45th Buzet Hillclimb set for European Championship finale
The 2026 European Hillclimb Championship will conclude in Buzet, Croatia, with the 45th running of the event in the Istrian region. The approximately 5 km course is expected to attract a strong international field competing across multiple prototype and touring car categories.
Among the headline contenders, French driver Kevin Petit will pilot a Nova NP 01-2 C Honda Turbo in pursuit of the overall title. He faces stiff competition from Spanish rival Joseba Iraola Lanzagorta, also in a Nova NP 01-2 C Honda Turbo, and Czech driver Petr Trnka in the same machinery. North Macedonian Igor Stefanovski will contest his second outing in a Nova NP 01-2 C Honda Turbo.
In Proto Class 2, Italian hillclimb veteran Fausto Bormolini will campaign a Wolf GB08 Mistral Aurobay Turbo. Spanish competitor Jose Antonio Alonso Liste brings a Tatuus F3 T-318 Alpine, while Slovenian driver Vladimir Stankovic will race a Wolf GB08 Thunder Aprilia. Czech driver David Dedek enters a Nova NP 03 C Ducati, and Kosovar Bardhyl Canolli will debut a Radical SR8 RSX RPE. Hungarian legend Laszlo Szasz makes his first appearance with a Reynard 2KL Zytek F3000, while Italian Simone Feroleto will drive an Osella PA 20/S BMW and Croatian Filip Magdic a Gibson Nemesis RME Honda Turbo.
In Proto Class 3, Italian Antonino Migliuolo arrives as defending champion in his category after clinching the title at Ilirska Bistrica, piloting a Nova NP 03 Aprilia. Fellow Italian Francesco Ballarini makes his debut in the class with an identical Nova NP 03 Aprilia. South Italian Giovanni Lisi will race a Wolf GB08 Thunder Aprilia, and Albanian Gentjan Shaqiri competes in a Tatuus Formel Master S2000 Honda.
Proto Class 4 features Czech driver Lukas Studeny in a Ligier JS51 Honda as a leading contender. Compatriot Karel Berger will race an Osella PA21 JrB Suzuki, Czech driver Tereza Machova a Norma M20F Honda, and Serbian Uros Brkic an Osella PA 21 Evo Honda K24.
The touring car field includes Swiss driver Reto Meisel in a Mercedes Benz SLK 340 Judd. Croatian Domagoj Perekovic brings a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9, Bulgarian Nikolay Zlatkov an Audi S1 Pikes Peak Quattro, and Slovenian veteran Milan Bubnic a Lancia Delta Integrale. Polish driver Szymon Piekos competes in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 8, Czech Lukas Keller a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9 AMS, Croatian Dejan Dimitrijevic a Seat Leon R32 Proto, Croatian Maro Slade a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 10, and Slovenian Janko Medved a Subaru Impreza MRC.