With the usual host stages close to Várpalota not available because of military training exercises for the revised dates of the Baja - after the summer postponement because of wildfires - event officials have moved its base to the town of Tapolca in Veszprém County, close to Lake Balaton. 

The Hungarian event has attracted a 22-car FIA field with nine registered for the FIA European Baja Cup. Of those, four will compete in the Ultimate section, two in Challenger, one in SSV and two in the Stock category. 

The Baja is also the final round of the Hungarian Cross-Country Rally Championship, the Central European Zone (CEZ) series and the Italian Championship.

In the absence of the championship-leading Rúben Rodrigues, the door is now wide open for Gurtam Toyota Gazoo Racing Baltics Hilux driver Benediktas Vanagas to battle it out with Poland’s Maríusz Wiatr and Marek Kubiczek to decide the final destination of the Drivers’ Championship. 

Rodrigues finished his season on 292 points – nine ahead of Paulo Rodrigues - with Vanagas currently holding third on 268, Kubicek lying in fourth with 252 and Wiatr having an outside chance on 246 points. Vanagas and Wiatr will battle it out for Ultimate class glory. 

The Czech pairing of Karel Trněný and Václav Pritzl are also registered for European Baja Cup points in their X-Force ACCR Ford F-150 Evo, alongside Romania’s Costel Căşuneanu and Sergiu Itu in a Mini Countryman R60 CC.

Fausto Mota has already completed his six events in the Navigators’ Championship and has set the target of 283 points. Vanagas’s navigator Aisvydas Paliukenas heads into the Hungarian finale on 268 with Poland’s Łukasz Łaskawiec holding third on 246.

While Rio Seco Racing has already secured the Teams’ Championship and Dínis Rogeira has his hands on the Junior Driver crown, Master Driver winner Kubiczek is guaranteed the Challenger title in the absence of his young Portuguese rival. Even outright victory for local driver Lőrinc Mészáros will not be sufficient for him to overhaul Rogeira and claim second place in the final Challenger standings. 

Nelson Ramos is a strong favourite to win the Challenger Navigators’ title. The Portuguese sits out the final round on 182 points hoping that Artur Kordala cannot score the 53 he needs to pip him to the honours. 

Non-registered Challenger drivers present on the final round include the Hungarian duo of Lukács ‘Csucsu’ Kornél and Miklós Trébitsch and Poland’s Marcin Nasiłowski.

Only Murat Kapanoğlu and Aleksandr Trendafilov have registered for SSV points in Hungary with their ASC BMW Motorsport Bulgaria-backed Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo RR. Rúben Rodrigues has already confirmed the Drivers’ title and Kapanoğlu can realistically not finish higher than fourth behind Rodrigues, Paulo Rodrigues and Filipe Lopes. 

Czech Tómas Kubiena, Lithuania’s Arunas Lekavicius, Estonian Indrek Reisenbuk and Hungarian Nikolett Szöke will also compete in the SSV section in Can-Am Maverick Rs not registered for the FIA European Baja Cup. 

Fernando Barreiros (Isuzu) and Andrei Halabarodzka (Toyota) will battle it out for Stock honours. Barreiros has a 26-point cushion to take into the Hungarian decider.  Halabarodzka’s partner Aleksei Ignatov has a 23-point lead over José Sá Pires in the Navigators’ Championship. 

Hungary’s Péter Hamza (Nissan) and András Kalmár crew a third non-registered Stock entry.

In a completely revised route of 535.60km laid on by the organising Garilla Racing Kft. and Garzone s.r.o., a reduced 373.33km will be timed against the clock. The new route combines a variety of fast sections across neighbouring military training areas, undulating terrain, jumps and forest tracks. 

The Tamási Áron Cultural Centre (known locally as the Fehérház or White House) is the centre of cultural and community life in Tapolca and will host administration checks, the pre-event press conference and the prize giving ceremony. 

A Shakedown for a maximum of 40 cars will be permitted on Thursday, November 12th before competitors tackle a 10.14km Prologue and an opening stage of 68.86km between Pusztamiske and Sáska on Friday, November 13th. 

