O’Donovan ready for “pedigree field” as Euro RX season begins in Latvia

The 2024 FIA European Rallycross Champion is part of a 30-car Supercar entry at the Biķernieki circuit, with one of the strongest Euro RX fields in recent years bringing together former champions, World RX winners, experienced international competitors and a new wave of emerging talent.

For O’Donovan, the size and quality of the field carries extra significance.

“I feel great,” O’Donovan said. “Thirty cars is absolutely amazing. I grew up watching a period of rallycross where that was normal, and to be able to participate in something like that is amazing.

“I joined international rallycross just after COVID, so I never really got to experience it myself, but watching my father when I was growing up, I always saw that kind of paddock. It is absolutely amazing to be part of it.”

The opening round in Latvia comes at a significant moment for Euro RX, with the championship beginning the season with renewed momentum and a competitive Supercar grid. O’Donovan believes there is a clear sense within the paddock that rallycross is moving in the right direction again.

“It feels like it is back,” he said. “I can only really go off what everyone else has said about how amazing it used to be, but from what I can get from the team, other teams and other drivers, that is the general impression of how everyone is feeling.”

O’Donovan enters the season among the headline contenders, but the challenge ahead is clear. Multiple FIA title winners are on the entry list, with Johan Kristoffersson stepping into European competition alongside Andreas Bakkerud and a deep field of established Supercar drivers.

“This Johan guy seems pretty good,” O’Donovan joked. “Of course, he is an amazing driver and it is an amazing team package as well, so it is always difficult to beat him, but it is not impossible.

“Rallycross is massively a game of luck as well. We have such short laps and anything can happen. Andreas is also a very experienced driver, and there are so many drivers on the grid who have been at the top level in Europe and the world. It is a pedigree field, in my opinion.”

With the opening round taking place at Biķernieki, where the run into the first corners can be decisive, O’Donovan expects the championship battle to be tight from the start.

“I don’t think you can count anybody out this season,” he said. “Anything can happen in Turn 1, especially here with Turns 1 and 2 being so close to the start line and so tight together. You really have to be careful and watch out.”

O’Donovan also pointed to the increasing depth of the field as one of the key differences heading into 2026. While the championship includes some of rallycross’ most established names, he believes the overall level across the grid has become much closer.

“There are a lot of amazing drivers out there,” he said. “Anton Svilpauk is definitely a phenomenal driver for how little experience he has, and I don’t think you can really count anybody out.

“Everybody is at a very similar level now. It is not like it used to be, where there was a huge difference between the top five drivers and the rest of the field. There is not so much disparity anymore, and the drivers are much closer. I am really looking forward to seeing how everybody gets on.”

O’Donovan’s 2026 campaign also brings a new dynamic, with his father Ollie O’Donovan joining him as team-mate. The pairing creates one of the most distinctive storylines on the grid, with the two able to share data and feedback without the usual tension that can come from a direct intra-team rivalry.

“It is definitely nice,” O’Donovan said. “I spend a lot of time trying to bring him up to speed, but there are definitely times where he might brake a bit later than me or come into a corner at a different angle, and that can be beneficial when we compare data.

“It is nice to have a team-mate where you don’t feel like you have to keep that competitive edge. The walls are completely down, and we are saying everything we can to try and get each other to a higher level as quickly as possible.”

Although O’Donovan’s car carries a familiar look, it is a new chassis for the 2026 season. His 2025 car has moved across to his father, while Patrick begins the campaign with a newly prepared version completed by the team ahead of the opening round.

“My dad has my car from last year, and I have a new car,” he explained. “The team did an absolutely amazing job putting it together. All the parts came together quite close to the end, so it was a quick job, and they worked overtime to get it done.

“I am super excited. Technically, it is a car I know, but it is still a little bit different. In theory, the two chassis are identical, but of course there are small differences, and I already picked those up in testing.”

That pre-season test gave O’Donovan and the team valuable mileage, although he says the headline times did not tell the full story. Much of the running was focused on set-up work after a major suspension change, with the car moving from Öhlins to Reiger dampers.

“On the first day of the test, I was around a second and a half off, but we spent the entire time doing some really big set-up changes,” he said. “We changed a pretty major suspension component, moving from Öhlins to Reiger dampers, and we were trying everything.

“By day two, we got a lot closer, but by then we did not really have any of the new tyres left because we had used them while hunting the set-up. I don’t think the time was perfectly reflective of what we are capable of, but I don’t think it was a million miles off either.”

Asked what he is targeting in Latvia, O’Donovan was direct.

“The aim is to be on the top step of the podium,” he said. “We don’t come here for anything else. Of course, I want the best result possible, but if you are not turning up to win, why are you here?”

The Euro RX of Latvia begins today at the Biķernieki circuit, with the 2026 FIA European Rallycross Championship set for a high-intensity opening weekend as one of the biggest Supercar grids in recent years prepares to go door-to-door.

Fans can follow all the action live and free on the official FIA YouTube channel.