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Although the Drift Masters 2025 season has already come to an end, last weekend was still full of drifting excitement. After several years of absence, the FIA Intercontinental Drifting Cup — a prestigious competition organized under the auspices of the FIA — returned to the international calendar, attracting as many as 43 top drivers from 33 countries. Among the participants were only two Polish competitors, one of whom was Paweł Korpuliński, who competed on October 3–4 at the Biķernieku track in Riga.
The first qualifying runs on Friday made it clear that the best drivers were surpassing the 90-point mark. As a result, although the cutoff for the TOP 32 in Riga was 61.5 points, the top five of the qualifying session were as follows:
The winner was Nasser Alharbali Urias from El Salvador with 95 points, followed by Jakub Przygoński in second with 94.5 points, and Paweł Korpuliński in third with 93.5 points. Just behind the podium were Daniels Baumanis from Latvia with 93 points, and Frederik Strelkov from Estonia with 91 points.
During Saturday’s battles, Paweł Korpuliński first faced Clint Van Oort, who had qualified in 30th position and was also driving a Nissan Silvia. Starting as the lead driver, Paweł quickly pulled away from his opponent, who made an error in one of the corners during his chase run. In the second run, with roles reversed, Paweł effectively kept his distance and avoided mistakes, while his rival’s additional error ended his chances of advancing. As a result, the Polish representative confidently moved on to the next round.
There, his opponent was Andrius Vasiliauskas from Lithuania. Once again, starting as the lead driver, Paweł maintained precision throughout all clipping zones, and as the chase driver, he accurately mirrored his rival’s line. The Lithuanian, however, made a crucial mistake by misjudging the first corner — a result that delighted Polish fans, as it meant Paweł advanced to the Top 8. Joining him were Jakub Przygoński, Nikolass Bertāns, Nasser Alharbali Urias, Benediktas Čirba, Daniels Baumanis, Frederik Strelkov, and Abdul-Karim Jahan, who became Paweł’s next direct opponent.
The first run in the Top 8 round was characterized by Paweł’s trademark wide, confident lines through each corner, maintaining both speed and consistency near the concrete barriers. In the chase run, Paweł once again impressed — staying extremely close to his rival’s car for the entire length of the track. As a result, the judges unanimously decided that Paweł Korpuliński would advance to the semifinals, alongside Nikolass Bertāns, Nasser Alharbali Urias, and Daniels Baumanis.
The semifinal battle between Korpuliński and Bertāns began with the Polish driver in the lead position. Unfortunately, Paweł went off track with two wheels, and later in the run, he lost his rear bumper following contact between the cars initiated by the Latvian driver. In the chase run, Korpuliński consistently reduced the gap to Bertāns, but the judges ultimately decided that the Latvian driver would advance to the final. In the other semifinal, after a tie and a “One More Time” rerun, Daniels Baumanis — also from Latvia — came out on top.
Thus, the battle for third place at the Biķernieku track in Riga was set between Paweł Korpuliński and Nasser Alharbali. Both drivers had previously competed on this track a few months earlier during a Drift Masters round, where — following an unfortunate collision between them during practice — the Polish driver was forced to withdraw due to car damage. This time, however, during the FIA Intercontinental Drifting Cup, there were no accidents or incidents between the two. Both delivered consistent and precise runs, prompting the judges to call for a One More Time. In the rerun, Paweł’s smooth driving near the barriers and daring, close chase earned him third place overall.
The final battle between the two Latvian drivers ignited the crowd in Riga. After the first run, it was difficult to determine the favorite. However, in the second run, as the chase driver, Daniels Baumanis failed to close the gap to his opponent for most of the track. As a result, he had to concede victory to his compatriot, who claimed the top step of the podium.
Thanks to the excellent performances of both Paweł Korpuliński and Jakub Przygoński, Team Poland finished second in the Nations Cup. The only country to outperform them in the FIA Intercontinental Drifting Cup 2025 was Latvia — though it’s worth noting that it was represented by as many as four drivers.
