Today it’s the turn of JDS Machinery Rali Ceredigion, a new addition to the ERC calendar 12 months ago, which marked the championship’s return to the United Kingdom after almost a decade last August.
The winners: Hayden Paddon became the seventh different winner of the eight-event 2024 ERC season with a standout victory on the spectacular Welsh asphalt roads. The Pirelli-equipped BRC Racing Team driver, who strengthened his grip on a second consecutive ERC title as a result, led from start to finish alongside co-driver John Kennard following a fine performance.
Andrea Mabellini (below) banked his maiden ERC podium for Team MRF Tyres after climbing from fourth to second on the Power Stage with Michelin-equipped Mathieu Franceschi returning to the podium for the first time since Rally Islas Canarias in May in third.
Driving a Hyundai i20 N Rally2, Paddon began the deciding leg with a commanding lead of 1min 18.7sec over Chris Ingram, the 2019 ERC champion, having won all but one of Saturday’s eight stages.
But when Ingram crashed heavily on the day’s rain-hit opening test, Paddon’s advantage out front increased to 1min 30.8sec. Even when the onset of rain made for slippery conditions and changeable grip levels through SS13, Paddon maintained his composure, adding the Power Stage win – and five bonus points – to his list of impressive achievements in Wales.
How did it feel? “It was a very good weekend,” said Paddon (below right), who achieved a winning margin of 1min 47.3sec. “Everything has just gone like clockwork. It’s full credit to the guys in the team because they’ve been working hard all year to get things dialled in with the car and everything has clicked a lot, even this weekend. Not only the car but the tyres have been working well in the conditions, the pacenotes, John, when everything works it’s easy. We’ve been chasing this feeling foe quite a while and finally this weekend we got that feeling.”
Turning point: From the moment he established a 1.3sec lead by winning the two quick-fire runs through 1.34-kilometre LAS Recycling & Cambrian Training Aberystwyth super special on the opening evening, Paddon never looked back. Behind, however, there were plenty key position changes.
Simone Tempestini moved into third on SS7 on his debut in a Volkswagen Polo GTI R5 run on MRF Tyres. But it all went wrong for the multiple Romanian champion when he completed SS8 with damaged right-rear suspension.
Tempestini’s delay promoted Keith Cronin into third, but the Irishman lost time on the two runs through the Aberystwyth super special at the end of leg one and fell to fifth. The Irishman would then crash out on SS11.
Although Miko Marczyk started the Power Stage in second place, the two-time Polish champion couldn’t hold on and settled for fourth instead, a result that ruled the ORLEN-backed driver out of the title fight for 2024.
Comeback man: While Mabellini ran as far down as ninth in the overall order, Jon Armstrong (above) battled back from several delays on day one to finish fifth in his M-Sport Ford Fiesta Rally2 with Callum Devine and two-time Rali Ceredigion winner Osian Pryce next up. Matt Edwards, who took a maiden ERC stage win on SS13, finished eighth with Meirion Evans ninth and FIA ERC3 winner Jakub Matulka completing the top 10.
Shining through: Mille Johansson (below) secured the Hankook-equipped FIA Junior ERC Championship title for 2024 and the accompanying FIA Junior WRC prize drive for 2025. And there were more title celebrations when Filip Kohn landed the points he needed to put the FIA ERC3 Championship beyond doubt by finishing third in class behind winner Jakub Matulka.
Pole Matulka, who was making his first ERC start of 2024, was 19.2sec behind overnight leader Eamonn Kelly heading into the second stage of leg two. But with Kelly crashing out on SS12, Matulka moved in front and came home with a winning margin of 1min 25.7sec ahead of series rookie Michał Chorbiński.
Meanwhile, Briton Max McRae banked his second Junior ERC win of the season on his home event. Timo Schulz completed the category podium behind Johansson.
Early setback: Welshman James Williams vaulted from 10th after Friday’s opening super special stage on the streets of Aberystwyth to second, 1.4sec behind Paddon, with the fastest time through SS3 for his maiden ERC stage win by 4.2sec. However, the British championship frontrunner rolled into retirement after 1.5km of SS4. Both he and co-driver Ross Whittock were uninjured.
Table topper: Paddon completed JDS Machinery Rali Ceredigion leading the provisional standings by 27 points over Franceschi. But with a maximum of 35 points still on offer, a second consecutive ERC crown for Paddon was by no means secure heading to the Rally Silesia finale in Poland.
What’s next? Visit FIAERC.com on 2 February for the Rally Silesia recap.