The FIA Intercontinental Drifting Cup Top 32 line-up is confirmed
Greek driver Stavros Gryllis topped the Qualifying standings, confirming his excellent form just weeks after his successful appearance in the Polish Drift Championship. Behind the wheel of his BMW M2, the 24-year-old scored an impressive 95.5 points from the judges, earning enthusiastic applause from the hundreds of spectators who filled the grandstands at the Serres Racing Circuit.
Ukraine's Timur Lipskyi secured second place with his Nissan Silvia S14, comfortably booking his place in the TOP 32. The young driver, who already boasts an impressive record of competitive achievements, demonstrated his potential from his very first run and is expected to be a strong contender in Sunday's battles.
Portugal's Raman Kandratsenka also made a strong impression with his Mercedes-AMG GT Coupe. He scored 92.5 points on his second run, securing his qualification for the TOP 32. Slovakia's Samuel Mladenov also delivered an excellent performance, scoring 91.5 points behind the wheel of his BMW E92. Egypt's Mohamed Karim impressed with his BMW E46, scoring 91 points, while 18-year-old Norwegian Kasper Eidsmo Sand achieved the same score to earn his place among the 32 drivers advancing to Sunday's competition.
Another Ukrainian, Roman Zelinskyi, qualified comfortably with his Scion FR-S, as did Switzerland's Yves Meyer, driving the only Toyota GR Yaris entered in this year's FIA IDC. His compatriot Abdul-Karim Jahan followed with his BMW 1 Series. With only small differences separating the drivers, Sunday's battles promise to deliver plenty of excitement.
Further down the standings were Valeriy Shevelov (Nissan S13), Martins Immermanis (Toyota GT86) and this year's French Champion, Mathias Locatelli, driving a Nissan Silvia S15.
Despite making a driving mistake during his first qualifying run, Lithuanian champion Benediktas Cirba managed to secure his place in the next stage with his second attempt, driving a BMW G42.
The TOP 32 will also feature eight-time Greek national drifting champion, Christos Chantzaras, who secured qualification without much difficulty behind the wheel of his BMW M3 E36.
Forty-one-year-old German driver Elias Hountondji, driving a BMW M2 G87, secured his place in the TOP 32 of the FIA Intercontinental Drifting Cup, continuing his progress in the competition.
The second qualifying run also secured another Greek driver, Ioannis Vernikos-Evgenidis (Nissan 350Z), a place in the TOP 32. He will face Christos Chantzaras in Sunday's battles, setting up an all-Greek head-to-head duel that is sure to excite the crowds.
Also advancing to Sunday's TOP 32 were Patrik Cselotei (Nissan Silvia S14), Italy's Manuel Vacca (BMW M3 E36), Cyprus' Christos Kouta (Toyota Supra), Hungary's Peter Porkolab (BMW E46), France's Lou Fourel (BMW E92), Italy's Francesco Giori (Nissan 200 SX), Poland's Piter Kozlowski (Nissan Silvia), Slovakia's Patrik Ovsonka (BMW E92) and Latvia's Edgars Krogeris (BMW F22).
Their first qualifying runs were enough to secure places in the TOP 32 for Salem Al-Sarraf, driving a BMW E92, and Czech driver Lukas Souhrada, also behind the wheel of a BMW E92. Greek driver Alexandros Spondylidis (Nissan 350Z) and Sweden's Michel Hamwy (Nissan S14) also qualified among the 32 best drivers.
The battle for the 32nd and final qualifying position went right down to the wire. Yeva Ivanov and Giorgi Grigalashvili finished level on points, but Ivanov claimed the final spot thanks to her higher score on the second run. Georgian driver Grigalashvili, competing in a Toyota GT86, therefore missed out on Sunday's competition.
Among those who failed to progress were Romania's Calin Ciortan (Nissan S13.5) and Georgia's Giorgi Kodua, who was unfortunate to encounter a mechanical problem with his Scion FR-S during his second qualifying run.
The second female competitor in this year's FIA Intercontinental Drifting Cup, just 19-year-old Alice Ene, also failed to secure a place in the TOP 32, bringing her participation in the event to an early end.
Marios Daktylidis (BMW 330), Turkey's Kemal Soylu (BMW E36 Coupe) and Ukraine's Artur Havrylenko (Subaru BRZ) and Dmitriy Illiuk (Nissan 200SX) also failed to qualify for the Top-32.
Attention now turns to Sunday, 15 November, when the 32 top drivers will go head-to-head in the spectacular battles of the competition, aiming to progress through the subsequent rounds and ultimately claim the FIA Intercontinental Drifting Cup title. Tandem practice sessions will take place earlier in the day.
Motorsport fans who cannot attend the event at the Serres Racing Circuit will be able to watch all the action live on the competition's official YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@FIAIDCDRIFT.
The sponsors of the FIA Intercontinental Drifting Cup 2026 are Myconian Collection Group, Driving Academy – Safe Driving School, and Superfast Ferries.
Sunday, 15 November – Programme
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 10:00–12:00 | TOP 32 Tandem Practice |
| 12:30–13:00 | Opening Ceremony |
| 13:30–17:00 | FIA IDC TOP 32 Competition |
| 17:15 | Awards Ceremony |
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