Drift Masters 2025 – Season Opener at Circuito de Madrid Jarama-RACE, Spain
After the cancellation of the originally planned opening round of Drift Masters 2025 at Italy’s Vallelunga, the Spanish Circuito de Madrid Jarama – RACE became the starting point of this year’s competition. The event took place on May 17–18, 2025, at a new venue for the series, located in San Sebastián de los Reyes – just 32 kilometers from the center of Madrid. This historic track has a rich legacy – between 1968 and 1981 it hosted nine editions of the Spanish Formula 1 Grand Prix, and from 1969 to 1988 it staged fifteen motorcycle Grand Prix races.
While in Poland the weather felt more like early spring, in Spain both drivers and fans enjoyed perfect conditions, and the hot atmosphere at Jarama brought plenty of excitement. A total of 46 drivers entered qualifying – to reach the TOP 32 stage, they needed at least 77 points. The best score (93.5 pts) went to James Deane, followed by Piotr Więcek (91.7 pts), and Tor Arne Kvia from Norway (91.2 pts). The Shanahan brothers secured the next spots, while sixth place went to Paweł Korpuliński with a strong 88.5 pts.
In the TOP 32 stage, Korpuliński faced Britain’s Steve “Baggsy” Biagioni. As the lead driver, the Pole delivered a brilliant line, and as the chaser he showed excellent control and proximity to his rival. Thanks to this, he advanced confidently into the TOP 16.
His next opponent was Estonia’s Kevin Pesur, who had scored just 1.5 points less than the Pole in qualifying. In the first run, with Korpuliński leading, he set an impressive pace and precision that forced Pesur into a nervous chase. In the chase run, however, the Estonian managed to pull away, forcing Korpuliński to make up the gap quickly. The judges called for a One More Time.
In the rerun, Korpuliński once again impressed as the lead driver. Unfortunately, in the second half of the battle – this time as the chaser – he understeered into the first corner, went off track, and made mistakes that sealed the judges’ decision. Despite his strong form, the Pole did not advance to the TOP 8, and none of the Polish drivers reached the quarterfinals.
That stage featured, among others, an exciting brotherly clash between Jack and Conor Shanahan, from which Jack emerged victorious. Joining him in the semifinals were Oliver Randalu, Itay Sadeh, and Kevin Pesur.
In the Shanahan vs. Randalu showdown, the judges ordered a rerun after balanced runs. The decisive moment came when the Irishman suffered understeer, failed to initiate a drift, and pulled out of the battle. Estonian Randalu advanced to the final, where he was met by Israel’s Itay Sadeh, who had earlier eliminated Kevin Pesur.
Pesur, however, managed to claim third place, beating Jack Shanahan in the battle for the podium thanks to an outstanding chase run. In the final, Oliver Randalu took his first-ever Drift Masters victory, defeating Itay Sadeh and moving into the lead of the overall standings.
Paweł Korpuliński finished the competition in 9th place, earning 35 points – the best result among the six Polish drivers competing in Spain.
The next round of Drift Masters will take place on June 6–7 at Finland’s Power Park Huvivaltio in Alahärmä. For the third time in a row, this spectacular track will become the arena for Europe’s top drifters – adrenaline guaranteed!
