ERC
Revealed: How ERC3 champion Vatanen aced the asphalt
Ville Vatanen became provisional FIA ERC3 champion by winning four times out of six in 2026 with three of those victories coming on far-from-familiar asphalt.
Despite making only a handful of appearances on Tarmac prior to April’s 43rd Andalusia Rally - Sierra Morena - Córdoba World Heritage Site, the opening round of this season’s FIA European Rally Championship, Vatanen impressed as he adapted to sealed-surface competition with ease.
Although tyre damage in Spain ruled out a strong overall result, his recovery from 15th to seventh in ERC3 netted seven stage wins alongside co-driver and fellow Finn Joonas Ojala.
Vatanen triumphed on gravel on Tarmac in 2026
© ERC
After finishing second to KMS Racing team-mate Craig Rahill on Rally di Roma Capitale, Vatanen scored a trio of successive wins on asphalt, finishing first on 82nd Rally Poland, Barum Czech Rally Zlín and JDS Machinery Rali Ceredigion aboard his Pirelli-equipped Ford Fiesta Rally3.
While Efrén Llarena and Teemu Suninen, overall ERC champions past and present, built their Tarmac-driving experience racing karts earlier in their careers, 19-year-old Vatanen relied on another category to gain his new skills.
“I did some rallysprints when I was younger where you drive one short stage two times and I did a few of those,” Vatanen explained when discussing his Tarmac-driving prowess. “They were on Tarmac with a stock car but with gravel tyres so it’s quite far from what it is here [in the ERC]. But no karting or anything else, driving on ice and gravel only.
I was really surprised already but I found a good rhythm and pace for driving on
“We also had some training rallies in Italy but that’s it and all the tests before ERC. Our pace was quite good in Spain already. I was really surprised already but I found a good rhythm and pace for driving on Tarmac. I learned a lot in every rally and tried to get everything I could for the next rally, and it worked. I have to be super-happy.”
Ville Vatanen
© ERC
Vatanen is set to step up to Rally2 level in the ERC when he contests next month’s Rally 6 Cities North of Portugal in a Ford Fiesta Rally2, his prize for winning the ERC Fiesta Rally3 Trophy earlier this season.
