Which titles remain up for grabs in Spain?

The ERC returns to Catalunya for the first time since 1990, with RallyRACC Catalunya-Costa Daurada kicking off next week (20 - 22 October) from its base in sunny Salou. 

And, although the ERC, Junior ERC, ERC3 and Clio Trophy by Toksport WRT champions have already been crowned, there are still some awards up for grabs. 

Many eyes will be on the imminent scrap for ERC4 honours. The series is open to competitors of any age driving Rally4 or Rally5 cars and three drivers head to Spain in contention for glory.

As it stands, home hero Óscar Palomo sits comfortably at the head of the standings with a 14-point advantage over Renault Clio man Andrea Mabellini. Laurent Pellier, who already wrapped up the junior title last time out in his Opel Corsa, is a further six points adrift. 

Palomo’s job is quite simple - a clean run in his Peugeot 208 should be enough to seal the deal. A top-five result would guarantee him the crown, regardless of how his rivals perform on the fast asphalt roads. 

It also means that Mabellini and Pellier are both quite reliant on their foe hitting trouble and finishing further down the order.

Mabellini must outscore Palomo by at least 15 points for the balance to swing in his favour. For example, even if the Italian driver wins the rally, he’ll be reliant on Palomo finishing sixth or below. 

Pellier’s hopes are even slimmer, mainly due to the fact that he was not present at the opening two rallies. If the Frenchman is to win, he must better Mabellini’s Spain score by at least six points and Palomo’s by an unlikely 20. 

Also to be decided is the ERC Open championship, a series ​​for Rally2 Kit, RGT and Group N4 cars. Suzuki Motor Ibérica team-mates Joan Vinyes and Alberto Monarri will go head-to-head against each other in their identical Swift R4LLY S cars. 

Vinyes leads the championship and simply needs to finish the rally to win the championship. If the Andorran driver retires but his colleague finishes, the title goes to Monarri, and if neither of the cars make it to the end then Vinyes will also take the spoils.