Wiecek Leads the Charge as Finland’s New Challenge Delivers

Round 4 of the 2026 Drift Masters season opened a completely new chapter in Finland, and Ahvenisto Race Circuit immediately delivered one of the strongest Qualifying sessions of the year.

In front of a sold-out Finnish crowd packed into the grandstands and the natural banks surrounding the circuit, 42 drivers took on a layout unlike anything previously seen in Drift Masters. Huge elevation changes, serious entry speed, technical transitions and a high-commitment wall run created a challenge that demanded complete confidence from the opening flick to the finish line.

By the end of the afternoon, the front of the order was separated by almost nothing. Piotr Więcek and championship leader Paweł Korpuliński both scored 95.70 points, seven drivers reached 95 or higher, and a historic result for Krisse Aalto gave the home crowd another reason to celebrate.

The first Drift Masters layout at Ahvenisto was designed by Finnish drifting pioneer and championship driver Juha Rintanen, working to build a line that made full use of the circuit's unique terrain.

Drivers arrived at initiation at more than 140 km/h before climbing sharply through the opening zones. From there, the track dropped away beneath them, building even more speed into the technical downhill section and one of the most dramatic wall runs of the season.

On paper, the combination looked brutal. In practice, the layout flowed exceptionally well when a driver found the right rhythm. That was reflected immediately in the scoring, with clean runs regularly reaching the 90s and the smallest hesitation costing several positions.

Qualifying produced a completely different picture. There were no major impacts or heavy off-track moments, and only a handful of runs ended in zeros across the full session. After a difficult first day, the drivers had learned where Ahvenisto needed commitment and where the track demanded restraint.

That clean standard made the fight even tighter. With so many drivers capable of completing the line, qualifying was no longer about simply surviving the circuit. It came down to fractions of angle, small line deductions and the ability to remain fully committed through every transition.

The home drivers made an immediate impact. Mika Keski-Korpi led the first half of Qualifying with 95.50 points, while Jarkko Jylhä continued his impressive rookie season with 93.70.

Finnish wildcard Kim Björklund climbed from 85.00 to 93.20, and Paulus Perkkiö put 91.70 on the board in only the second run of the day. Krisse Aalto, Teemu Asunmaa and Juha Rintanen also progressed, meaning seven of the ten Finnish starters reached the Top 32.

For the sold-out crowd, however, the biggest story was the driver missing from the bracket.

Lauri Heinonen arrived at his home round hoping to turn his 2026 season around after multiple engine failures at each round this year. However, his weekend was turned upside down on Friday when the NASCAR-powered V8 in his 180sx suffered its fourth engine failure in four rounds.

With no time to repair the car, fellow Finn Mika Keski-Korpi offered Heinonen his spare BMW F22. It kept him in the event, but left him trying to qualify in an unfamiliar chassis and engine setup after only a handful of laps.

Heinonen opened with 84.20 points. His second run showed flashes of his usual commitment, including a strong attack on the wall, but the unfamiliar car made it difficult to maintain the required line across the full layout. An 83.20 left him 38th and outside the Top 32.

It was a major upset for the local fans and a painful result for a former champion whose 2026 campaign has now been hit by an engine failure at every round and putting the rest of the 2026 season in question.

While Heinonen's day ended in heartbreak, Krisse Aalto delivered a landmark result for Finland and the championship.

After opening with 78.50 points, Aalto returned with a far more complete 89.00-point run. It moved her to 21st and made her the first female driver to qualify for a Drift Masters Top 32 after becoming the first female to compete in the series back in 2023.

Her reward is an all-Finnish opening battle against Jarkko Jylhä, guaranteeing that one home driver will reach the Top 16.

Shanahan and Falvey finished third and fourth on 95.50, with Shanahan's 92.50 back-up run placing him ahead. Keski-Korpi took fifth after over-rotating late in a second attempt that had looked capable of challenging for P1.

James Deane followed with 95.20, while Diogo Correia jumped from 86.70 to 95.00 on run two. Duane McKeever completed the Top 8 with 94.70 after a puncture in the burnout box prevented a second attempt.

The margins were severe throughout the field. Twentieth position still required 91.70 points, while Nikolass Bertans claimed the final Top 32 place with 86.70. Karim Hany missed the cut by only 0.20.

Several drivers rescued their weekends on run two. Estonian wildcard Graig Meriloo recovered from 65.50 to 92.70, climbing to 17th.

Kevin Piskolty's team completed an engine change after Friday's failure, and the Hungarian rewarded the overnight work with 93.50 and 13th overall. Björklund's rise to 93.20 and Correia's 95.00 completed two more major improvements.

Juha Pöytälaakso was the other major Finnish heartbreak. An engine problem ended his first run and prevented him from returning for a second attempt.

The first Top 32 bracket at Ahvenisto is locked in and championship could very well be rocked tomorrow. Więcek opens against Nikolass Bertans, while Korpuliński faces Clint van Oort. The home crowd is guaranteed two all-Finnish battles. Keski-Korpi meets Juha Rintanen, while Aalto faces Jylhä.

Piskolty takes on Perkkiö, Jack Shanahan meets Mads Andreasen and Conor Falvey lines up against Itay Sadeh. One of Finland's biggest names will be missing. Heinonen's elimination removes the 2024 champion before the battles begin, leaving the remaining home contingent to carry Finnish hopes.

Top 32 coverage begins tomorrow on Red Bull TV from 11:45 EEST, with the Top 16 show live from 15:20 EEST. After a Qualifying session decided by fractions, there is no easy side of the bracket.