The 2026 International Series roared into life with packed grids across Mini 60, OK-N Junior and OK-N Senior. A strong mix of returning contenders and several new names immediately raised the level of competition. After sunny preparation days, race day brought changing conditions, with clouds rolling in and a short drizzle during the Mini 60 Final. The light rain slightly slowed lap times but did little to disrupt the intensity on track.
Rodriguez Leads the Way in Junior
OK-N Junior began with drama as Christian Faye Lund initially set the fastest qualifying time before a penalty reshuffled the order. Heat 1 went to Zoltan Coigny ahead of Hernán Rodriguez De La Fuente and Atiqa Mir, while Heat 2 saw Axel Nocom take victory from Rodriguez and Mir. Coigny’s consistency placed him on top of the heats classification ahead of Rodriguez and Mir heading into the Final.
The Final delivered more intensity. Rodriguez converted his pace into a 15-lap victory, finishing ahead of Coigny. Mir retained third despite a 5-second penalty, with Nocom and Mitansh Jain completing the top five in a race shaped by fierce battles.
Klinkers Triumphs in Mini 60
Mini 60 saw Maximilian Schilling secure pole in qualifying, but Wynn Godschalk dominated the heats with two wins to top the classification on maximum points, ahead of Muhammad Wibowo and Leo Kralev. Schilling and Adam Pirvu completed the top five entering the Final.
A brief drizzle added drama to the Final, producing constant reshuffling at the front. Mik Klinkers emerged victorious after 13 laps, ahead of Godschalk and Dominic Vera, with Charles Clough and Cooper López rounding out the top five.
Simons Holds Firm in Senior Showdown
In OK-N Senior, Oskar Gałan took pole, winning Heat 1 ahead of Angelina Simons and Kacper Rajpold. Simons responded in Heat 2, beating Emmanouil Lioudakis and Rajpold to secure the top spot in the heats classification.
The Final was explosive. After several laps of pressure, Lioudakis attacked, compressing the field and igniting a late-race fight. Simons defended brilliantly to win by just 0.278s over Lioudakis, with Jagrat Detroja completing the podium ahead of Veer Chopra and Gabi Santos Teixeira.
Day 1 closes with momentum building and rivalries already forming. With another full day of racing ahead, the 2026 International Series is only just getting started.