ERC
ERC1 review: Magic Marczyk proves mighty
With Szymon Gospodarczyk co-driving his Michelin-equipped Škoda Fabia RS Rally2, Miko Marczyk became the fourth different Polish driver to win the FIA European Championship. Here’s a recap.
Who won? Marczyk raced karts indoors before he got the chance to go rallying in 2016. Three years later he became Polish champion and took the title for a second time in 2021, when he also placed third in the final FIA European Rally Championship standings. After two seasons at WRC2 level in 2022 – when he won his home ERC round on a one-off appearance – and 2023, Marczyk made the ERC his focus once again in 2024, finishing third in the points before going two places better 12 months later.
How? Marczyk’s title triumph owed more to his consistency than the outright speed he demonstrated, but he was a worthy champion, nevertheless, and titles aren’t won by the side of the road. Although he never finished higher than second – a feat he achieved on ORLEN OIL 81st Rally Poland – he completed the podium four times and banked 16 Power Stage points, including a maximum on Rally di Roma Capitale. He also scored strongly in Spain, Sweden and Czech Republic to ensure a championship-winning margin of six points after he kept his nerve on a thrilling three-way title showdown in Croatia.
Key moment? Andrea Mabellini, who finished the season in third place, was on course to win ERC Staff House Rally Hungary when tyre damage led to suspension damage, retirement and the loss of a potential minimum 30 points. With Jon Armstrong – who non-finished round one in Spain – only managing 11 points in Hungary, Marczyk moved to the top of the standings. After briefly slipping behind Roope Korhonen in Sweden, Marczyk was back in front following his home event and was never headed thereafter.
Mabellini was an ERC Power Stage ace
© ERC
Did you know? Miko Marczyk might not have broken any ERC records in 2025, but he did set a new Guinness World Record back in March for the greatest distance driven on a single tank of fuel. Driving an unmodified fourth-generation Škoda Superb from Lodz in Poland through to Germany and Paris before turning back and passing through the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany, then finally back into Poland where the car came to a stop after 2831 kilometres.
What did Marczyk say? “It’s something great. For half of my life there have been motorsport activities. First it was karting then, when I was 20, I started to do rallies. There were some ups and downs, but it was necessary to stay on the proper line and be confident that one day dreams come true and this is the day. It was a tough [final] day, but we are the European champions and it’s a big honour for me that we are the fourth Polish crew who managed this after Mr Sobiesław Zasada, Krzysztof Hołowczyc and Kajetan Kajetanowicz. I’m a really happy driver.”
Gospodarczyk and Marczyk celebrate an ERC job well done
© ERC
Who else shone in 2025? After a faltering start to his second season with the M-Sport Ford World Rally Team, Jon Armstrong scored a standout second place on Barum Czech Rally Zlín having completed the podium in Poland. He then rounded out the year with back-to-back wins to finish runner-up in the standings. A step up to Rally1 in the WRC with M-Sport and increased Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy backing in 2026 is his reward.
Andrea Mabellini was quickest on the Power Stage three times, finished on the podium twice and proved rapid on asphalt and gravel. He was on course to win in Hungary before late heartbreak, while his title chances were further dented by a two-minute penalty on JDS Machinery Rali Ceredigion and a crash on Croatia Rally just as he was starting to climb the order.
Armstrong finished second in the final table with two wins
© ERC
Roope Korhonen led the standings for Team MRF Tyres after he followed up his Hungary victory with second place on BAUHAUS Royal Rally of Scandinavia, which Eyvind Brynildsen won and Isak Reiersen led after fine drives. With better fortune, Mads Østberg – who placed fourth in the standings – would have finished on the podium more than twice.
Mille Johansson, the ERC4 and Junior ERC champion from 2024, adapted well to Rally2 level, while Romet Jürgenson battled Armstrong for the JDS Machinery Rali Ceredigion victory, his first ERC start in Rally2 machinery.
Giandomenico Basso, Nikolay Gryazin, Jan Kopecký and Mārtinš Sesks all won on one-off appearances as Erik Cais, Jakub Matulka, Simone Tempestini and Simon Wagner all impressed.
ERC1 2025 at a glance
FIA European Rally Championship for Drivers:
Champion: Miko Marczyk (Poland)
Runner-up: Jon Armstrong (Republic of Ireland)
Third place: Andrea Mabellini (Italy)
FIA European Rally Championship for Co-Drivers:
Champion: Szymon Gospodarczyk (Poland)
Runner-up: Shane Byrne (Republic of Ireland)
Third place: Virginia Lenzi (Italy)
Østberg twice finished on the ERC podium in 2025
© ERC
Event winners:
42nd Rally Sierra Morena - Córdoba Patrimonio de la Humanidad (3 - 6 April)
Nikolay Gryazin (BGR)/Konstantin Aleksandrov (BGR), Škoda Fabia RS Rally2
ERC Staff House Rally Hungary (9 - 11 May)
Roope Korhonen (FIN)/Anssi Viinikka (FIN), Toyota GR Yaris Rally2
BAUHAUS Royal Rally of Scandinavia (29 - 31 May)
Eyvind Brynildsen (NOR)/Jørn Listerud (NOR), Toyota GR Yaris Rally2
ORLEN OIL 81st Rally Poland (13 - 15 June)
Mārtiņš Sesks (LAT)/ Renārs Francis (LAT), Škoda Fabia RS Rally2
Rally di Roma Capitale (4 - 6 July)
Giandomenico Basso (ITA)/Lorenzo Granai (ITA), Škoda Fabia RS Rally2
Barum Czech Rally Zlín (15 - 17 August)
Jan Kopecký (CZE)/Jiří Hovorka (CZE), Škoda Fabia RS Rally2
JDS Machinery Rali Ceredigion (5 - 7 September)
Jon Armstrong (IRL)/Shane Byrne (IRL), Ford Fiesta Rally2
Croatia Rally (3 - 5 October)
Jon Armstrong (IRL)/Shane Byrne (IRL), Ford Fiesta Rally2
