The European Rally Championship (officially FIA European Rally Championship) is an automobile rally competition held annually on the European continent and organized by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The championship has been organized since 1953 and has competed in different European countries, alternating between rallies on asphalt and gravel. It was the first supranational rally championship that was organized in the world and therefore the oldest one. In 2012 it had 60 editions and in 2013 it was renewed with the merger with the Intercontinental Rally Challenge.
History
The European Rally Championship was first contested in 1953 and in the following year was one of the most prestigious rallying series. However, with the introduction of the World Rally Championship for manufacturers in 1973, and in particular with the drivers' World Championship being contested from 1979 on, the importance of the ERC began to decline.
Over many years, a typical ERC season featured around 40 rallies, and from 1974 on, the rallies were assigned different coefficients (1, 2, 3 or 4) that were multiplied with the championship points. Changing the coefficients to 2, 5, 10 and 20 did also not improve the situation. Thus, the ERC was more a series for event organizers than an interesting championship for drivers.
A first improvement was implemented for the 2004 season, where the number of events counting for the European Rally Championship were reduced to those with coefficient 20, while the other rallies became part of regional "European Rally Cups". An ERC season now featured around 10 to 12 events and thus had a clearer structure.
Between 2007 and 2011, the driver had to register for the European championships and thus only registered drivers could score ERC points, keeping the local drivers from taking up all ERC points despite not participating in the championship. The registered drivers were also obligated to contest a minimal number of events.
Between 2013 and 2021, French-based broadcaster Eurosport was the promoter of ERC. From 2022, it was taken over by Munich based WRC Promoter GmbH.
Recent seasons 2010 season
The 2010 ERC season featured 11 rallies. Luca Rossetti was the winner of 4 events and won the championship.
2011 season
The 2011 ERC season started on 14 April 2011 and featured 11 rallies. It ended on 29 October with the Rallye International du Valais. Italian driver Luca Rossetti claimed his third European championship title after winning 5 of the events. In total, 28 registered drivers from 7 different countries competed in the championship.
2012 season
The 2012 season started in January with a new event, the "Jänner Rallye" in Austria. As an important change, drivers no longer had to register for the championship. Finnish driver Juho Hänninen won the championship.
2013 season
The 2013 season is the first after the merger between IRC and the old ERC, and also the first after Eurosport became the championship's promoter. The season started with the Jänner Rallye in Austria on 3 January 2013, and ended with the Rallye du Valais on 9 November. Czech driver Jan Kopecký won the championship.
2014 season
The 2014 season started with the Jänner Rallye in Austria on 3 January 2014, and ended with the Tour de Corse on 8 November. Finnish driver Esapekka Lappi won the championship and the new Asphalt Masters trophy, while Polish drivers Robert Kubica and Kajetan Kajetanowicz won the Ice Masters and Gravel Masters, respectively. French driver Stéphane Lefebvre won the ERC Junior championship.
2015 season
The season started with the Jänner Rallye in Austria on 4 January 2015, and ended with the Rallye International du Valais on 7 November. For this year the drivers had to register for the championship, and the categories have been renamed into ERC 1 (for S2000, R5 and RRC (last year) cars), ERC 2 (category for R4 production cars (previously titled N4)) and ERC 3 (for R1, R2 and R3 cars). Polish driver Kajetan Kajetanowicz won the championship.
2016 season
2017 season
2018 season
2019 season
2020 season
2021 season
2022 season
2023 season
2024 season
2025 season
Lancia returns to rally racing after a 32-year absence, with the Lancia Ypsilon Rally4 HF competing in the ERC4 and Junior support categories. It also scored a victory in the 2025 Barum Czech Rally Zlín with driver Craig Rahill and co-driver Conor Smith of the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy team. The championship was won by driver Mikołaj Marczyk and co-driver Szymon Gospodarczyk with Škoda Fabia RS Rally2.
2026 season
The season saw the return of Lancia with the official Lancia Corse HF team competing in the championship with the Lancia Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale, after 33 years of absence of the brand. The championship was won by driver Teemu Suninen and co-driver Antti Haapala with Škoda Fabia RS Rally2.
