ERC Returns to UK: Wales Welcomes Rally Championship After 8 Years
The FIA European Rally Championship (ERC) is set to make a triumphant return to the United Kingdom after an eight-year absence, with the penultimate round taking place in Wales from 30 August to 1 September. JDS Machinery Rali Ceredigion, a brand new challenge for the championship, marks its first visit to the region since 1996.
While reigning champion and current points leader Hayden Paddon, driving a Pirelli-equipped Hyundai i20 N Rally2 for BRC Racing Team, is a previous winner of the event, the asphalt-only contest presents a new challenge for his main championship rivals, Mathieu Franceschi and Miko Marczyk. Simone Tempestini is also expected to compete in the Aberystwyth-based event.
"The stages are different to anything else we have in the championship," stated Paddon, a New Zealander. "Lots of narrow lanes, very undulating, smooth but you're always moving and jumping - it's almost like a Finland rally on tarmac, apart from being narrower. And the weather will always play a part in Wales, there will be a lot of challenges."
Paddon leads the championship standings by 14 points over Michelin-backed Franceschi, but with 70 points still up for grabs across the remaining two rounds, the fight for the ERC crown remains fiercely contested.
"I'm not thinking about the championship," Paddon asserted. "Mathieu stopping [in Zlin] doesn't change a lot. I'm obviously gutted for him because he was doing a good job but we were not getting many points from the weekend anyway so we can both delete this rally and go to Wales like it was."
In addition to Franceschi, Marczyk, and Paddon, several other ERC Rally2 regulars will be taking on the challenge of JDS Machinery Rali Ceredigion. These include Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy's Jon Armstrong, Team MRF Tyres' Andrea Mabellini (Italy), Philip Allen (Northern Ireland), and Albert von Thurn und Taxis (Germany).
The experienced ERC drivers will face stiff competition from leading competitors in the Probite British Rally Championship. FIA Junior WRC champion William Creighton leads the standings, closely followed by Chris Ingram, the 2019 ERC champion, just one point behind. Keith Cronin and ERC points-scorer Osian Pryce, the 2019 and 2023 Rali Ceredigion winner, are also poised to challenge for the top spot.
With its unique blend of challenging asphalt stages and unpredictable Welsh weather, JDS Machinery Rali Ceredigion promises to be a thrilling and unpredictable event, offering a captivating spectacle for both the drivers and spectators. The return of the FIA European Rally Championship to the UK after an eight-year absence is sure to generate excitement and anticipation amongst rally enthusiasts.
