ERC 3
ERC3’s Vatanen is victorious
Ville Vatanen added to the list of Finnish winners on BAUHAUS Royal Rally of Scandinavia by taking top honours in the FIA ERC3 Championship.
With Joonas Ojala co-driving, Vatanen led from start to finish in his KMS Racing Ford Fiesta Rally3 and underlined his dominance by going fastest on 14 out of 16 stages.
After a faultless drive on the high-speed Swedish gravel, the Pirelli-equipped 19-year-old beat team-mate Craig Rahill by 1min 01.9sec as Czech Petr Kačírek rounded out the top three for an all-Fiesta podium.
Craig Rahill completed the weekend in second
© At World
The result marked the first victory in the ERC by a member of the Vatanen family since Ari Vatanen – the second cousin of Ville’s father Mika – won the Cyprus Rally in 1979.
“The feeling is unbelievable,” said Vatanen, who finished second in ERC3 in Karlstad 12 months ago. “After Spain my target here was to win and we made it so it’s really amazing. Thank you to all my partners, my team and, of course my co-driver Jonas.
“It’s been a good rally. We kept a steady pace and it’s nice to take my first win in the ERC. The run was smooth but no need to push too much. I just focused on my driving and tried to do my best.”
Petr Kačírek rounded out the Swedish ERC3 podium
© At World
Vatanen also topped the ERC Fiesta Rally3 Trophy classification. Visit FIAERC.com soon for a report on the one-make category from M-Sport Poland.
Lucas Zielinski, who won 43rd Andalusia Rally - Sierra Morena - Córdoba World Heritage Site last month, was fourth after nine stages in his Michelin-shod Renault Clio Rally3, but was delayed by rising water temperature on SS10, which necessitated rapid repairs at the end of the run after he was forced to stop during the stage.
The Frenchman dropped to sixth as a result as Casey Jay Coleman took fourth and Kerem Kazaz fifth on his return to ERC3 with Chmielewski Motorsport after a year away from the championship. Zielinski, who banked two stage wins, continues to top the ERC3 standings.
Briton Charlie Tuthill completed his ERC3 debut in an experience-building seventh, one place ahead of Ireland’s Kallum Graffin.
Maximilian Lichtenegger’s return to action under restart rules after he retired with a broken damper on Saturday afternoon netted ninth position for the Austrian Clio driver.
Casey Jay Coleman finished just shy of a podium spot
© At World
Cian Caldwell, who retired with a mechanical issue on leg one, completed the top 10. Robert Proudlock also restarted on Sunday and scored his first ERC3 finish in 11th. But Jan Pokos was less fortunate after he went off the road on SS10 and retired.
For more information, stage times and live updates go to the new Live Centre by clicking HERE.
Rally di Roma Capitale is up next on the 2026 ERC3 schedule from 3 - 5 July. The Italian round is the first of four consecutive asphalt events.
