Welcome

At the fourth round of the 2026 FIA European Hillclimb Championship in Šternberk, Czech Republic, spectators were treated to a sporting case of déjà vu, but with the results reversed. Whilst Joseba Iraola Lanzagorta had triumphed ahead of Petr Trnka and Christian Merli in the previous European Championship round, the same three protagonists stood on the podium at the historic “Ecce Homo” hill climb – though this time in a different order.

In a thrilling battle, Italian Christian Merli secured overall victory. He was followed in second and third places by local hero Petr Trnka and Spaniard Joseba Iraola Lanzagorta.

Fans were also treated to spectacular motorsport in the closed-top Category 1 class. Here, Switzerland’s Reto Meisel celebrated a well deserved victory in his powerful Mercedes-Benz SLK 340. He relegated the Czech Dan Michl, who lined up in a Lotus Elise, and North Macedonian Igor Stefanovski in his visibly battered Ferrari to second and third places respectively.

In the second race of the 2026 EHC season – the Subida al Fito – which took place in the Spanish province of Asturias, Italian driver Christian Merli once again came out on top, securing overall victory ahead of Alexander Hin (GER) and local driver Joseba Iraola Lanzagorta, and thus also victory in the Prototype class. In the Category 1 production cars, Spaniard Javier Villa Garcia was unbeatable, finishing ahead of Switzerland’s Reto Meisel and Austria’s Kevin Raith.

This coming weekend, 25–26 April 2026, marks the start of the new European Hillclimb Championship season. Over 250 competitors from 18 nations have registered for this event (https://www.rechbergrennen.co.at/).

Among the favourites in the racing car category are certainly last year’s winners, such as Christian Merli and Kevin Petit, but also the Spaniard Joseba Iraola Lanzagorta. With their new cars, the Czech Petr Trnka and the German Alexander Hin are among the wider circle of favourites, as is the fastest Austrian, Christoph Lampert. The comparison between the two experienced Italians, Fausto Bormolini and O’Play, should also prove interesting, as both are competing in completely new types of car.

In the touring car category, familiar faces such as the Czechs Dan Michl and Ronnie Bratschi are likely to be right up there with the front-runners, as is the Pole Grzegorz Rozalski. One must always keep an eye on former EHC winner Igor Stefanovski from Macedonia. The Swiss driver Reto Meisel will not be competing in all the EHC races, but he is sure to demonstrate his speed on this occasion.

We wish all participants – including, of course, those not specifically mentioned here – a successful start to the new season and accident-free racing!