Caune and Svencis Win District Mayor's Cup in Lithuanian Eco Rally
Latvian crew Krišjānis Caune and Edgars Svencis won the speed stage at the FIA Eco Rally Cup round in Lithuania, finishing 13th overall and 5th in energy efficiency. Their next start is this weekend in Latvia.
From July 3 to 5, Lithuania hosted the fifth round of the 2026 FIA Eco Rally Cup season – Eco Rally Lithuania Aplink Lietuva. Among the participants was the X3000 Skandi Motors Racing crew of Krišjānis Caune and Edgars Svencis, driving a Hyundai KONA Electric.
The Latvian duo stood out in a special agility stage requiring maximum speed. They clocked the best time, beating the nearest Czech competitors by 1.016 seconds, and claimed the district mayor's trophy.
In the regularity competition, the crew had to adapt to unusually low average speeds set by the organizers. A total of 341.722 kilometers were covered in regularity stages. Caune and Svencis placed 13th in penalty points and 5th in energy consumption, resulting in 13th place overall.
The stage was won by Czech driver Michal Zdarsky, who scored 1,323 points, just ahead of San Marino's Guido Guerrini with 1,325 – a difference of two thousandths of a second. Zdarsky also strengthened his lead in the season standings with 69 points.
After the Lithuanian round, Caune and Svencis are preparing for the next challenge: the sixth round of the FIA Eco Rally Cup, Neste MY Renewable Charge EV Rally Latvia, scheduled for July 10-12. The event will take place at the Biķernieki track and in the municipalities of Ķekava, Ogre, and Ropaži.
Krišjānis Caune noted that the extremely low average speeds were a surprise and required adaptation, but the agility stage showcased the crew's skills and the car's performance. Edgars Svencis mentioned that Lithuanian roads were similar to those in Latvia, but minor speed norm deviations prevented them from competing for higher positions.
The FIA Eco Rally Cup is a top-level regularity rally for electric vehicles. The 2026 season features 12 rounds, with the best eight results counting for each crew. The Latvian team plans to start in exactly eight events.
