Bénézet reflects on ‘rollercoaster’ ride to Euro RX4 title triumph
Last weekend’s Euro RX of Portugal double-header (12-13 September) was something of a microcosm of Andréa Bénézet’s season in the FIA European Rallycross Championship, as the Frenchman encountered myriad highs and lows before ultimately walking away with the coveted crown.
Bénézet came out-of-the-blocks on imperious form to win the campaign’s curtain-raising contest in Rīga, but then Filip Melon hit his stride with victories at Nyirád and Höljes to ramp up the pressure in the title chase, and entering round four at Mondello Park, just two points separated the pair at the summit of the standings.
Melon looked to have turned the tables when he took the chequered flag first in Ireland, but a subsequent disqualification for a radiator non-conformity tipped the scales firmly back in favour of Bénézet, who duly travelled to Lousada in possession of a commanding 24-point championship lead, with only 44 remaining in play.
The Parisian immediately signalled his intent in Q1 on the opening day, getting the better of Melon in the first race to top the Euro RX4 timesheets. While his arch-rival fought back in Q2, Bénézet reasserted himself to post the fastest time again in Q3, courtesy of a bold start from the outside of the grid and an equally bold overtake on Albert Kokk.
His bravery and racecraft secured him pole position for the Final – four grid spots ahead of Melon. After surviving a lively first lap under the lights to retain the initiative, the 24-year-old was edging clear and on-course to seal the deal with a day to spare when he picked up a left-rear puncture on the penultimate tour that dropped him to fifth.
That meant that rather than toasting a title triumph on Saturday night, Bénézet was instead facing the prospect of having to try again on Sunday – albeit with an advantage that had been slashed from 24 points to just eight.
The momentum swung once more in Q1, as Melon suffered a misfire that restricted him to the tail-end of the order while Bénézet won his race to place second overall. The Pole bounced back to go quickest in Q2 by the margin of almost four seconds, prior to similarly setting the pace in Q3, when he overhauled his season-long adversary in the joker.
Fittingly, that saw the two standout stars of 2026 in Euro RX4 line up alongside one another for the all-important Final, and despite Haotian Deng grabbing the lead on the exit of Turn One as the title protagonists tussled, Bénézet was content to slot into second.
Although he subsequently also fell behind Kokk, third position was still comfortably enough for the Eleven Motorsport ace to lift the laurels, making history as the inaugural FIA Euro RX4 Champion – barely a quarter-of-a-century after his father, Eddy Bénézet, had claimed the honours in Division 2.
“What a rollercoaster!” reflected the Renault Clio driver, who also contested the Euro RX1 event on home soil at Lohéac last month, missing out on progression to the Semi-Finals by less than a second. “It’s been a challenging season, and there was definitely some extra pressure from already having a European Champion in the family!
“Saturday was one of the toughest days of my career so far. We were in the rhythm all day and leading the Final by a second-and-a-half, so it was hard to believe we got a puncture, but that’s racing. We all know this sport can be cruel, and that was one of those moments.
“I didn’t sleep a lot that night, thinking about Sunday. We were consistent throughout Qualifying, but I knew the Final would be tight – and it was. My focus was on reaching the chequered flag without a puncture this time, and that’s what we did! Thanks to all the boys and girls at Eleven Motorsport and everybody else involved, we managed to finish on the podium and win the championship.
“I’ve had some dreams in my life; to become European Champion was one of them, and now that box is checked. To do so 26 years after my dad is incredible and means a lot. Honestly, I can’t describe this feeling...”
