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Piotr Więcek Wins in Madrid, Paweł Korpuliński Finishes in the Top 8
Round two of the 2026 Drift Masters season at Circuito de Madrid Jarama – RACE delivered another spectacular weekend of drifting action. Just two weeks after the season opener, 43 drivers from around the world gathered in Spain to compete for valuable championship points in Europe’s premier drifting series.
Korpuliński Sets a New Personal Best in Qualifying
Polish drivers enjoyed a strong qualifying session, led by Paweł Korpuliński. After scoring 88.7 points on his opening run, he improved dramatically on his second attempt, recording a career-best 96.2 points.
The result secured second place overall, behind only James Deane with 97 points. Mika Keski-Korpi completed the top three with 95 points.
Five Polish drivers advanced to the Top 32, with the qualifying cut-off set at 78.2 points.
Strong Run Through the Tandem Battles
In the Top 32, Korpuliński faced Jarkko Jylhä. Taking advantage of his higher qualifying position, the Polish driver chose to lead first and delivered a confident performance, earning a unanimous decision from the judges after two solid runs.
The Top 16 battle against Conor Falvey ended prematurely when the Irishman suffered an engine failure before the second run. As a result, Korpuliński advanced to the Top 8.
Quarter-Final Exit After Close Battle
In the quarter-finals, Korpuliński met championship contender Conor Shanahan. Both drivers produced high-quality runs and the battle was decided by fine margins. While one judge called for a One More Time battle, the other two awarded the victory to Shanahan, citing his stronger lead run.
The result meant Korpuliński finished the event in fifth place overall.
Więcek Claims Victory in Madrid
The semi-finalists were Conor Shanahan, James Deane, Piotr Więcek and Mika Keski-Korpi.
Więcek and Deane required a One More Time battle before the Polish driver secured his place in the final. Shanahan defeated Keski-Korpi in the other semi-final to set up a highly anticipated showdown.
Keski-Korpi claimed third place after defeating Deane, while the final saw Piotr Więcek deliver an outstanding performance to overcome Shanahan and secure his first victory of the 2026 season.
Madrid Round Results
- Piotr Więcek – 104 pts
- Conor Shanahan – 88 pts
- Mika Keski-Korpi – 82 pts
- James Deane – 72 pts
- Paweł Korpuliński – 55 pts
Championship Standings After Round Two
- Conor Shanahan – 195 pts
- Piotr Więcek – 186 pts
- James Deane – 161 pts
- Paweł Korpuliński – 119 pts
- Mika Keski-Korpi – 118 pts
The next round of the 2026 Drift Masters Championship will take place on June 13–14 at Mondello Park, where the title fight is expected to intensify even further.
