As 2020 draws to a close, here are 20 firsts from the 2020 FIA European Rally Championship.

1: Rallye Team Spain pairing Efrén Llarena and Sara Fernández scored their first overall ERC podium during what was their first season at Rally2 level.

2: In his first season in ERC1 Junior, Grégoire Munster twice finished first in class alongside co-driver Louis Louka.

3: Ola Jr Nore and Rachele Somaschini joined Toksport WRT for Rally Hungary to give Renault’s Clio RSR Rally5 its first ERC outing.

4: Alexey Lukyanuk became the first Saintéloc Junior Team driver to win the overall ERC title.

5: The Russian also bagged Citroën’s first overall ERC crown since Simon Jean-Joseph landed the 2007 title in a C2 S1600.

6: After losing out in 2019, Ken Torn placed first in ERC3/ERC3 Junior driving a Ford Fiesta Rally4.

7: In his first season in international rallying, Andrea Mabellini won the Abarth Rally Cup.

8: Rally di Roma Capitale was the first international rally to take place since lockdown restrictions eased following the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

9: Tibor Érdi Jr finished first on his four ERC2 starts to secure his third category title.

10: Pirelli-equipped drivers were first in ERC1, ERC2, ERC3, ERC1 Junior, ERC3 Junior and the Abarth Rally Cup.

11: Adrienn Vogel, competing in the ERC for the first time, was the highest-scoring female driver.

12: For the first time, the top-15 finishers on each ERC rally scored points.

13: ORLEN Team’s Miko Marczyk led an ERC rally for the first time when he topped the order after SS1 on Rally Hungary.

14: Adrien Fourmaux took his first ERC victory on the season-deciding Rally Islas Canarias driving a Ford Fiesta R5 MkII on Michelin tyres.

15: Andreas Mikkelsen made his first ERC start since 2012 on Rally Hungary and promptly won the event.

16: After back-to-back DNFs, Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy’s Callum Devine registered his first ERC points of 2020 on Rally Fafe Montelongo.

17: Zelindo Melegari finished first in ERC2 on Rally di Roma Capitale, his first start since a crash on Barum Czech Rally Zlín in 2019 left he and co-driver Corrado Bonato in hospital.

18: Rally Fafe Montelongo joined the ERC roster for the first time.

19: The all-Tarmac event in Portugal was also the setting for the first international appearance by the Alpine A110 RGT from CHAZEL Technologie Course (pictured).

20: First run on Rally Hungary in 2019, the P1 Racing Fuels Podium Challenge rewarded the top-three finishers in ERC1 and ERC2 on all rounds of the 2020 ERC season.