One of the most spectacular drivers in the sport,
O’Donovan has attracted a huge fanbase for his all-out style, but a sluggish
start in heat one in Portugal left him needing to overhaul – and subsequently
stave off – title rival Yury Belevskiy, who made a few late mistakes of his own
in evidence of just how much was at stake for the pair.
The two-time British champion then got the
better of Tamás Kárai following a crowd-pleasing doorhandle-to-doorhandle duel
in heat two, as Belevskiy battled back from a lacklustre launch to similarly
take a race win and keep the pressure on. O’Donovan notched up another five
points in heat three, fending off a fired-up Máté Benyó despite running on
distinctly second-hand tyres, while his Volland Racing adversary fought past
Mikko Ikonen to likewise cement a maximum score.
Belevskiy continued to keep his hopes alive
with a victory in heat four, but O’Donovan immediately responded, making light
of a slow start to duck inside his fellow competitors in Turn One and seize a
lead he would never relinquish.
That earned the Team RX Racing ace pole
position for the first of the weekend’s semi-finals, which he controlled
throughout – in so doing, putting the destiny of the coveted crown beyond
Belevskiy’s reach.
“We did it!” enthused the 20-year-old – the first
British driver to win the European Championship since Richard Hutton back in 1994.
“I spent the whole weekend trying to keep my cool, but my legs were trembling throughout
and I felt sick before the semi-final.
“I’m the happiest man in the entire universe –
Sunday was the best day of my life, and a childhood dream come true. A massive ‘thank
you’ to my parents, my partners and Sam Clennell Motorsport. We’ve won two
British Championships together and now the European Championship as well. There’s
only one more left...”
After dominating the other semi-final,
Belevskiy joined O’Donovan on the front row of the grid for the final, which
would turn out to be a classic rallycross bout. The newly-crowned champion did
not get away well and then found himself edged onto the grass at Turn One by
Kárai, dropping him to the tail-end of the order.
Belevskiy was the key beneficiary as he vaulted
immediately into the lead, with the Audi driver never under genuine threat and
pulling out an advantage of almost five seconds by the time the chequered flag
fell – his margin flattered somewhat by the various shenanigans going on further back.
Behind the Swiss star, Damian Litwinowicz and
Mika Liimatainen disputed second place – and third in the championship
standings – until a collision as the Pole exited the joker on the penultimate
tour sent both drivers spinning, ending Liimatainen’s race on the spot and
earning the Finn a reprimand and championship penalty point.
Their misfortune played firmly into the hands
of Benyó, who had only snuck onto he grid for the final following a track
limits penalty handed out to Euro RX1 newcomer Julien Fébreau. Elevated to the
runner-up spot by Litwinowicz and Liimatainen’s clash, the Hungarian’s third
consecutive podium finish in 2024 also enabled him to leapfrog them both in the
title table. Following his early delay, O’Donovan rounded out the rostrum after
passing the wounded Litwinowicz for third.
Europe
Poland
China