Motorsport
Hungarian Rally is officially replaced! The final event of the European Rally Championship will take place in Spain
After the European Rally Championship lost the Hungarian event to the FIA’s decision last December, the search has been on for a replacement season finale ever since. Hungary lost its place on the ERC calendar for 2022 after it was dropped by the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) for failing to comply with the competition promoter’s organisational regulations.
After the European Rally Championship lost the Hungarian event to the FIA’s decision last December, the search has been on for a replacement season finale ever since. Hungary lost its place on the ERC calendar for 2022 after it was dropped by the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) for failing to comply with the competition promoter’s organisational regulations. Now it has decided to introduce an unusual solution. The ERC will join the October Spanish Rally on the same weekend as the World Rally Championship event.
Every year, the ERC visits the Canary Islands during May. It will therefore be the second Spanish stop for the event this year, following directly on from the Barum Rally Zlín in August.
Although the WRC and ERC will run on the same weekend on the same stages, they will not be held in unison. Instead, the WRC promoter has announced that they will operate as completely separate rallies.
The ERC will begin its second Spanish tour with a shakedown on Thursday afternoon. It will then join the first fourteen stages of the World Championship event on Friday and Saturday.
But unlike the WRC, which will finish Saturday’s action with a super special in Salou and which will continue running until Sunday, the ERC will end its rally – and thus the season – with Saturday’s second pass in El Montmell. This final pass through El Montmell will also serve as a power stage for the ERC, and therefore the last chance for drivers to earn bonus points this season.
“It gives us great pleasure to announce that Rally Spain is the final round of this year’s European Championship,” said ERC Manager Iain Campbell.
“The ERC is committed to developing and raising the profile of young talent. Many of our drivers have ambitions to reach the top ranks of the WRC and the inclusion of Spain as the final event will give them the perfect opportunity to showcase their skills,” he added.
The ERC has been largely dominated by the Spanish this season. Efrén Llarena is one step away from his first European title thanks to his consistent results and, most importantly, a perfect turnout. His co-driver Sara Fernandez is closing in on a second consecutive co-driver title.
Although Nil Solans has won two rallies, he has not recorded satisfactory results in the other two events he has entered.
Source: DirtFish, ERC
