ERC
It’s just “banging” as Touzel voted ERC Quote of the Year winner
Sam Touzel made quite an impression on his FIA European Rally Championship debut back in September – even though he suffered an early exit from JDS Machinery Rali Ceredigion.
Before his unfortunate early retirement, Touzel became a fan favourite with his stage-end comments, so much so that he topped the poll for the ERC Quote of the Year award.
His rev limiter impersonation at the completion of SS3 was particularly memorable, especially when stage-end reporter Matt Cotton asked him to repeat it: “Which bit was that, which bit mate, there’s so many emotions going on,” Touzel said. “We recced that in the fog so the videos I had were just useless so I’m literally driving to Max’s note and I’m like ‘oooh, I don’t remember gravel, oooh, oooh, ooo it’s just awesome, phenomenal, to be two seconds off of Cais, banging, banging!”
Touzel was making his ERC debut on JDS Machinery Rali Ceredigion
© ERC
Touzel headed Calle Carlberg in the public vote with Jan Kopecký taking third place ahead of Roberto Blach and Eyvind Brynildsen, who tied for fourth.
Carlberg delivered his memorable quote during the season-opening 43rd Andalusia Rally - Sierra Morena - Córdoba World Heritage Site, which marked the 2025 Junior ERC champion’s first outing on Tarmac in a Rally2 car.
“This stage is so much fun in a four-wheel-drive car compared to two-wheel drive,” the Swede said at the time. “I’m sorry to the Juniors behind in the Rally4s. I know the struggles, I struggled last year and I lost the rally on this stage. But this one, the first roundabout, I was just smiling. I’ve been doing this since I was 15, trying to impress the girls in the parking lots and now I have a girlfriend so probably I’m quite good at it.”
Carlberg enjoyed driving on the streets of - Córdoba
© ERC
The ERC Quote of the Year was the fifth of five ERC Fan Awards presented during at the end-of-season prize-giving ceremony at the Paço dos Duques de Bragança in Guimarães, Portugal, last month. The full list of winners follows:
ERC Livery of the Year: Igor Widłak
ERC Most Improved Driver of the Year: Tommaso Sandrin
ERC Drive of the Year: Tom Heindrichs (82nd Rally Poland)
ERC Rookie of the Year: Kalum Graffin
ERC Quote of the Year: Sam Touzel
