(31 March 2026) The European Rally Championship (ERC) is the oldest rally series in the world. The competition was inaugurated as early as the 1953 season, and this year the battle for European titles will take place for the 74th time. The all-time record holder among the prestigious events featured in ERC calendars is Rally Poland. Its 82nd edition will be a round of the FIA European Rally Championship for the 55th time.
This Polish classic, previously held in various regions of the country and on different surfaces, has moved this year from the gravel roads of Masuria to asphalt special stages in Silesia. In accordance with FIA regulations, the route of the 82nd Rally Poland (24–26 July) will be revealed two months before the start of the fourth round of this year’s ERC. However, it is no secret that the organizers from the Automobilists Foundation intend to use proven and highly regarded sections of special stages known from various editions of the Silesia Rally, including stages in the center of Katowice and on the grounds of the Superauto.pl Silesian Stadium. The latter will be the only stage whose layout remains unchanged compared to the 2024 Silesia Rally (ERC round).
In its rich history, Rally Poland has also passed through the southern regions of Silesia. This year, fans will once again be able to watch competition on part of a stage that has not been used for decades. A new location will also be assigned to the route shared by the shakedown and qualifying stages.
The seven-round European Rally Championship will begin in the third week of April with the 43rd Andalusía Rally – Sierra Morena – Córdoba World Heritage Site in Spain. The competition, consisting of seven rounds—with Rally Poland marking the midpoint of the season—promises to be extremely exciting. The defending champions will be the Polish duo Miko Marczyk and Szymon Gospodarczyk (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2). Polish champions Jakub Matulka and Damian Syty (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2), who are focusing on ERC starts this year, will also appear in Katowice.
Andrea Mabellini and Virginia Lenzi will certainly be very strong rivals for the Polish crews. The Italians, who triumphed in the Silesia Rally two years ago (ERC round), will compete in a Lancia Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale. The legendary brand, which boasts 10 manufacturers’ world titles and 4 drivers’ titles, is returning to rally stages, and in Silesia we will see its new rally machine for the first time in Poland.
William Creighton, the current British champion and 2023 Junior WRC champion, will compete in ERC 2026 driving a Citroën C3 Rally2 in the first part of the season and switching to Lancia in the second half.
Giandomenico Basso, who won the ERC in 2006 and 2009 and was voted the Greatest ERC Driver of All Time in an online poll, is also planning to compete in selected rounds of the championship. And the famous Italian is by no means the only European champion expected to appear in Silesia.