Rheinard makes history after controversial conclusion to ISTC Worlds in Bangkok

Xray’s Marc Rheinard has today made Electric Touring Car history in Bangkok, the German securing a record fourth IFMAR World Championship title 22-years after he won on his ISTC debut in Kissimmee, USA, however the 13th running of the championships may unfortunately be better remembered as controversial rather than history making.  With World Championship wins meant to be a time to celebrate the best performances in our sport and the hard work of drivers & their teams, those celebrations today at Huge RC Circuit were certainly muted after contact decided the title just seconds into A3.  While Rheinard would serve a Stop & Go penalty for his contact with the defending Champion Bruno Coelho on the opening lap, the Infinity driver’s race was over on the spot, up front Orlowski went on to take the win.  At the end of the race however there was no trophy presented to the German on the drivers stand as has become tradition at World Championships.  Instead, with a definite air of tension in the pits as money was put down to make official protests and officials were called over the PA to meetings, we waited on the result to be made official, the energy of this once every two year moment draining away with every passing minute.  While everyone gave their opinion, more in a better position than others to do so, there was a general overall feeling of disappointment at how the race had just played out, many having predicted it was never going to be a clean race after the A2 incident.  On declaring the race official, update results produced an Xray 1-2 as World’s Final debutant Jin Sawada, who put in an impressive performance all week, was promoted to second.  Having originally been handed a 5-second penalty for his A2 contact with Top Qualifier Michal Orlowski, Coelho was issued with a 1-lap penalty as per the official rules when contact happens within the final 2-laps of the race.  The original decision made causing friction within IFMAR.  Dropping the Infinity driver from 2nd to 9th overall, Orlowski would claim the final step on the podium just ahead of Awesomatix’s Lucas Urbain and Buggy World Champion David Ronnefalk.  With Rheinard’s victory reinstating him as the category’s GOAT, while this should be a massive cause for celebration and the great event put on by one of the categories own former Champions Surikarn Chaidajsuriya who owns Huge RC Circuit, today’s racing puts Electric Touring Car in the spotlight but not in a positive way with even Rheinard advocating rule changes are needed for fairer racing.  Yes we have had controversy in the past and it is how hard fought World Championships are that make them so coveted & special but no matter what your views on how today played out nothing beats a good clean battle in deciding who gets to call themselves Champion of the World for the next two years.

Reacting to an impressive fourth World title, the just turned 40-year-old always bringing out his ‘Worlds A-Game’ every 2-years, asked how it feels to be the World No.1 again, Rheinard responded, ‘Yeah it feels great, I mean after what was 2010 the last Touring Car one and ’20 was 1:12 scale, it’s just amazing.’  He continued, ‘I knew I had the pace, in qualifying even if I never TQ’d a round I was always there so I knew P3 was always a good place to be with these guys up front who already had their moments two years ago and it happened again.  So I had to be there in the right moment and yeah it worked out and I am just super happy.’  His Worlds debut with Xray, whom he only joined this year, he said,’ the team worked great together, we had like really good team work here with David (Ronnefalk), Alex (Hagberg), me, Jin (Sawada), and all the people and Martin (Hudy) helping out.  Big shout out to my mechanic Stefan who made the car perfect every run.  I can’t be happier.’  On his A3 contact with Coelho he explained, ‘my goal was to pass him or try to make a move at the beginning because I was already in front of him in the first corner, then I think I hit the curb a little bit on the first left and then I tried to be as close as possible to him but we touched but I think he got in contact with Michal in front of me so it was just like a pile up and his body got tucked unfortunately but I don’t know.  Normally we have really good body stiffeners for the rear and normally this never happens because it was not hard (hit) that his body should body tuck.  Yeah then the race was kind of done.’  Putting to him about still having the hunger for Worlds success after 2-decades of winning titles he replied, ‘Definitely.  I was always there and you know when I made the move to Xray I expected to be right there, everyone expected me to be right there, and then I had some tough races and you know it goes to your head.  You know people talk blah, blah, blah, but here I was like come on we have to do something and I was right there.  It is not like I was slower than the others.  I picked up the pace and I showed I am still there that’s a good thing for me, also for my head now to show I am still here.’

