The longest season in Clio Cup history got underway with its April opener at the Red Bull Ring, where the usual frontrunners fought tooth and nail for narrow victories. There were also heavy crashes and even a car flipping through the air.
The seven-round 2026 season kicked off in its traditional spring slot at the ever-popular Red Bull Ring, attracting a record 34 drivers. Among them were many of last year’s front-runners. Although this is a cup series, experience still plays a crucial role, not only for the drivers but also for the teams. In that regard, Carpek Service and BM Racing led the way, spearheaded by Tomáš Pekař and Bartlomiej Mirecki respectively. Their Czech-Polish rivalry for wins and the title is expected to be challenged this season by Julian Smiechowski and Oskar Marszalkowski. The two young talents already raced together and against each other last year under the same team. That remains the case in 2026, although now in the colours of JTS Racing, a squad with extensive experience in both circuit racing and rallycross, making its Clio Cup debut.
And it was this very quartet that delivered a spectacular fight for victory at the Red Bull Ring. Pekař set the tone for the weekend by taking pole position, beating Mirecki by 0.121 seconds, with Smiechowski and Marszalkowski lining up third and fourth. Fifth-placed Nico Wuest was already eight tenths off Pekař, but history at the Red Bull Ring has shown time and again that qualifying is only the first piece of the puzzle. The long straights of the four-kilometre circuit create plenty of overtaking opportunities and, at times, encourage a more physical style of racing.
No sooner had the first race begun than the action exploded. A seven-car lead group formed, headed by Pekař, and the grandstands were treated to a relentless stream of battle moments and overtakes. Capturing all the action on camera was virtually impossible, and even spectators with a clear view of most of the track struggled to keep up with the battles unfolding from the front all the way to the back of the field.
The race tempo was interrupted by a crash involving Dejan Robida, who hit the barriers before Turn 4 after contact with a rival. A safety car period followed, which was then upgraded to a red flag and a brief suspension. After the restart, the racing became even more aggressive. While Pekař controlled the lead with a narrow margin, the fights behind him featured close-quarters action, minor contact and plenty of rubbing.
The most frightening moment came shortly before the end, when Nico Wuest received a slight tap from Jorg Sodnik. Even that was enough to send Wuest’s car flipping over and landing back on its wheels just short of the tyre barriers at Turn 10.
Red flags were shown once again, and with only a few minutes remaining, the race was not restarted. Pekař was declared the winner ahead of Marszalkowski and Mirecki. Luca Franca was classified fourth, with Smiechowski in fifth.
If fans felt deprived of a dramatic finish in race one, the second contest more than made up for it. The second race of the weekend is often the real spice of the Clio Cup, featuring a partially reversed grid draw for positions eight to twelve. Pekař drew number nine, meaning he started from ninth, while Miha Primožič, who had finished ninth in race one, inherited pole position.
The front-runners wasted no time charging through the field once the lights went out, and by the end of the opening lap Smiechowski had taken the lead. Mirecki was even quicker, however, and moved into first place on lap four.
Before the crowd could catch its breath, the safety car was deployed again following an incident on the start-finish straight, where Luca Franca was left stranded with a damaged car. After several laps behind the safety car, the race was restarted for a final twelve-minute sprint.
Mirecki, Smiechowski and Pekař broke clear of the rest and settled the fight among themselves, with the outcome decided on the final lap. The trio crossed the line separated by just 0.173 seconds in total. It was a true photo finish, with Mirecki taking victory by mere centimetres. Smiechowski was second, just 0.085 seconds behind, while Pekař was only another 0.088 seconds adrift.
If this is any indication, the rest of the season promises more of the same and is not to be missed. The Clio Cup field will reconvene on May 16–17 at Grobnik in Croatia.
RACE RESULTS
Qualifying
Race 1
Race 2
STANDINGS
Drivers Standings
Teams Standings
Rookies Standings
Juniors Standings
Gentlemen Standings
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