St. Agatha hillclimb 2026: Austrian championship finale draws international field
The 2026 St. Agatha hillclimb in Upper Austria will serve as the season finale for the Austrian hillclimb state championship, attracting a strong international entry list across multiple classes. The approximately 3 km high-speed course will host competitors from Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Slovenia, Albania, and Serbia, with the championship decider promising close competition among established favourites and emerging talent.
In the open prototype categories, several drivers are positioned as title contenders. Vorarlberg's Christoph Lampert will pilot his Nova NP 01-2 C Honda Turbo, having previously delivered standout performances on the St. Agatha circuit. German veteran Alexander Hin returns to the wheel of the legendary Osella FA30 Zytek LRM, while his son Benjamin Noll will campaign an Osella PA30 Zytek LRM. Czech driver Vaclav Janik, returning after a multi-year absence, brings his Norma M20FC Mugen to the grid.
Proto Class 2 features German Georg Lang in a PRC FPR VW Turbo as a leading contender, alongside Slovenian Vladimir Stankovic making his St. Agatha debut in a Wolf GB08 Thunder Aprilia. Vorarlberg's Markus Burtscher will make his hillclimb comeback after several years away, piloting a Wolf GB08 Thunder Aprilia for the first time. In Proto Class 3, Styrian Christian Ferstl leads the field in a Tatuus Formel Master S2000 Honda, competing against Albanian Gentjan Shaqiri (also Tatuus), Czech Petr Dlouhy (Radical SR3 Suzuki), and Styrian Sigrid Eva Ferstl (Tatuus Formel Master S2000 Honda).
Proto Class 4 presents a particularly strong grid. Czech Josef Hlavinka jun. drives a Ligier JS49 Honda, while fellow Czech Lukas Studeny brings a Ligier JS51 Honda fresh from competing in the European hillclimb championship. Karel Berger (Osella PA21 JrB Suzuki), Marek Novak (Gloria C8F Suzuki), and Serbian Uros Brkic (Osella PA 21 Evo Honda K24) round out the top contenders. German veteran Otmar Fassold returns in a Norma M20A Honda after years away from competition. Upper Austrian drivers Christian Rutter (PRC S4 Honda), Johann Thalmayr (Steyr Puch PRC TR 4), Martin Walcher (TracKing RC01b Suzuki), Hannes Schlager (TracKing RC01b BMW Evo), Marco Milani (Tatuus Renault FR 2.0), Jürgen Berger (Tatuus Renault FR 2.0), and Tanja Floss (PRC S4 Honda) will compete on home ground.
In the touring car classes, Lower Austrian Karl Schagerl makes his St. Agatha debut with a comprehensively revised VW Golf Rallye TFSI, seeking to reclaim the top step after multiple Austrian state championship titles. He will face Styrian hillclimb legend Rupert Schwaiger in a Porsche 911 3.5 Bi-Turbo, Styrian Thomas Nöst returning after a multi-year absence in a VW Polo 6 HCR, and young Styrian Kerstin Taus in a Subaru Impreza P4 Turbo. The Czech championship will also run concurrently at the event.