Melon ‘never imagined’ he could fight for title in first season

Filip Melon might have narrowly missed out on the inaugural Euro RX4 category crown to Andréa Bénézet in 2026, but the rising star has nonetheless hailed a ‘huge achievement’ by his small, family-run team after admitting that ‘winning races’ had not been remotely on his radar at the start of the year.

Melon only began competing in 2023, but already in his second season, he was a history-maker, becoming the youngest-ever Polish Rallycross Champion by defeating a 30-plus field in the fiercely-contested Seicento Cup – a result he subsequently repeated 12 months later.

From there, he stepped up to Euro RX4, regarding his maiden campaign on the international scene as a learning opportunity and winding up fifth in the opening round in Rīga – albeit less than three-quarters-of-a-second shy of a spot on the podium. With Bénézet taking the chequered flag the best part of six seconds up the road, however, few predicted a title tilt from the comparatively inexperienced Polish teenager. They were very wrong. 

In round two at Nyirád, Melon surprised even himself as he topped every session on his way to a brilliant breakthrough victory that vaulted him up to second in the championship classification, prior to conquering challenging conditions at Höljes to prevail again.

The 17-year-old looked to have overhauled Bénézet at the summit of the standings after making it three in a row at Mondello Park, until his Peugeot 208’s radiator thickness was found to slightly exceed the maximum homologated figure, resulting in disqualification and a costly non-score. 

That left Melon 24 points adrift of his arch-rival going into the Lousada double-header finale last month, with only 44 remaining in play – meaning the odds were stacked heavily against him. Those odds then lengthened further when Bénézet scooped Top Qualifier honours on the opening day in Portugal, while the Piaseczno native languished down in fifth. 

Never one to throw in the towel, Melon boldly and opportunistically scythed his way up to second at the start of the Final and thereafter benefitted from a puncture for Bénézet to win for the third time in 2026 to keep his title hopes alive. While he couldn’t quite complete what would have been an astonishing fightback the next day, he nonetheless looks back upon the campaign with justifiable pride. 

“At the beginning of the year, I never imagined we would end up where we did,” acknowledged the talented teenager, who has gained a legion of fans for his standout performances in the car and infectious enthusiasm out of it. “Our expectations were quite simple – we wanted to gain experience, see where we stood compared to the best drivers in Europe and try to challenge them along the way.

“Honestly, winning races wasn’t something I expected at all, but everything changed from the second round [at Nyirád] – that weekend will always have a special place in my heart as it was a huge turning-point for me.

“After that, I started to believe maybe we really could fight for the European Championship, and as the season progressed, I gained more and more confidence. We were consistently quick and racing at the front, and by the final round, I felt like a completely different driver, having learned so much and proved to myself that I can compete at this level. 

“The setback in Ireland obviously had a major impact on the overall outcome and is a lesson I’ll never forget – in motorsport, every millimetre matters, and we’ll do everything possible to make sure nothing like that ever happens again. 

“Despite that disappointment, I’m very proud of what we accomplished – especially doing so as a family team, which is a huge achievement and something truly incredible. Without everybody that has worked so hard and supported us throughout the season, none of this would have been possible – I owe an enormous ‘thank you’ to them all.

“Overall, I’ve absolutely loved competing in Euro RX4! The level of racing was outstanding, every driver was extremely fast and the competition kept getting stronger. That meant we had to continually find more speed, and racing against someone like Andréa [Bénézet] was a great challenge that pushed me to become a better driver. 

“It was a season that taught me a tremendous amount, not only about driving and racecraft, but also about consistency, handling pressure, making the right decisions and understanding how important every little detail is. For me, that’s what makes racing so exciting, because you never stop learning and improving.”

As for highlights, while he admits it is ‘almost impossible to choose just one’, alongside his maiden triumph in Hungary, Melon points to his unanticipated success on the penultimate day of the campaign in Portugal as a particularly rewarding result.

“Every race, every battle and every victory this year was special and gave me memories and emotions that I’ll carry with me forever,” he reflected, “and the first Final at Lousada was probably one of the most exciting races of the season.

“Things hadn’t been going my way throughout the day, and I had to start from the back row of the grid, but I never gave up. I knew I had to give absolutely everything, fight for every position and push as hard as possible, and in the end, I managed to win! That was an unbelievable feeling and reminded me that you should never stop believing in yourself, no matter how challenging the situation becomes.

“But honestly, my biggest satisfaction came from the entire experience. Just being able to compete in the European Championship, racing against such talented drivers and being part of such a fantastic atmosphere, was already a dream come true...”