Meunier: Lousada disappointment may be ‘blessing in disguise’

To say the final outing of the 2026 FIA European Rallycross Championship campaign at Lousada ended in regret for Julien Meunier would be quite the understatement – but as he looks back now just over a month on, the Frenchman hopes it may ultimately lead to bigger and better things... 

Meunier entered the event sitting ten points adrift of arch-rival Rytis Gurklys at the summit of the Euro RX3 standings, having lost significant ground due to an electrical issue at Höljes and a penalty at Mondello Park, prior to battling back with a tremendously popular home soil success at Lohéac.

Continuing that peaks-and-troughs theme, after claiming Top Qualifier honours on the opening day in Portugal, the Pont-de-Ruan native then found himself taken out in dramatic fashion while leading his Semi-Final.

The damage to his Audi A1 was so severe that he feared his weekend was over, but the generosity of N Team – offering to lend Meunier the Škoda Fabia previously piloted by countryman Tom Le Jossec – and plenty of midnight oil from the KMS by Meunier Competition crew to adapt the car to his liking meant he would live to fight another day.

And fight he most certainly did, underscoring his unquestionable ability by taking an extraordinary clean sweep of the Qualifying Heats and Semi-Final to line up on pole position for the all-important Final – when he knew victory would be enough to clinch the coveted crown irrespective of anybody else’s result.

Unfortunately, his race – and season – came to a premature conclusion before the pack had even reached the first corner, as contact from Gurklys squeezed Meunier into the inside wall, from where the Škoda rebounded across the track and was struck again. After a miraculous comeback, his title dream was over – but having since come to terms with that disappointment, it is clear his ambition burns brighter than ever.

“I’ve never experienced such an intense weekend,” the 20-year-old told Pure Rallycross, reflecting upon his turbulent and emotional rollercoaster ride. “Changing cars overnight without losing any of our competitiveness was a truly remarkable achievement. It all culminated in the collision in the Final, but we reacted in the best possible fashion by avoiding any controversy and we didn’t dwell on it.

“It’s obviously a shame it finished the way it did, but we’ve moved on and in the end, we realised it might have been a blessing in disguise. What we accomplished is incredible, and it’s not over yet. We still have unfinished business, and when I look at everything that weekend led to – the connections we made and the prospects for next year – it all points toward good things...”