The 2026 Radical Cup Europe got underway in style at the iconic Mugello Circuit, delivering drama, standout performances, and multiple winners across an action-packed opening weekend in Italy.
Qualifying set the tone for an unpredictable start to the season. Marcus Littlewood topped the timesheets, narrowly ahead of Lowen Stephens, but both drivers were later excluded due to ride height infringements, forcing them to the back of the grid for both races. That promoted Sebastian Schou to pole position for Race 1, while Greaham Hofmans inherited pole for Race 2.
Saturday morning’s opening 50-minute contest, run in dry, sunny yet cold conditions, saw Littlewood immediately on the charge from 12th on the grid. A stunning opening lap vaulted him into third place, and by lap four he had seized the lead. From there, the RSR driver controlled proceedings to claim an emphatic victory, underlining his championship credentials from the outset.
Behind him, Erlend Olsen secured second place with a composed drive, while Littlewood’s team-mate Paul Denning completed the podium in third. Littlewood also underlined his pace with the fastest lap of the race—a 1:50.148 (171.47kph average)—earning an additional bonus point in the championship standings.
Race 2 on Sunday morning delivered more twists. Starting from pole, Hofmans was beaten off the line by Denning, who made a decisive move early in the opening lap. From there, Denning delivered a flawless performance to secure his first victory of the 2026 campaign.
Once again, Littlewood carved his way through the field, overcoming a 20-second success penalty during the mandatory pit stop to finish an impressive second. Hofmans initially crossed the line in third, but a post-race technical infringement resulted in his disqualification, promoting Olsen to his second podium finish of the weekend.
After two races, Littlewood leads the championship standings on 77 points, with Denning close behind on 70, and Olsen firmly in contention on 65. Schou and fellow Dane Morten Stromsted currently occupy fourth in the standings, just ahead of Romanian contender Victor Ionescu in what is shaping up to be a tightly contested battle.
In the “Fangio” sub-class for drivers aged over 50, Denning has established an early advantage, leading RSR team-mate John Macleod and Eddie van Dam of Radical Netherlands in third place.
Attention now turns to round two at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, taking place from April 16–19, where the 2026 season is set to continue its thrilling start.
Watch all the race replays and find the full results at...