Strong Start for Paweł Korpuliński in Drift Masters 2026

The new Drift Masters season kicked off in Vallelunga, Italy, where 41 drivers from around the world gathered at the circuit located near Rome. For Vallelunga Circuit, this marked its debut on the Drift Masters calendar – although the opening round had originally been scheduled there a year earlier, the event was ultimately canceled. This time, however, fans finally had the opportunity to see the world’s best drifters in action.

The competition began with qualifying for the TOP32. The level was extremely high – drivers needed at least 78.5 points to secure a place in the main competition bracket. The Polish drivers delivered an excellent performance, with all of them advancing comfortably to the next stage. Piotr Więcek impressed during qualifying, scoring 95.5 points and placing among the top contenders. The same result was achieved by Duane McKeever and Conor Shanahan.

Paweł Korpuliński finished the qualifying session in 12th place, which meant he faced fellow Pole Jakub Król already in the TOP32. The battle between the two Polish champions provided plenty of excitement, but the more experienced Korpuliński confidently secured his place in the next round. The Polish driver then faced Finland’s Mika Keski-Korpi, delivering an aggressive yet highly precise performance. His excellent form earned him a spot in the TOP8 as one of only two Polish drivers still fighting for the podium.

In the quarterfinals, Korpuliński defeated Latvia’s Nikolass Bertans, securing a place among the top four drivers of the event. Joining him in the semifinals were Piotr Więcek and two Irish drivers – James Deane and Conor Shanahan. Once again, the Polish driver proved that he can successfully compete against the world’s most accomplished drifting stars.

In the semifinal, Paweł Korpuliński faced James Deane. After a spectacular battle, the Irish driver advanced to the grand final, leaving the Pole to compete for third place. In the “small final,” Korpuliński went head-to-head with Piotr Więcek. After a closely contested duel, the judges awarded third place to Więcek, while Korpuliński finished just outside the podium positions.

Conor Shanahan won the opening round of Drift Masters 2026 after defeating James Deane in the final and taking the lead in the overall standings. Piotr Więcek completed the weekend in third place, while Paweł Korpuliński earned valuable points for finishing fourth.

The next round of this year’s Drift Masters championship will take place on May 16-17 at Spain’s Circuito de Madrid Jarama – RACE.