Erik Janković Wins DONUT 10 and the Championship Title

Erik Janković arrived at DONUT 10 fifth in the overall standings, 51 points behind championship leader Ivo Znaor.

He left Mičevec as the winner of the final round and the new DONUT International Cup champion.

Janković defeated Peter Brolli in the grand final, completing a weekend that turned the championship standings upside down. Once the final tandem battle had been decided and the last points of the season awarded, his name also appeared in the sky above the Bugatti Rimac proving ground.

It was the conclusion of DONUT 10, but also the final chapter of a story that began one year earlier, when Janković lost the championship in a direct battle against Adrian Petričević.

This time, there was no unfinished business.

From fifth place to the championship title

Five drivers still had a mathematical chance of winning the title heading into the final round.

Ivo Znaor arrived in Mičevec as the championship leader with 235 points. He was followed by Marko Brdek with 215, Adrian Petričević with 198, Toma Ostojić with 189 and Erik Janković with 184 points.

The gap between first and fifth place was 51 points, which meant Janković’s title chances did not depend solely on his own result. He needed to win, but he also needed the remaining elimination battles to unfold in his favour.

That is exactly what happened.

Janković faced Adrian Petričević as early as the Top 16 in a battle that deserved to be called the grand final before the grand final. Outstanding driving, a judges’ call for One More Time and a crowd on the edge of its seat made it one of the best tandem battles of the entire weekend.

Janković emerged victorious and continued his journey towards the title.

As the elimination bracket progressed, the drivers ahead of him dropped out of contention, and a scenario that had appeared highly unlikely at the start of the weekend became increasingly realistic.

Erik Janković versus Peter Brolli in the grand final

Peter Brolli awaited Janković on the other side of the final tandem battle.

The Austrian driver demonstrated speed and consistency throughout the weekend, earning his place in the grand final from a grid of 42 competitors.

In the decisive battle, Janković did exactly what was required. He defeated Brolli, won DONUT 10 and secured the best possible result at the most important round of the season.

The victory earned him enough points to take the lead in the overall standings and become the 2026 DONUT International Cup champion.

One year after losing the title in the final battle

Janković’s achievement carries even greater significance when compared with the conclusion of the previous season.

One year earlier, he entered the final round level on points with Adrian Petričević. Their direct Top 4 battle decided the championship, with Petričević emerging victorious.

The smallest possible margin separated the two leading contenders.

One year later, Janković once again found himself in a season finale where every tandem battle could decide the championship. This time, he went all the way, won the final round and took the lead when it mattered most.

From last year’s defeat to this year’s championship title, DONUT 10 completed a circle that had remained open throughout the season.

A record grid and two days of drifting in Mičevec

DONUT 10 brought together a record 42 drivers from Croatia and abroad.

Saturday was dedicated to practice and qualifying, giving the drivers an opportunity to find the ideal line and prepare their cars for the elimination stage.

The main programme began on Sunday, with two battles unfolding simultaneously: the fight to win DONUT 10 and the race for the overall championship title.

That situation gave every tandem battle additional significance. A single mistake could end a driver’s event and completely change the final championship standings.

Alongside the fight for results, the crowd witnessed the type of driving that proves why DONUT is more than just a competition. Close tandems, clouds of tyre smoke and manoeuvres performed at the absolute limit defined the elimination battles, while Toma Ostojić was once again among the drivers who drew some of the loudest reactions from the grandstands.

A packed programme and a lesson for every organiser – including the self-proclaimed ones

Alongside the competition, visitors could explore the cars in the paddock and car show area, meet the drivers and teams, and follow the preparations taking place before each run.

The Drift Taxi allowed members of the public to experience drifting from the passenger seat, while the exhibitor and partner zones expanded the programme beyond the sporting competition itself.

A sim corner and RC drift zone were available for younger visitors and everyone else interested in testing their skills behind a virtual steering wheel or with remote-controlled drift cars.

The Supercar Show by Auto Sport Adria, one of Croatia’s most exclusive luxury car experience projects, a motorcycle performance by Croatian Isle of Man TT rider Loris Majcan, and appearances by representatives of other motorsport disciplines were only some of the weekend’s highlights.

DONUT 10 brought together professional drift competition, automotive culture and a full-day programme for visitors arriving in Mičevec from across Croatia, the surrounding region and considerably more distant parts of the world.

The drift ambassadors of general sponsor MAPETROL added another international dimension to the programme. The drivers from the United Arab Emirates demonstrated their skills on track, but judging by the crowd’s reaction, their runs also highlighted the quality of the Croatian drift scene and the level of driving available on home soil.

A finale marked by 500 drones

Once the final tandem battles and awards ceremony had concluded, the crowd’s attention shifted from the track to the sky.

A total of 500 drones above the Bugatti Rimac proving ground created visuals dedicated to the tenth DONUT event, its partners and the new champion.

Erik Janković’s name also appeared in the sky, giving the greatest result of his DONUT career a conclusion that would have been difficult to imagine at the beginning of the weekend.

The drone show marked the end of the two-day programme and symbolically concluded the first ten DONUT events.

From the first gathering in 2023 to a finale featuring a record grid, thousands of visitors and five drivers fighting for the title, DONUT has grown into one of the focal points of the European drift scene over the course of ten events.

At the same time, it demonstrated that Croatia has a great deal to offer the world of motorsport beyond its traditional disciplines.