Montpellier GP Race report 2026

As every year, it’s time to head to the south of France for what we like to call the early-season European Championship. The GP de Montpellier has now become a must-attend event on the professional circuit!

The track layout has changed over the past two years, as has the race format, but the atmosphere remains the same: either you come to compete against the best European drivers, or you come for the show — or both!

I won’t go into detail since I’ve already talked about it on social media, but I sincerely want to congratulate and thank all the members of MBM Montpellier for their dedication in preparing, even just the track itself, throughout this race weekend.

As an event organizer myself, I know how difficult it is to plan everything — and the one thing you simply can’t control is the weather. They managed to anticipate and handle Mother Nature’s mood swings all weekend long, allowing us to live our passion and race in the best possible conditions.

The Montpellier GP was my fourth race with the MP11. The 2026 season had already started very well with a great result in Las Vegas a few weeks earlier, and I had been training hard. I arrived with total confidence aiming for a strong result. The only downside: my results here over the past few years didn’t match my expectations.

Thursday: First Practice Sessions and More Rain

Thursday: first practice session, the track was still damp and I knew that tire choice would be the key to the weekend.

I had previously done some wet testing in Longvic. Knowing that track conditions would be very different, I chose to start this first session with Nova clay ultra soft tires.

Unfortunately, the rain started again during my run, and the track became extremely slippery. Since mindset plays a key role and the first practice session often sets the mood for the weekend, this was clearly not ideal.

I stayed focused because I knew the car was performing well, but it confirmed once again that we needed to make the right choices. I wasn’t worried — with Matrix, we currently have one of the best tire selections in the field.

The day ended there — too much rain, and the track was covered once again.

Friday: Practice and High-Pressure Qualifying

Day two: Friday — two practice sessions and three qualifying rounds were on the schedule.

First Morning Practice

The track was still damp. I chose Nova ultra soft after seeing other drivers running them with very positive performance. Everything came together.

I set the fifth fastest time over three laps, only 0.2 seconds off the best lap of Canas and Ongaro, who are the current benchmarks. It wasn’t perfect yet, but the car was naturally fast and I didn’t need to push to be quick — it was a great feeling.

We decided not to change anything for the second round, focusing instead on learning the layout better and refining my lines. The result was confirmed with a 10th fastest time, just a few tenths away from another top five. The weekend was off to a very strong start.

Practice was over, and it was time for three qualifying rounds, likely the only ones of the weekend, as heavy rain was forecast. (Originally, five qualifying rounds were scheduled.)

The race schedule was condensed to Thursday and Friday only because heavy rain was forecast for Sunday.

Qualifying: Strategy and Setup Adjustments

The first qualifying round is always the most stressful for me, as qualifying isn’t my favorite exercise — and it’s where you need to deliver.

The track had changed significantly and the racing line had become very clean. After discussing tire options with Davide Ongaro, with whom I often exchange insights, we decided to go with the same choice: Blackhole ultra soft.

It proved to be the right decision, as he took pole position and I set the eighth fastest time. It was extremely tight — I was only three seconds off pole and sitting eighth.

No changes for the second qualifier and another top 10. We could now take more risks for the third round, since my grid position would be within the top five overall.

We decided to trim the center tire pins to improve traction and stiffen the center differential from 10,000 to 20,000 cst to give the car more punch and sharper acceleration.

The changes paid off. The car was more efficient and I delivered a very strong run, just 0.2 seconds off the fastest lap and three seconds from pole. That’s a top 4!

Qualifying was over. I finished seventh overall and was very happy. I knew that a top-five finish was possible and I was determined to fight for it.

Saturday: Semi-Final, Final and a Mechanical Lesson

Saturday. We serviced the car, checked the clutch, and I went through my usual race ritual (charging batteries, headsets, etc.).

We decided to continue in the same direction, increasing the differential stiffness further to 30,000 for the semi-final practice. Despite heavy rain overnight, track conditions were similar to the previous day.

In practice, everything went smoothly — I was among the fastest — confirming that anything was possible.

In the semi-final, I was like an old diesel engine: starting steadily, following the train, and holding fourth place. At the 10-minute mark, I was still fourth, everything was under control, and I was even closing in slightly on the leaders. At that moment, nothing could happen. Everything was fine.

Unfortunately, something went wrong with the car and I couldn’t maintain the pace. I made several mistakes in just three laps and dropped to seventh place. Only the top six bump up to the main final. The pressure was rising.

Fortunately, it didn’t last long, as Burak Kilic’s Nova engine stopped — along with his chances of making the final (he would qualify through the last chance).

I brought the car home after 20 minutes, but with the feeling that something wasn’t right and that we needed to check everything before the final. Time was short: we changed the rear differential and mounted new tires.

Everything was ready for the 45-minute final. Warm-up laps went well, we had five minutes to prepare, and I regained my rhythm.

Unfortunately, it didn’t last. From the start, the car was unpredictable, and I must admit the 45-minute final was not enjoyable.

I finished in a disappointing 11th place, but honestly, if someone had told me that before coming here, I would have signed for it considering my results in Montpellier over the past two years!

Several days after the GP, during testing and maintenance, I finally identified what happened on Saturday. I had unfortunately overfilled the center differential, causing mechanical binding and destroying all my chances of a top-five finish. It was the first time this has ever happened to me with my Kyosho.

Conclusion: Another Lesson for the 2026 Season and a Return to the World TOP 25

Another valuable lesson learned this weekend — I’ll be more careful from now on!

As after every major race, points are awarded based on final position to establish an unofficial but fair ranking of the best 1/8 Off-Road drivers in the world: the TOP 25RC.

The ranking is calculated over the last two rolling years, counting qualifying races — generally events where at least 9 ranked drivers are competing.

Created in 2014, I have always been part of this ranking (4th when it was first established!). After mixed results in 2025, I am now back in the ranking! I am especially proud to remain part of the world’s best drivers — and moreover, the only French driver.

Setup Used

Thank you very much for reading.

See you very soon for new adventures!
The Shark
Reno Savoya