ERC
Ragues relishes ERC’s Welsh wonder
Pierre Ragues said tackling JDS Machinery Rali Ceredigion, the UK round of the 2026 FIA European Rally Championship, was “a big pleasure”.
Ragues, the president of his country’s FIA Member Club, the Fédération Française du Sport Automobile, was competing on the Welsh Tarmac event for the first time and was on course for a points finish until a high-speed spin on SS9 curtailed his running.
The Michelin-equipped driver restarted his Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 on leg two and posted a succession of top 10 stage times before he withdrew prior to the Power Stage.
Ceredigion debut was a "big pleasure" for Ragues
© ERC
Looking back on the event, Ragues said: “It was very enjoyable, especially the first day in the hills. It’s very beautiful, a lot of crests, maybe too much for a French guy, but it’s very nice, a big pleasure to be here.
It’s very nice, a big pleasure to be here
“The first day was one of the most difficult [I have done in rallying] but a great experience. It was the correct decision [to come here] and it’s a pleasure, which is always part of the objective. I always try to progress to improve my driving on different roads, in different styles, and it’s fun.”
ERC points were a possibility during the opening leg
© ERC
Of his incident on SS9, Ragues explained: “At the beginning, at a fast left, I lost the rear going on the grass and we touched the rear, and we broke the rim, so we changed the wheel, and we arrived here.”
Ragues will complete his 2026 ERC campaign on next month’s Rally Six Cities North of Portugal from 23 - 25 October. He took part on the event, when it ran as Rally Serras de Fafe, Felgueiras, Boticas, Vieira do Minho e Cabeceiras de Basto, in 2023 driving a Ford Fiesta Rally3 and finished second in his class.
“It’s on the plan to go to Fafe to finish the championship,” Ragues confirmed.
