Stars of 2025 celebrated at FIA Off-Road Awards

Hosted by the Federação Portuguesa de Automobilismo e Karting (FPAK), the glittering gala welcomed some of the leading lights from the global motorsport community to Porto to mark the most memorable moments from a captivating campaign. 

“It was an exciting season across the FIA Off-Road categories,” acknowledged FIA Off-Road Commission President, Wlodek Szaniawski. “In rallycross, demand continues to grow and I am confident we will see even more spectacular competition in 2026.”

Johan Kristoffersson was present in Portugal after clinching an extraordinary eighth world championship crown at the international pinnacle of the dual-surface discipline last year, extending one of the most outstanding records in the sport’s history. Niclas Grönholm pushed the Swedish sensation hardest as he capped a career-best effort with the runner-up laurels, while Kristoffersson’s KMS stablemate Ole Christian Veiby wound up third, earning the eponymous Arvika-based outfit the coveted Teams’ title.

At European level, Volland Racing’s Yury Belevskiy went one spot better than in 2024 to secure overall honours in Euro RX1, coming out on top of a tense three-way tussle with Damian Litwinowicz and Mika Liimatainen – the trio ultimately ending up blanketed by just three points at the summit of the standings.

In Euro RX3 – a category Belevskiy dominated back in 2021 – Portugal’s own João Ribeiro finally prevailed after coming close on several previous occasions, seeing off emerging contenders Rytis Gurklys and Nicolas Geleyns and receiving arguably the most rapturous applause of the night. 

“It was a pleasure to host this ceremony in Porto, honouring the champions and national clubs that dedicate themselves each year to organising events in Lousada and Foz Côa,” commented FPAK President, Ni Amorim. “It was especially rewarding to see a Portuguese driver recognised on the European Rallycross stage. João Ribeiro is an inspiration to younger drivers, and we hope he continues to achieve success internationally.”

Adding to that national pride, the accolade for Best Organiser across the FIA World and European Rallycross Championships was presented to Clube Automóvel de Lousada, highlighting its commitment to operational excellence and the high-quality delivery of the curtain-raising World RX of Portugal last spring, following a 17-year absence from the top-flight.

The gala also carried special significance, capping the first full year of competition since the FIA assumed direct operational responsibility for World and Euro RX. Since taking on that role, the sport’s governing body has prioritised sporting stability through regulatory refinement, continued calendar growth, sustained investment and fan engagement, delivering a whole season of free-to-watch global coverage of the championship via YouTube.

“These awards mark the first since the FIA invested directly in elite rallycross and demonstrate our long-term commitment and belief in a strong and sustainable future for the discipline,” affirmed FIA President, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, via video message. “At the same time, we remain focused on access and opportunity to open the door to new drivers and new nations. I am confident the future of FIA Off-Road is bright.”

In evidence of that, the forthcoming 2026 campaign will herald the eagerly-anticipated introduction to the pyramid of grassroots categories Euro RX4 – for Rally4 machinery – and Euro RX5, for Cross Car competitors. The aim is to broaden participation, increase technical diversity and reduce barriers to entry for drivers who already own eligible vehicles – with the ultimate objective of developing the next generation of rallycross talent.

Entries are currently open across all four categories – Euro RX1, Euro RX3, Euro RX4 and Euro RX5. Registrations can be submitted here. The closing date for permanent applications is 13 March.