Championship Sunday Belongs to Sabourin at Canadian Open

Champions know when to peak.

After spending much of the weekend chasing the pace, Arnaud Sabourin (Prime Powerteam/RedSpeed) came alive when it mattered most, dominating Championship Sunday to capture the Rotax DD2 title at the 2026 Rotax Max Challenge Canadian Open.

Winning both the SuperHeat and the Final at SRA Karting Mirabel, Sabourin delivered a perfectly timed performance to earn one of Canada’s most prestigious Rotax victories.

The weekend, however, didn’t begin with Sabourin as the favourite.

That honour belonged to William Bouthillier (Racing Edge Motorsports/Kosmic), who set the benchmark from the opening session on Friday. Bouthillier topped Qualifying before backing it up with the fastest lap in the SuperPole shootout, putting himself in prime position for the weekend ahead.

Saturday’s heat races proved just how evenly matched the DD2 field would be.

Sabourin edged Bouthillier for the opening heat victory before Bouthillier responded with a win of his own in Heat Two. Alexis Baillargeon (Premier Karting/TonyKart) then threw another name into the mix by claiming Heat Three after the lead group was shuffled, leaving the championship battle wide open heading into Sunday.

That’s when Sabourin found another level.

The Prime Powerteam driver wasted little time taking control of the SuperHeat, overtaking Baillargeon in the opening laps before driving away to victory and earning a front-row starting position for the Final alongside Bouthillier.

Sabourin (402) and Bouthillier (403) on the front row (Photo by: Cody Schindel / CKN)

When the green flag flew for the Canadian Open Final, Sabourin delivered exactly the start he needed.

While Sabourin launched cleanly, Bouthillier was immediately swallowed by the pack, dropping from the front row to sixth in the opening laps. Alex Marcil-Perron (HM Propela/Kart Republic) capitalized on the shuffle, taking over the race lead on lap two ahead of Derek Laroche (BCR/BirelART), Branco Juverdianu (PSL Karting/BirelART), Baillargeon and Sabourin.

Marcil-Perron looked comfortable at the front through the opening half of the race, but Sabourin never allowed the gap to grow beyond striking distance.

On lap ten, he made his move.

Sweeping back into the lead, Sabourin immediately began to edge away as Marcil-Perron suddenly found himself under heavy pressure from a charging Baillargeon. The Premier Karting driver worked his way into second by lap 13 and quickly set his sights on the leader.

Lap after lap, the gap shrank.

But the finish line arrived just in time for Sabourin.

Managing the closing stages perfectly, Sabourin held off Baillargeon’s late-race charge to secure the Canadian Open victory, the third of the day for Prime Powerteam.

Baillargeon’s runner-up finish earned valuable points in the Rotax Max Challenge Quebec championship, while Bouthillier mounted an impressive recovery after his difficult start to finish third. Marcil-Perron settled for fourth after leading the opening half of the race, with Laroche completing the top five.

The Rotax DD2 podium: Alexis Baillargeon, Arnaud Sabourin and William Bouthillier (Photo by: Cody Schindel / CKN)

Unlike several other Rotax categories, the Canadian Open did not award a Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals ticket in DD2, meaning the championship battle remains very much alive.

The Rotax Max Challenge Quebec title, and a coveted place on Team Canada, will now be decided at the Canadian Karting Championships in Hamilton. Marcil-Perron enters the finale with the championship lead, but Baillargeon, Laroche and Bouthillier remain well within striking distance as the battle for Portugal reaches its conclusion.

If Sunday’s performance was any indication, Sabourin has also reminded the field that he’s more than capable of playing spoiler when the championship reaches its final chapter.

Rotax DD2 Final Results