I mean I wanted to win of course and I felt I drove really good in the second and the beginning of the first final as well.  I made a very small mistake in A1 which cost me the result in that final.  For A2 I felt good, my head was clear and I knew it would be hard but I knew I had the chance and I felt I drove very well.  Yes my car was getting loose towards the end, I was losing grip, but all the drivers know how the cars behalf on this track and I was taken out.  Of course my car was loose but its not, how do you say, it doesn’t allow Bruno to drive through my car and he took me out again like last time in California which took the chances of the win away from me.  My body shell was tucked in, I tried my best to continue, I thought it was the final lap, but I also could not stay in front of Marc and Jin without causing more chaos with them cause I was really struggling to keep the car going forward because my body was tucked in and my car was broken in the front.  So that was the best I could do in A2 after getting taken out by Bruno and then A3 I knew I don’t have a chance to win the overall and I wanted to do the best I could for me and I am super happy for Marc to take the overall after I was not able to, I am super happy Bruno is off the podium and we try again.’  The 25-year-old continued, ‘I know I was two times TQ and I remember Hara was 2008 TQ and 2012 he was TQ so it happens and we of course know Bruno’s racing is not fair but we need to work harder to get the car better for the finals because in California in the last final my car was loose, now the car was loose again towards the end of A2 so of course if the car was perfect and I drove perfect I would have one probably and we would not be talking about Bruno taking me out but that’s racing and he will always race like that and we just need to do better next time to not be in that situation.’   He concluded, ‘At the end of the day super happy that Marc is the Champion and at 40th years old.  Being on the podium doesn’t mean too much to me after these finals but we move on.’

Asking Coelho for his thoughts on the day, he replied with, ‘I mean I think there is not much to say.’  He continued, ‘I think people see what they want to see you know and even though I think if you make a donut in front of me and I crash you it will be intentional.  He make the donut you know, and I think this is probably what people meant that I make him (Orlowski) lose the Worlds because he flipped in the first final so it was me making so much pressure that next time I cannot make and the second one again when he spun in front of me it was my fault to crash him out and it is entirely my fault that he lost he Worlds because I make so much pressure I make him lose the first final like in American when he crashed alone it was also my fault because I make too much pressure, I am really sorry about that.  And now the Jury is super funny and is like 2 of his sponsors, or 3 of his main sponsors, is the ones that decide now I how the outcome is and now the outcome that the penalty of 5-seconds from one car the spins in front and the other one crashed into it becomes 1-lap so instead of second I finish 9th.’  He concluded, ‘I think people can take the conclusions they want and then the A3 everyone watched what happened and I don’t have to say any word about it, but yeah that’s it.’

Ellerbrock executes perfect race to become new Spec World Champion

Germany’s Lukas Ellerbrock executed the perfect World Championship winning performance today at Huge RC Circuit to become the third ever IFMAR Spec Electric Touring Car World Champion and keep the title with Awesomatix.  With team-mate Simon Lauter, the Spec World Champion from 2-years ago in California stepping up to Modified and mixing it at the sharp end this year, a new World Champion was always going to be crowned in Thailand.  While team-mate Olivier Bultynck was the pace setter in practice, come qualifying the No.7 seed came into his own topping 4 of the 6 rounds of qualifying to wrap up an early TQ.  With Bultynck fastest in Q2, the Belgian line-up second ahead of Q6 winner & current European Champion Max Machler.  With Awesomatix the dominant force, it was Xray’s 2025 European Champion Adam Izsay who was the nearest challenger qualifying P5.  In the finals, Ellerbrock led an Awesomatix formation in A1 the Top 3 finishing as they started with the Top Qualifier posting the fastest lap of the race.  A2 would be a repeat of A1 will Ellerbrock securing an early title with the win.  While never really in doubt, Bultynck won A3 from Machler and young Awesomatix driver Phil Langner to complete an all Awesomatix podium.

