Epic Euro Cup Showdown in Cremona: Can Your Team Win This Time?

Motorsport photo The 2026 Rotax MAX Challenge Euro Trophy officially gets underway this week at the Cremona Circuit in Italy, with 230 drivers verified in the opening round of the championship. The event brings together competitors across all five Rotax categories: Mini MAX, Junior MAX, Senior MAX, DD2 and DD2 Masters, and it marks the first of four rounds that will define the European season. With 110 drivers, Senior MAX once again stands as the largest and most competitive class of the event.

The category features several of the top Rotax drivers currently racing in Europe, including Macauley Bishop (Dan Holland Racing), alongside his team-mates Ties van Wijk and Rory Armstrong. Also among the main contenders are Lewis Gilbert (Potenza Racing Engines) and Tino Sidler (KR Sport), while a number of outsiders are expected to add further unpredictability to the competition. In Junior MAX, attention will focus on several established specialists of the category.

Zdenek Babicek (Dan Holland Racing), Riley Murro (Sam Pollitt Racing), as well as Dan Holland Racing’s Albert Friend and Emerson Macandrew-Uren, will face competition from a strong field that includes new arrival Antonio Pizzonia (Ward Racing). A closely-contested fight is also expected in Mini MAX, where the spotlight falls on Logan Rolfe (KR Sport), winner of the Rotax MAX Challenge Winter Cup earlier this season, and his main rival from Campillos, Mik Klinkers (Bouvin Power). Several outsiders are ready to challenge for the front positions, including Benjamin Karajkovic (MLC Motorsport) and Robin Raikkonen (Kartshop.

CH). The DD2 and DD2 Masters categories will also offer strong competition. Among the reference drivers are Antoine Barbaroux (Kraft Motorsport) and Nicolas Picot (Privateer), who will be challenged not only by the established contenders of the class but also by several local drivers, including Michael Rosina (MKC Motorsport) and Leonardo Baccaglini (Schepers Racing).