Blog
Aditis Racing’s Martin Kadlečík secured the TCR Eastern Europe championship title at the Hungaroring season finale, bringing his impressive 2026 campaign to a successful conclusion.
Czech driver Martin Kadlečík moved into the lead of the championship standings at Grobnik in May and never relinquished the top spot, holding on to his advantage all the way to the season finale at the Hungaroring. His path to the title was far from straightforward, however, as he once again found himself locked in a championship battle with defending champion Adam Kout from Hyundai Janík Motorsport.
The two drivers fought for supremacy throughout the season, regularly trading victories at the front of the field. Kadlečík claimed seven wins behind the wheel of his Audi RS3, while Kout took four victories.
A crucial victory
Both drivers arrived at the Hungaroring determined to end the season on a high. Kadlečík held a slender seven-point advantage over Kout, leaving the championship wide open with a maximum of 55 points available over the final race weekend.
It was Kout who made the stronger start to the Hungarian finale, putting his Hyundai Elantra on pole position ahead of Kadlečík. The result earned Kout three championship points, while Kadlečík collected two, reducing the gap between them to just six points.
Kout duly lined up on pole for Saturday’s opening race and held the lead through the first corner. Kadlečík, however, wasted no time in launching an attack, making his move at Turn 2 to snatch the lead.
From there, the Audi driver kept Kout at bay all the way to the chequered flag, securing a crucial victory in the title fight. He also picked up an extra point for the fastest lap, extending his championship advantage to 14 points heading into Sunday’s final race.
Playing it safe
With the title now within touching distance, Kadlečík knew there was no need to take unnecessary risks. Kout, on the other hand, had little choice but to go for victory and hope his rival ran into trouble.
The strategy at Aditis Racing was therefore simple: stay out of trouble, avoid risky battles and bring the car safely home.
Starting fifth, Kout wasted no time charging to the front, with teammate Jiří Zbožínek providing valuable support behind him. Kadlečík initially ran third before finding a way past Zbožínek to move into second place, a position that would comfortably secure him the TCR Eastern Europe championship.
The Audi driver even began gradually closing the gap to race leader Kout, but any prospect of a final showdown between the title rivals was cut short by the safety car. The intervention came after a crash involving one of the cars competing in the Croatian championship, whose drivers had joined the TCR Eastern Europe field for the Hungaroring weekend.
“We’ve finally done it!” said a delighted Martin Kadlečík after securing the championship. “After what happened in the final race last year, we’ve finally managed to make amends, and we’re absolutely thrilled. Second place in the final race was enough to secure the title. I was really just trying to play it safe, staying out of trouble in traffic and being as careful as possible around the other drivers. From about halfway through the race, I started closing the gap to Adam, but the safety car ultimately put an end to our final battle. On the other hand, I’m glad we finished behind the safety car. It was the safer option. A huge thank you goes to the entire team, my family, my girlfriend and all the fans who have supported me throughout the season,” Kadlečík added.
Adam Kout ultimately finished runner-up in the championship, with teammate Jiří Zbožínek completing the top three. Together, the Hyundai Janík Motorsport duo also secured the team’s fifth consecutive TCR Eastern Europe teams’ title.
Croatian driver Žarko Knego finished fourth in the drivers’ standings behind the wheel of his Hyundai Elantra, while Cupra driver Petr Čížek rounded out the championship top five.
© 2026 . All Rights Reserved. Křenek Motorsport.
Terms and Conditions
