ERC
It’s showtime in the ERC!
Marczyk returns to defend title, but will he charge like a bull or be smart as a matador?
Fifty-three crews representing 20 nations will be in the mix for glory when the 74th FIA European Rally Championship season begins in Spain this week.
Starting with 43rd Andalusia Rally - Sierra Morena - Córdoba World Heritage Site from 17 -19 April, the world’s oldest international rally series also includes stops in Sweden, Italy, Poland, Czech Republic, United Kingdom and Portugal, where the title chase concludes in October.
The ERC's three principal categories will be in action in Spain
© ERC
Up first, however, is a hugely challenging all-asphalt contest featuring 13 stages over a competitive distance of 203.80 kilometres. And leading the charge is defending champion Miko Marczyk in the Michelin-equipped Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 he shares with co-driver and fellow Pole Szymon Gospodarczyk.
Following his title triumph last season, the 30-year-old has plans to go even faster this year.
“Our plan is to continuously increase our pace,” Marczyk said. “We want to be faster while maintaining reliability and a good strategy. If we achieve that, I’m convinced it will be a very good year for us. We expect strong competition – including Andrea Mabellini and Virginia Lenzi, who will drive a different car this year. That will certainly make the competition even more exciting.”
Lancia is returning to the ERC's top tier with Lancia
© Greg Roslon Photography
Italians Mabellini and Lenzi, who finished third overall in 2025, will be Lancia-powered for the first time this year as the legendary Italian manufacturer returns to the forefront of ERC competition for the first time since 1993.
“We have just one goal, we start to win of course, nothing else is possible,” Pirelli-equipped Mabellini, 26, said. “But we must be a little bit more constant, and we need just a little more luck, which will come for sure.”
No fewer than 30 drivers in headlining Rally2 cars are set for action on the ERC season opener. They include seven reigning national champions from Great Britain (William Creighton), Hungary (Gábor Német), Ireland (Callum Devine), Italy (Giandomenico Basso), Poland (Jakub Matulka), Romania (Simone Tempestini) and Spain (José Antonio Suárez). Basso is also a double ERC champion and was voted ERC Greatest Driver of all time in 2023, while Tempestini will help Team MRF Tyres chase a fourth ERC Teams’ title this season along with Erik Cais.
Cais will chase ERC success for Team MRF Tyres
© Greg Roslon Photography
Other standout contenders include Hankook-supplied Calle Carlberg, the 2025 Junior ERC champion who steps up to Rally2 level with Llarena Racing, 2022 European title winner Efrén Llarena’s eponymous team.
Marco Bulacia, Teemu Suninen and Fabrizio Zaldivar bring recent or current WRC2 experience to the ERC, while 19-year-old Alexandra Teslovan becomes the first female to compete in the Rally3-based ERC3 since it became exclusively for Rally3 cars in 2022.
Reiersen starts his season-long bid in the ERC
© Greg Roslon Photography
The Romanian teenager – a Beyond Rally women’s driver development programme finalist in 2024 – is one of 17 ERC drivers competing in Spain this week with 11 of those eligible for the ERC Fiesta Rally3 Trophy.
How to watch?
Fans across the globe can experience the excitement and drama of the ERC with every stage of every rally broadcast Rally.TV platform. In addition, the ERC is broadcast in a number of countries around the world and fans are advised to check local listings for details.
Rally Sierra Morena 2026: the key numbers
Stages: 13
Competitive distance: 203.80 kilometres
Total distance: 870.98 kilometres
