2026 Montpellier GP: Juan Carlos Canas scores the win after a mistake by Davide Ongaro

The following race report is from Chris:

• Event: 2026 Montpellier Grand Prix
• Track name: MBM – Mini Bolide Montpellierain
• Track location: 1800 Avenue du pont trinquat, 34000 Montpellier, France

The first international event of the year in Europe, the Montpellier GP, kicked off in Montpellier, France last weekend. Once again, the race attracted Europe’s elite for a event that promised plenty of twists and turns, both on the track and in weather conditions. The club volunteers once again put in a tremendous deal of hard work preparing the track, and the unusually rainy weather this year made things really challenging. The race, originally scheduled to last four days, will be significantly shortened due to rain. All in all, the drivers will race for two days out of four.

As fast as ever, Marco Baruffolo dominated the timed practice rounds, followed by the pack led by Burak Kilic, Davide Ongaro, Juan Carlos Canas, and Mattia Polito. However, Baruffolo would not be able to match his earlier performance in qualifying, which was swept by the four-time world champion and current holder of the title, Ongaro. Berkan Kilic and Canas complete the top three, but without really challenging Ongaro.

In semifinal A, Ongaro put on a show, quickly pulling ahead without making any effort. He finished the 20 minutes almost 20 seconds in front of Canas and Baruffolo. The B semi-final is undoubtedly slower but very exciting. Polito easily wins with a lap lead over Joao Figueiredo and his teammate Elliott Boots. Burak Kilic and Théo Lemaire win the LCQ and join the other finalists.

The final quickly becomes a one-man show for Ongaro, who plays in a league of his own. He never seems to push himself to the limit, yet he easily pulls away from his challengers. Fast and consistent, the Italian driver is unstoppable. Well, almost. All eyes are on his fellow competitors, where the battle is much more intense. Canas gets off to a rather slow start but seems to pick up speed as the final progresses. His closest rival is Polito, who puts in a superb performance and gives him a run for his money. Every time Canas manages to catch up with Polito, he seems to hit a wall and makes a small mistake when trying to pass. It takes an crash on a jump to stop Polito’s momentum, as he is unable to avoid the pile-up of riders. Canas takes advantage of this to take second spot. From that moment on, the race seemed to be set in stone, with the gaps remaining stable, except for Ongaro, who continued to pull away. But a race is never won, and a mistake—Ongaro’s only one in the 45-minute final—completely changed the face of the race. Ongaro bent a shock absorber rod, which blocked the suspension travel with three minutes to go. He continued, but with only three wheels on the ground and great difficulty cornering, Ongaro could do nothing but sit back and let Canas and then Polito catch up. The two drivers passed him, but Ongaro still managed to finish third thanks to the significant lead he had built up throughout the final.

Photo gallery here.