Having started the 2026 season with a major international success in Thailand when he won Open Brushless at the TITC, which for 2027 moves to Huge RC Circuit, and now lifting the World Championship also in the capital city, Ellerbrock said, ‘It was pretty much a perfect week.  Since practice I knew I had a good 5-minute pace and yeah it showed in qualifying winning 4 out of 6 and I am just super happy I kept it on the road in the mains and drove two clean finals to bring it home.’  Asked about feeling pressure in the finals, the 29-year-old from near Hamburg replied, ‘I was super focused to be honest.  Of course there is a lot of pressure before runs, the whole week was intense but during the runs I am just super focus.’  On his car’s performance on the indoor asphalt track he said, ‘It was always good.  I think the biggest challenge was the competitors, we pushed each other really to the maximum and especially in qualifying.  Perfection was needed and I think multiple guys delivered this so it was really just minor differences.’

Rheinard declared winner of controversial A2, Orlowski’s title hopes over

Marc Rheinard has been declared the winner of a controversial A2 at the IFMAR ISTC World Championships in Bangkok, after race winner Bruno Coelho was given a 5-second penalty for contact with Top Qualifier Michal Orlowski, the Pole’s title hopes now over.  In the closing minute of the race, Orlowski who led from the start was coming under intense pressure from Coelho.  With his car stepping out the defending World Champion tried to execute a pass that would result in contact that sent the Schumacher driver rolling off the track.  Suffering a body tuck, the 1:12 World Champion’s ISTC title hopes were done, as Coelho crossed the line in first ahead of Rheinard.  While a penalty was called by officials, the calling of that penalty incorrectly made for car No.1 not car No.2, by the time the error was noticed the race was complete.  After a long deliberation, officials handed Coelho a 5-second penalty giving the win to Rheinard and putting the two 3-time World Champions in a head to head in A3 for their fourth titles.

Reacting to the news of his A2 win, Rheinard said, ‘I’ll take it for sure but I had no pace.  Even when Bruno was a bit struggling I was close but my car was so difficult to drive I had no know pace.’  He continued, ‘I knew he had so much room because I had no pace he was going to make move at one point.  If I had been closer to him maybe it would not have happened.  So yeah he took him out, he gets a penalty.  It should be more than just a 5-second penalty because the race for Michal is over, the Worlds is done for him, so we need to think about something for the next big races to find some kind of penalties cause this ruins the sport.’  He added, ‘He did it in 2024 in Bakersfield and now again, I don’t know, it is two times already for Michal and it shouldn’t be like this.’  On his chances for a fourth World title in A3, the German said, ‘I will go for it.  I am at least second so lets see what happens in A3.’

Giving his take on the incident, Coehlo said, ‘I don’t know what to say.  It is a very tough moment because I didn’t want things to happen this way but yeah Michal had two spin outs on the same spot earlier in the run and already on the final one and with the time coming closer to the end I tried my move and he again spun out on the position so I tried to move to the inside but yeah it is always easier to put the fault on the guy in the back.  But my question is what if he spun out in front of me and I crash him and ruin my World Championship.’  He explained, ‘In the first final he spun out in the straight and I didn’t crash him by luck.  If I crash him then it ruin my World Championship.  Now he loses the rear in front of me, as everyone can see in the video, and I crash him and still my fault and I am the guy that tried to take him out intentionally or whatever.  So I think it is super easy to put the fault on the guy in the back.  When he make a mistake in the first final and now for me I can also say 50/50 because he make a mistake and I pay for his mistake because I tried a move but again it is easier to suggest it is Bruno’s fault and that is it.’

