into contention for third and defended fiercely against Libor Teješ in the closing stages. The Czech driver piled on the pressure with a late surge, but Sousa held firm to secure the final step of the podium.

João Ribeiro, said: “I didn’t expect this victory – we struggled for pace this weekend, so honestly I wasn’t expecting it. But in the final I got a good start, and after some tough battles into the first corner I managed to get out in front. From there it was a bit of a solitary race, but the pace was good and it feels great to finish on the top step. I love this track – the style is similar to Montalegre, really fast and fun to drive. This result sets us up well for the final showdown in Türkiye, where the goal will be to stay smart and enjoy the fight.”
 
Nicolas Geleyns, commented: “I was not expecting this result. Honestly, it was difficult, especially on the dirt where grip was very low in the wet. But it was amazing fun to race here. To end the weekend on the podium, after a tough start, is incredible. The crowd support was amazing and I’m so proud to be here.”

Rogério Sousa, added: “It was a great weekend. Starting in P6, I wasn’t projecting third place at all – I just came here to enjoy the race. But we fought hard, made the right calls, and showed we could compete with the best. I love this track – it was my first time racing here, but I felt comfortable right away.”

The Finnish round leaves Ribeiro firmly in control of the standings, but Geleyns and Gurklys have underlined their ability to challenge for wins. With everything still to play for, the stage is now set for a thrilling season finale in Türkiye.

Click here to view the provisional classification from the Euro RX3 of Finland.

Click here to view the provisional championship standings.