Benezet writes his name into history with maiden FIA Euro RX4 victory in Latvia
History was made at the Biķernieki Circuit in Riga on Sunday, as France’s Andrea Benezet became the first-ever winner in the new FIA Euro RX4 category, capping off a superb debut weekend for the championship’s newest and most accessible rallycross class at the Euro RX of Latvia.
After emerging from Saturday’s action at the top of the overnight standings, Benezet entered Sunday with only a slender advantage over 14-year-old Estonian sensation Albert Kokk and local favourite Ivo Gabrāns. However, the Frenchman once again demonstrated the consistency and composure that had defined his weekend, adding another strong result in Q4 to secure pole position heading into the knockout stages.
While Benezet focused on consolidating his position at the front, one of the standout performances of Sunday morning came from China’s Deng. After steadily building momentum throughout Saturday’s qualifying sessions, Deng stormed to the maximum 50 qualifying points in Q4 to move himself firmly into contention for the progression races. Kokk also continued to impress with another impressive drive beyond his years, maintaining second place in the overall standings ahead of the semi-finals.
The first Euro RX4 semi-finals in FIA European Rallycross history then delivered exactly the kind of close competition the category was designed to create. Benezet controlled Semi-Final 1 with another assured drive under pressure, immediately creating a margin over the rest of the group and managing the race from the front. Behind him, Quincé, Gabrāns and Lepsis continued to battle intensely through the technical Biķernieki layout, which led to Lepsis catching the barriers on the inside at Turn 4 and flipping his Ford Fiesta – ending his race prematurely.
Semi-Final 2 proved equally dramatic as Kokk and Melon fought for supremacy in front of an increasingly vocal Latvian crowd. The teenage Estonian again showed remarkable maturity in traffic, absorbing sustained pressure to secure his place in the final, while Deng also progressed after showing incredible potential in the morning session.
The top 6 cars from the Semi-finals then lined up on Sunday afternoon for one last time for the Final. Benezet started from pole position knowing victory would secure his place in FIA rallycross history, but the Frenchman faced relentless pressure from Kokk throughout the early stages of the race. The pair traded fastest sectors during the opening laps before Benezet gradually began to stretch a small but decisive advantage.
Behind them, Gabrāns fought hard to keep himself in podium contention in front of the home crowd, while the rest of the field remained tightly compressed as differing joker strategies created constant position changes throughout the six-lap encounter.
In the closing stages, however, Benezet remained completely in control. Managing both the pressure and the tactical complexity of the final perfectly, the Frenchman crossed the finish line to secure the first-ever FIA Euro RX4 victory and complete a landmark weekend for the category. Kokk completed a hugely impressive debut weekend with second place overall, while Quincé managed to snatch the last spot on the podium after the early joker strategy rewarded him.
Following an opening weekend packed with aggressive battles and emerging young talent, Euro RX4’s FIA European Rallycross debut has already demonstrated its potential to become one of the championship’s most exciting categories.
The European RX4 Championship will be back in Nyriad, Hungary for Round 2 on 30-31 May 2026.