Orlowski is Top Qualifier in Bangkok

Schumacher’s Michal Orlowski is the Top Qualifier for the IFMAR Electric Touring Car World Championships after a super close and exciting final qualifier this morning at Huge RC Circuit in Bangkok.  With the Polish driver going up against the defending World Champion in the fight for pole position for today’s title deciding finals, it initially looked like Coelho had delivered the Round 6 TQ run for a perfect counting score but after a few seconds there was a roar from the crowd as the software finally updated the track’s giant screen and Orlowski went to the top by just 0.085 of a second!  His third TQ run of the event, the result is a repeat of the 2024 World Championships in California where the overall TQ was also decided in the final round where Coelho also started from P2.  Third for the final round, that is also where Marc Rheinard will line up on his World Championship debut for Xray, the top 3 the same three drivers who made up the podium 2-year-ago at Finishline RC Raceway.  For the final qualifier it was another impressive run from 1:8 Buggy World Champion David Ronnefalk who despite showing some offroad habits when he jumped a curb was fourth fastest ahead of Awesomatix Lucas Urbain.  In terms of outright pace it was the RC Maker of Antoine Brunet who put down the fastest lap with today already a much hotter day then yesterday.  The French driver also secures the Australian manufacturer their first World Championship final start.  Overall behind the Top 3 it is Jin Swada who lines up P4 ahead of Q1 winner Simon Lauter, the Awesomatix driver ending qualifying with a P6 run.  The second half of the grid is completed by Ronnefalk, Urbain, Brunet, Axon’s Akio Sibue, and Infinity’s Soeren Sparber.

A driver who is very much game face on today, reacting to his TQ securing qualifying performance, Orlowski said, ‘It was very close.  It was funny with the screen changing very late but…..’.  After a short pause the reigning 1:12 World Champion continued, ‘at the end of the day there are three more races so it doesn’t matter much.’  Asking the 25-year-old what the track conditions are like today, he replied, ‘it feels warmer but honestly we made some changes for the morning to try and find some more speed compared to yesterday and the car has been feeling much better but it also felt better in the morning (free practice run) so we’ll think if maybe we can make some small changes to find a little more speed but the overall car is feeling very nice.’

A driver who has won 2 of his record sharing 3 Touring Car World titles from 2nd on the grid, Coelho reacted to the Q6 result with, ‘very close’.  He added, ‘It was a good clean run but I just had a bobble at the last lap’.  He added, ‘the track today is much hotter and it has changed a little bit the conditions.’  Chasing his fourth consecutive World title, his first coming in South Africa in 2018 when he beat the then reigning World Champion and Top Qualifier Ronald Volker, asked his thoughts on actually racing on the unique Huge RC Circuit, not directly answering the question, he said, ‘as we see in qualifying there are a lot of up & downs so it can change at any second so I will just be ready for anything that happens in front.’  On his car’s performance, given today’s temperatures, he said, ‘for sure yesterday I felt the pace was better but we’ll make some little changes for the first final and we’ll see,’

Getting the third place on the grid he was after, on Q6 Rheinard said, ‘that was all I could do, and I am happy with P3 in the end.  The car was pretty good but it felt like less grip to be honest but the times were OK I just lost a bit in the middle of the run.  I just had some rough laps driving wise, but I am not far off.  The first 3-minute I was just within a couple of tenths with the top guys.’  The most experienced driver on the A-Main grid, this his 10th ISTC Worlds Final, he added, ‘Finals are a different story.  Michal and Bruno have already some races were they had some trouble here & there so like Scotty (Ernst) always says ‘three is always a good spot to be.’  Winning A1 in Bakersfield from P4, the German said, ‘yeah it would be nice to repeat that but everything can happen.  I mean on this track you see many crashes even if someone in the back crashes you cannot avoid it on the straight.  I think it is wide open not only Top 3, everybody is fast and so many things can happen in one final.’

Coelho confirms he’s back in contention with 2nd TQ run

After a less than perfect start to his title defence qualifying, Infinity’s Bruno Coelho has confirmed, most importantly to himself, that he is back in the contention by ending Day 3 of the IFMAR ISTC World Championships in Thailand with a second TQ run.  The result means both Schumacher’s Michal Orlowski, the overnight TQ holder, and Coelho are the only two remaining drivers in contention for pole position here at Huge RC Circuit, with the sixth & final qualifier to be staged tomorrow morning ahead of the finals.  Taking Q4 when both Orlowski and Xray’s Marc Rheinard had mistakes, Coelho’s fifth round TQ ahead of his two protagonist endorsed that Coelho’s quest for a fourth consecutive World title is back on.  Another impressive run from David Ronnefalk would see the Buggy World Champion end the day with a 4th that’s secures him an A-Main grid starting position with last night’s Q1 winner Simon Lauter completing the Top 5.  Having celebrated taking the opening qualifier yesterday, and Lucas Urbain opening with a P3 in Q2 this morning, the rest of the day was challenging for Awesomatix in Modified.  In the Stock class however there was plenty for the second biggest manufacturer of these Worlds (Xray from official IFMAR stats the most represented brand here in Bangkok) with Awesomatix drivers dominating the action.  Olivier Bultynck opened the day with a TQ run before Lukas Ellerbrock added to his Q1 TQ by topping rounds 3, 4 and 5 to get locked in as the Top Qualifier.

