News
Friday, September 4: With well over 100 riders registered for the last round of the 2026 UIM-ABP Aquabike European Championship, today’s qualifying session in Vichy, France, was a busy affair, as riders aimed to give themselves the best chance possible going into tomorrow’s Moto 1 races.
Having been absent from the rest of this year’s European Championship, current Runabout GP1 World Champion Francois Medori took no time to return to the top, comfortably claiming pole position during qualifying after achieving a fastest lap that was 2.57 seconds faster than current European Champion Jeremy Perez, who leads the standings. This sets up an intense showdown throughout the weekend between the two decorated Frenchmen, in just the latest chapter of a longstanding rivalry that has seen them push each other to their racing limits.
Quinten Bossche’s dominance in Ski GP1 shows no signs of slowing, as the Belgian claimed another pole position. That means he is perfectly positioned to continue his astonishing winning streak this season and claim another three Moto wins in the latest Grand Prix, and with it, comfortably claim the European title.
After a disappointing race weekend in the last European Championship round in Hungary, current Ski Ladies GP1 World Champion Estelle Poret is back to her best. She claimed the Ski Ladies GP1 pole with a significant margin of 2.36 seconds, ahead of current leader in the standings, Benedicte Drange, who pipped Jessica Chavanne to second place by just 0.01 seconds.
Karl Joosep Steinberg claimed the pole in Ski GP2, ahead of Daan Hoeke and Robin Sylvester, the two riders currently ahead of him in the standings, whom he will be pushing to overtake this weekend. Following the disqualification of current Ski GP3 leader Leo Kete from the qualifying session, Bram Hoeke claimed pole position. In Ski GP4, Csongor Jászai’s dominance continues as he claimed pole position, setting himself up nicely to cruise to another Grand Prix win.
Pierre-Marie Matelli claimed pole position in Runabout GP2, with an unexpectedly poor showing from Karl Keskula and Mattias Siimann, the Estonian duo who have dominated the category this year and currently sit in first and second place respectively in the standings, but could only manage sixth and seventh respectively in qualifying.
Jose Vainio continued his dominant streak by claiming pole in both Runabout GP4 and Runabout GP4 Junior. Michelle Dimov has given herself a fighting chance in Runabout GP4 Ladies after claiming pole, although she still has a 23-point deficit to make up over current leader Alizée Vanden-Blecken, who had an uncharacteristically poor qualifying session and finished in fifth place.
With qualification now complete, all categories will see racing commence tomorrow, with Moto 1 races taking place from 8.15am local time for the final time in the 2026 season.