The FIA Intercontinental Drifting Cup, final held in 2021, makes its long-awaited comeback this weekend, organised in partnership with the Latvian Car Federation (LAF), and returns to Biķernieki in Riga for its largest and most worldwide version but
For the second successive version in Latvia, a burgeoning marketplace for the drifting self-discipline, a complete of 45 drivers, representing 32 completely different nations and 5 continents will participate with 11 nations additionally contesting the Nations Cup, which runs in parallel to the person competitors.
Main the 45-driver robust entry listing is the defending FIA Motorsport Video games gold medal winner Jakub Przygoński in his 900hp Toyota GR86. Representing Poland and nominated by the Polish Car and Bike Federation (PZM), Przygoński, a former Dakar Rally common, started his drifting profession in 2008 and set a Guinness World File for the quickest drift (at 217 km/h) in 2013.
Representing the non secular dwelling of drifting Japan, might be Hokuto Matsuyama, piloting his Toyota A90 Supra. A Toyota check driver, Matsuyama is the 2022 Formulation Drift Japan champion and has been a daily D1GP contender through the years. He’s additionally recognized for his precision and consistency, that are key parts within the drifting self-discipline.
Positive to be within the combine are double Polish Drift champion Paweł Korpuliński, a number of Ukrainian drifting champion and 2019 FIA Motorsport Video games drifting gold medallist Dmytro Illyuk and the skilled Lithuanian competitor Andrius Vasiliauskas, whereas reigning Hungarian Professional Drift champion Tamás Magyar and triple MSUK Professional Drift champion Lwi Edwards add to the distinctive expertise on show in Latvia. One other driver with FIA Motorsport Video games expertise, within the 2019 version, is Swedish driver Christian Erlandsson who’s the 2024 Swedish championship runner-up.
All eyes might be on native driver, Nikolass Bertāns, affectionately referred to as ‘Nik Nak’ in his HGK Eurofighter who might be seeking to go one higher than he did in 2021 – the final time the FIA IDC was held, additionally on Latvian soil. Bertāns took the battle to eventual winner James Deane on the tender age of 15 and has since amassed title in Latvia, Lithuania and the Baltic and North European Zone areas.
With Drifting – the one FIA-sanctioned self-discipline the place outcomes aren’t decided by the stopwatch – one of many quickest rising types of motor sport, explicit emphasis has been positioned on creating nations with a view to increasing the participation and variety of the game.
New for the 2025 version, FIA Member Golf equipment appearing as Nationwide Sporting Authorities of their respective nations have been capable of nominate rivals for the FIA IDC. The change within the sporting rules by the FIA was made with a view to rising the range of the entry listing and inspiring the expansion of drifting as one of the crucial accessible motor sport disciplines on the planet by means of continued engagement from its Member Golf equipment.
One such Member Membership is the Icelandic Motorsports Affiliation (AKÍS) who will ship a driver to the FIA IDC for the primary time, with just lately topped double Icelandic Drift champion Hrafnkell Runarsson aiming to showcase the equally huge development of the self-discipline in his nation.
Different new additions to the grid are Uzbekistan and Austria. Farrukh Urunov isn’t any stranger to worldwide competitors, having represented Uzbekistan on the 2022 FIA Motorsport Video games within the Karting Endurance self-discipline, whereas Daniel Brandner has grow to be one thing of a fan favorite throughout the European drifting scene.
Representing Mozambique is Zanil Satar, a seasoned veteran of FIA drifting competitions who has beforehand competed in each the IDC and the FIA Motorsport Video games.
First held in its non secular dwelling in 2017, the inaugural FIA IDC occasion on the well-known Odaiba district of Tokyo, Japan kickstarted an annual gathering of the most important stars in drifting to compete on the worldwide stage. Native driver Masato Kawabata was the primary winner.
Since then, the FIA IDC returned to Tokyo in 2018 and visited Tsukuba in 2019 (each gained by Georgy Chivchyan) earlier than increasing to a very intercontinental competitors when it visited Latvia for the primary time in 2021 (gained by James Deane). With Riga creating into one of many strongest venues in Europe, it’s maybe solely becoming that the FIA IDC makes its return to Biķernieki with its unique “Lengthy wall” configuration for the fifth version of the Cup.
Proof of the rising reputation of Drifting and the FIA IDC is the increasing entry listing for the 2025 version, which reaches document ranges of drivers. A complete of 45 drivers representing 32 nations are set to participate, with Ukraine, Norway, Latvia, Brazil, Sweden, Denmark, Lithuania, Estonia, Poland, Finland and Hungary all fielding a couple of driver every and subsequently competing for the Nations Cup Title.
The weekend kicks off on Thursday October 2 with the primary of two observe classes earlier than aggressive motion begins in earnest with the {Qualifications} on Friday October 3. A devoted Tandem observe session follows on Saturday October 4, warming up the Drivers certified for the Last High 32 runs, after which the winner might be decided.
The Nations Cup title might be decided by the mixture of the two highest scores in {Qualifications} and High 32 positions from their respective pool of drivers.
Solo runs are judged on quite a lot of parts, together with driving ability, pace, angle and accuracy in hitting ‘zones’ or “packing containers” drawn by the Judges, which the entrance or rear wheels of the automobile should slide by means of. Tandem runs ‘battles’ are judged on every automobile taking turns within the lead on the prescribed course, whereas remaining as near the opposite automobile as potential, with out making contact. A majority vote on the finish of the battle is required to progress to the subsequent spherical.
{Qualifications} and the High 32 battles might be livestreamed on the FIA IDC YouTube channel.