Looking a lot more upbeat at the end of the day’s action giving his thoughts after taking Q5, Coelho said, ‘It is a very positive finish and a good way to go for tomorrow.  We found the way and this was a confirmation.  The round before we were kind of ehm not sure and I think this round was the confirmation we found the base.’  On his car and any changes between rounds, he said, ‘honestly I didn’t change anything from the round before to now I just felt more confident than before and I tried to start stronger and benefit from the tyres at the beginning and then just control the race to the end.’  Taking some time to come down off the driver stand after his TQ run asked about this he replied, ‘the referee just called me to basically say not really that he was sorry but to inform me that they gave a warning to Michal (Orlowski).’  Asked how he felt about getting passed his rival, he responded with, ‘on this I wont comment.’  Looking to tomorrow and the last qualifier before the 13th ISTC World Champion is crowned, Coelho said, ‘I think it is positive for sure.  I think we are finally where we worked for to be for the race and that’s real positive for tomorrow.’

Orlowski summed up the closing qualifier of the day with, ‘It was OK, Bruno is very fast at the beginning.’  The 1:12 World Champion continued, ‘My car is feeling OK, much better than last night, but I am not able to drive with confidence at the moment and we just have to think what to do for tomorrow.  The track will be different again.’  Asked if the morning suited his Schumacher better, the 25-year-old replied, ‘Maybe, but I think the pace is always there, like I had a 13.5 on the last lap, it’s just me being comfortable with the car for the whole run and in the morning & most of the day I am more comfortable.’  He added, ‘definitely the humidity went up tonight but yesterday Simon (Lauter) was super fast in this condition, Bruno struggled, and now it was different so people are changing stuff I guess.’  Having to open to let Coelho through in Q5, asked about the race referee’s call to open, he confirmed he asked him to but said it was too early and he opened up a lap later when he felt was the right time, however he said that got him a warning that he would get a penalty if he ignored the call again’.

‘I need to have at least one TQ to have a better chance to be further up but if I can stay P3 with say Michal first and Bruno second I think I am still in a good position so I am going to try to find some more’, that was Rheinard’s summary of the day.  The freshly turned 40-year-old continued, ‘we are lacking speed in the night time, the car is too easy, too stuck, so we could not get the right speed.  I thought in the beginning I lost time as I had a 14.0 on the first lap already so I drove bad but I thought in the end I am going to catch up again like I did the run before but in the night car is not free enough.  Q6 and the two first finals are in the day time so we will not make big changes but when it comes down to A3 we have to think about changing.  I just hope to stay in P3 which is all I can do now.’

A rather pleased Ronnefalk reacted to Q5 be describing it as ‘another great run’.   The Swedish offroad star explained, ‘I started up front this time so I could kind of follow the guys that are fast up front rather than starting at the back, then it is difficult to pace yourself.  So I followed Marc around the track for pretty much the 5-minutes and we kept the same distance so I knew I was on for probably a Top 5 if I just stayed there.  I tried to get him there on the last lap but I was 2/100ths of a second behind but obviously super happy because I got rid of my 11th place and swapped it with a fourth so that has me locked in for the show for sure.’  He added, ‘Right now if I had a Top 3 and Simon (Lauter) doesn’t improve I think I can even go ahead of him to be Top 5 on the grid but already super happy, the goal was to make the main and now anything can happy.’  Asking if his confidence with the touring is growing each round the Swede said, ‘for sure, as the car has got better with the changes we made for sure I feel very confident and I just know that I have a consistent car over the 5-minutes, maybe not the fastest on outright speed but I feel very good towards the end where other people seem to struggle a bit more.  It is just a matter of putting it together and keeping the car on the wheels and wait for those last 2-minutes when things can happen.’