- Polish crews among the strongest
- 82nd Rally Poland at the halfway point of the battle
(18 June 2026) After two rounds of the 2026 FIA European Rally Championship (2026 FIA ERC), the overall standings are exceptionally interesting. As there are still five rallies remaining and 175 points available, it means the current order may have little in common with the final championship results.
Unlike many other motorsport series, FIA ERC regulations do not require competitors to commit to the full season in advance. This means that, formally, drivers who join the championship during the season can still compete for the title.
The regulations only require registration for the championship and do not oblige drivers or teams to declare participation in all rounds before the season begins. FIA does not publish the registration list, but entry lists from the first two ERC rounds indicate that 78 competitors are planning to compete (41 in ERC1, 19 in ERC3, and 18 in ERC4). This number is expected to increase once the entry list for Rally di Roma Capitale is published.
Who has declared participation in the full FIA ERC season?
European Champion Miko Marczyk and Polish Champion Jakub Matulka already confirmed their ERC program while highly promising 19-year-old Adrian Rzeźnik plans to contest selected rounds. Future FIA ERC rounds are also expected to be on the list of Piotr Krotoszyński, Igor Widłak, and Sebastian Butyński.
Among foreign drivers expected to challenge for the title are: Teemu Suninen (Finland), Andrea Mabellini (Italy), William Creighton (Ireland), Simone Tempestini (Romania) and Tuukka Kauppinen (Finland). Benjamin Korhola (Finland) and Philip Allen(Great Britain) had also competed in both championship rounds already held and they are expected to appear in upcoming rallies. Meanwhile Calle Carlberg (Sweden) has not yet clarified whether he will continue combining World Rally Championship starts with a full European Championship campaign.
FIA ERC 2026 standings after two rounds
Following the opening rounds in Spain and Sweden, the championship remains extremely close. The leaders are José Antonio Suárez and Mikko Heikkilä, tied on 30 points. In third place is Mārtiņš Sesks with 28 points, followed by Iván Ares, just one point behind. However, the top four drivers in the standings have not yet confirmed their future plans for the remainder of the season, nor has Isak Reiersen. The strong positions of Suárez and Heikkilä are the result of their victories in the first two championship rounds.
1. José Antonio Suárez (Spain) 30 pts
2. Mikko Heikkilä (Finland) 30 pts
3. Mārtiņš Sesks (Latvia) 28 pts
4. Iván Ares (Spain) 27 pts
5. Teemu Suninen (Finland) 23 pts
6. Giandomenico Basso (Italy) 22 pts
7. Calle Carlberg (Sweden) 22 pts
8. Isak Reiersen (Sweden) 21 pts
9. Andrea Mabellini (Italy) 20 pts
10. Simone Tempestini (Romania) 18 pts
13. Miko Marczyk (Poland) 15 pts
16. Jakub Matulka (Poland) 11 pts
The championship starts to heat up
Four consecutive asphalt rallies lie ahead and they are Rally di Roma Capitale, 82nd Rally Poland, Barum Czech Rally Zlín and JDS Machinery Rali Ceredigion The Polish round will mark the midpoint of the championship and is likely to shape the lead of the standings.
It can happen the final outcome will not be decided until Rally Five Cities North of Portugal, the gravel finale of the 74th edition of the European Championship. The entry list for the 82nd Rally Poland will be published on 16 July 2026 and then we will find out who will fight for victory in Silesia region, a new location of Rally Poland.