& Grand Finale Victory
History repeated itself inside the walls of Warsaw’s PGE Narodowy stadium, as Conor Shanahan became a double European champion in front of a sold-out crowd.
More than 50,000 fans packed Warsaw’s PGE Narodowy stadium to witness the Red Bull Drift Masters Grand Finale – the closing round of the European drifting championships. After an intense day of competition, it was Ireland’s Conor Shanahan who secured the coveted championship title. Here is all you need to know:
- Shanahan’s championship was mathematically sealed before he had even turned a wheel in battle, as his closest rival, Piotr Wiecek, suffered heartbreak in the Top 32 when mechanical failure forced his car to shut down just before the finish line in his battle against Espen Rohde.
- That moment ended Piotr’s title hopes and, by tie-breaker, handed the crown to Conor, who had collected higher finishing results across the season with two wins and a second place compared to Piotr’s two wins and a third place.
- The championship may have been decided early, but the battles were far from over. Top Qualifier Jakub Król exited after a One More Time defeat to Clint Van Oort, while Tor-Arne Kvia, Juha Rintanen, and Japanese wildcard Hiroya Minowa were also eliminated from competition in dramatic fashion. It was a reminder that at this level of the sport nothing comes easy.
- From the Top 16 onward the action only grew more intense. Naoki Nakamura produced a breathtaking chase to knock out Duane McKeever, Adam LZ showed his pace in a clean win over Jason Banet, Pawel Korpulinski looked electric as he dispatched Conor Falvey, and Conor Shanahan’s march to glory continued as he overcame Lauri Heinonen in a fierce One More Time after the Finn’s mechanical issues forced him to retire.
- The Top 8 delivered another wave of drama. Nakamura overwhelmed Alan Hynes with incredible pace and aggression, Pawel was clinical in taking down Adam LZ, Conor proved too strong for Espen Rohde, and James Deane advanced after it all went wrong for Jack Shanahan in the chase.
- By the Final 4 the tension had reached boiling point. Pawel and Naoki went head-to-head in one of the battles of the season, requiring a One More Time before Pawel edged his way into the final. On the other side of the bracket Conor delivered one of the chase runs of the year to defeat James Deane, setting up a Grand Finale showdown that felt like déjà vu.
- Then came the final. Conor Shanahan versus Pawel Korpulinski, Ireland versus Poland, champion versus hometown hero. Their first duel was so close the judges called a One More Time. In the decider, Pawel blinked first, a small error in his lead giving Conor the opening he needed to take the win. For the second time in three years, Conor Shanahan not only secured the championship but also stood on the top step of the Grand Finale podium in Warsaw.
Final Top 10 of 2025
1. Conor SHANAHAN - 490
2. Piotr WIECEK - 406
3. Jack SHANAHAN - 351
4. Pawel KORPULINSKI - 327
5. James DEANE - 323
6. Kevin PESUR - 272
7. Lauri HEINONEN - 255
8. Oliver RANDALU - 232
9. Tor Arne KVIA - 229
10. Conor FALVEY - 210
