ERC Greatest Driver voting continues as Darniche takes on Snijers

Throughout November our 70th anniversary celebrations continue across our platforms as we seek the greatest driver to compete in the ERC. We have put in the hard work, whittling down the list of drivers from thousands to 16.

We have taken a data-based approach to finding the top 12, keeping subjectivity to a minimum. These are the drivers who have won at least two championships. Four wildcards have also been selected, based on drivers to have the biggest impact on a certain era of the ERC. Do you agree with these four? We want to hear who you would have put as your wildcards…

Employing bracketology, voting begins on Tuesday 07 November at 11:00 CET with a 24-hour window to vote for each pairing. Drivers have been seeded based on championships won, outright wins and podiums achieved. 

We will continue to whittle down the drivers before arriving at the greatest, based on your votes on 1 December.

Check back in on Tuesday and start voting!

First round line-ups:

Fabrizio Tabaton v Alexey Lukyanuk

Walter Schock v Renato Travaglia

Giandomenico Basso v Simon Jean-Joseph

Dario Cerrato v Gunnar Andersson

Bernard Daniche v Patrick Snijers

Sobiesław Zasada v Antonio Zanini

Kajetan Kajetanowicz v Jan Kopecký

Luca Rossetti v Rauno Aaltonen

FIAERC.com has taken a data-based approach to pick out 12 drivers who have won the European Rally Championship at least two times. Four wildcards, based on their impact during a certain ERC era, have also been selected.

Employing bracketology, the vote between Darniche and Snijers begins at 11:00 CET today (Friday) and is open for 24 hours. It follows on from the third head-to-head battle between Sobiesław Zasada and Antonio Zanini on Thursday. Zasada won that contest having received 76 per cent of the vote, while the ERC Greatest Driver, according to your votes, will be revealed on 1 December.

Double Darniche laps it up with Lancia power
The Lancia Stratos HF notched up significant success during its prime. With Bernard Darniche behind the wheel, the Italian machine was largely unstoppable. He bagged five wins on his way to the 1976 European crown and was then first to finish nine times one year later with all his success coming with Lancia power. He was also victorious in the FIA World Rally Championship and was the holder of three national titles. Aside from going fast in rally cars, Darniche was a regular in the Le Mans 24 Hours motor race.

Snijers: The Tall One was The Winning One
Patrick Snijers, the driver nicknamed ‘De Lange’ or ‘The Tall One’, was part of Belgian rallying’s ‘De Drie Musketiers (the Three Musketeers) along with Robert Droogmans and Marc Duez. A seven-time national champion, Snijers (pictured above) made winning an artform with a record 43 ERC victories, 13 more than the next best driver managed. An asphalt specialist, Snijers banked five wins as he charged to the ERC title in 1994 aboard a Ford Escort RS Cosworth. His triumphs that year came on home soil but also in Bulgaria, Czech Republic and Poland.

Monday’s ERC Greatest Driver head-to-head: Gunnar Andersson versus Dario Cerrato