Three laps of a 98.11km stage on military ground between Zalahaláp and Pusztamiske brings the competitive action to a conclusion on Saturday, November 14th. 

2026 Hungarian Baja – entry list:

Ultimate 

200. Benediktas Vanagas (LTU)/Aisvydas Paliukenas (LTU)                      Toyota Hilux GR*

201. Maríusz Wiatr (POL)/Łukasz Łaskawiec (POL)                                      Ford F-150 Evo+*

202. Miroslav Zapletal (CZE)/Marek Sýkora (SVK)                                       Ford F-150 Evo+       

203. Karel Trněný (CZE)/Václav Pritzl (CZE)                                                    Ford F-150 Evo+*

205. Costel Căşuneanu (ROU)/Sergiu Itu (ROU)                                            Mini Countryman R60 CC*

206. Frantisek Brutovsky (CZE)/Norbert Liszi (HUN)                                   Ford F150 Evo+                                               

207. Christof Danner (AUT)/Herwig Reiger (AUT)                                        Puch 320 G E55

Challenger 

300. Marek Kubiczek (POL)/Artur Kordala (POL)                                          Taurus Evo Max*

301. Lőrinc Mészáros (HUN)/Albert Horn (HUN)                                          G Rally Team G-ECKO*              

302. Lukács ‘Csucsu’ Kornél (HUN)/Márk Mesterházi (HUN)                    Taurus T3 Max

303. Marcin Nasiłowski (POL)/Rafal Jedrys (POL)                                         Taurus T3 Max 

304. Riccardo Benettolo (ITA)/Martina Musiari (ITA)                                  Taurus T3 Max

305. Miklós Trébitsch (HUN)/Sándor Trébitsch (HUN)                               Bedu Pro X3

306. Martin Benko (SVK)/Jiri Kalat (CZE)                                                         Taurus T3 Max

SSV

400. Murat Kapanoğlu (BUL)/Aleksandr Trendafilov (BUL)                       Can-Am Maverick XRS Turbo RR*

401. Tómas Kubiena (CZE)/Matej Kubiena (CZE)                                          Can-Am Maverick R 

402. Arunas Lekavicius (LTU)/Arunas Gelazninkas (LTU)                           Can-Am Maverick R 

403. Indrek Reisenbuk (EST)/Vaido Kalm (EST)                                             Can-Am Maverick R 

404. Nikolett Szöke (HUN)/Erik Pál (HUN)                                                      Can-Am Maverick R 

Stock

500. Fernando Barreiros (POR)/José Sá Pires (POR)                                    Isuzu D-Max*            

501. Andrei Halabarodzka (BLR)/Aleksei Ignatov (ESP)                              Toyota Land Cruiser*

502. Péter Hamza (HUN)/András Kalmár (AUT)                                            Nissan Patrol 

*denotes registered for FIA European Baja Cup

Timetable of events

Thursday, November 12 

Administration checks                                                        08.30-15.00hrs – Tamási Áron Cultural Centre 

Scrutineering checks                                                           09.30-16.00hrs – V&G Mechanik, Tapolca

Shakedown - (max 40 cars)                                                10.00-16.00hrs – Tapolca 

Press conference                                                                  17.00hrs - Tamási Áron Cultural Centre

Friday, November 13 

Start ceremony, Tapolca                                                    09.30hrs

Prologue - 10.14km                                                            09.55hrs - first car

Stage 1 (Pusztamiske-Sáska) – 68.86km                         13.35hrs – first car 

Saturday, November 14  

Stage 2 – 98.11km Zalahaláp- Pusztamiske                    07.25hrs – first car 

Stage 3 – 98.11km Zalahaláp- Pusztamiske                    10.42hrs – first car 

Stage 4 – 98.11km Zalahaláp- Pusztamiske                    13.52hrs – first car 

Prizegiving ceremony                                                          19.00hrs – Tamási Áron Cultural Centre

Ends