ERC
Tempestini focused and motivated for new ERC season with Team MRF Tyres
FIA European Rally Championship event winner Simone Tempestini says he’s motivated and focused on delivering for Team MRF Tyres when the 2026 ERC season begins in two weeks.
The 10-time Romanian champion is preparing to undertake his second full ERC campaign with Team MRF Tyres after helping the squad to a third FIA European Rally Championship for Teams title in 2025.
And having laid the foundations for a stronger and more consistent programme in 2026, Tempestini will be one to watch aboard his Keane Motorsport-run Škoda Fabia RS Rally2.
Romanian champion Tempestini will head the Team MRF Tyres attack
© ERC
“I would like to thank Team MRF Tyres for this opportunity, as well as everyone who has supported us and made it possible to confirm another full season in the FIA European Rally Championship,” said Tempestini. “It’s a championship we know well and one that will be extremely competitive this year, with many strong contenders. We are motivated and ready to give our best. I can’t wait to get started. We need to put a sometimes unfortunate 2025 behind us and focus on our path, one rally at a time.”
It’s a championship we know well and one that will be extremely competitive with many strong contenders
A communication from Team MRF Tyres read: “With Tempestini leading its full-season ERC effort, Team MRF Tyres reinforces its long-term commitment to the championship, continuing to invest in experienced drivers capable of combining performance, consistency and high-quality technical feedback. The programme will also play a key role in the ongoing development of MRF tyres, with an intensive testing approach integrated into the season to support evolution across different surfaces and conditions on a demanding and varied calendar.”
Tempestini has what it takes to win in the ERC
© ERC
Tempestini, a former WRC3 and Junior WRC champion, joined Team MRF Tyres ahead of JDS Machinery Rali Ceredigion in 2024 and claimed a trio of top 10 finishes in 2025 during what proved to be a challenging campaign. That was despite the 31-year-old’s determination to replicate the form he showed the previous year when he banked his breakthrough ERC victory in Hungary.
The 43rd Andalusia Rally - Sierra Morena - Córdoba World Heritage Site opens the 74th ERC season from 17 - 19 April.