2027 season
Champions
European Rally Championship for Drivers Season Driver Co-driver Car Model(s) Used 1953 Helmut Polensky Walter SchlüterPorsche 356 CoupéFiat 1100 1954 Walter SchlüterDKW 3=6 F91 Sonderklasse 1955 Werner Engel Mercedes-Benz 300 SL 1956 Walter Schock Mercedes-Benz 220Mercedes-Benz 300 SL 1957 Ruprecht Hopfen Borgward IsabellaSaab 93 1958 Gunnar Andersson Volvo PV444Volvo PV544 1959 Paul Coltelloni Alfa Romeo Giulietta TICitroën ID 19 1960 Walter Schock Mercedes-Benz 220 SE 1961 Hans-Joachim Walter Porsche 356 Carrera Coupé 1962 Eugen Böhringer Mercedes-Benz 220 SE 1963 Gunnar Andersson Volvo 122 SVolvo PV544 1964 Tom Trana Volvo PV544 S 1965 Rauno Aaltonen BMC Mini Cooper S 1966 Lillebror Nasenius Opel Rekord Sobiesław Zasada BMC Mini Cooper SSteyr-Puch 650 TR Günter Klass Porsche 911 1967 Sobiesław Zasada Porsche 911 SPorsche 912 Bengt Söderström Lotus Cortina Vic Elford Porsche 911 S 1968 Pauli Toivonen Porsche 911 T 1969 Harry Källström Lancia Fulvia Coupé 1.3 HFLancia Fulvia Coupé 1.6 HF 1970 Jean-Claude Andruet Alpine A110 1600 1971 Sobiesław Zasada BMW 2002 TI 1972 Raffaele Pinto Gino Macaluso Fiat 124 Sport Spider 1973 Sandro Munari Mario Mannucci Lancia Fulvia Coupé 1.6 HF 1974 Walter Röhrl Jochen Berger Opel Ascona A 1975 Maurizio Verini Fiat Abarth 124 Rally 1976 Bernard Darniche Lancia Stratos HF 1977 Bernard Darniche Lancia Stratos HF 1978 Tony Carello Lancia Stratos HF 1979 Jochi Kleint Opel Ascona BOpel Kadett GT/E 1980 Antonio ZaniniPorsche 911 SCFord Escort RS1800 1981 Adartico VudafieriFiat 131 Abarth 1982 Antonio Fassina Opel Ascona 400 1983 Miki Biasion Tiziano Siviero Lancia Rally 037 1984 Carlo Capone Sergio Cresto Lancia Rally 037 1985 Dario Cerrato Giuseppe Cerri Lancia Rally 037 1986 Fabrizio Tabaton Luciano Tedeschini Lancia Delta S4 1987 Dario Cerrato Giuseppe Cerri Lancia Delta HF 4WD 1988 Fabrizio Tabaton Luciano Tedeschini Lancia Delta HF 4WDLancia Delta Integrale 1989 Yves Loubet Jean-Marc Andrié Lancia Delta Integrale 1990 Robert Droogmans Joosten Ronny Lancia Delta Integrale 16V 1991 Piero Liatti Luciano Tedeschini Lancia Delta Integrale 16V 1992 Erwin Weber Manfred Hiemer Mitsubishi Galant VR-4 1993 Pierre-César Baroni Denis Giraudet Lancia Delta HF IntegraleFord Escort RS Cosworth 1994 Patrick Snijers Ford Escort RS Cosworth 1995 Enrico Bertone Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD 1996 Armin Schwarz Denis Giraudet Toyota Celica GT-Four ST205 1997 Krzysztof Hołowczyc Maciej Wisławski Subaru Impreza 555 1998 Andrea Navarra Subaru Impreza 555 1999 Enrico Bertone Renault Mégane Maxi 2000 Henrik Lundgaard Jens Christian Anker Toyota Corolla WRC 2001 Armin Kremer Toyota Corolla WRC 2002 Renato Travaglia Peugeot 206 WRC 2003 Bruno Thiry Jean-Marc FortinPeugeot 206 WRC 2004 Simon Jean-JosephRenault Clio S1600 2005 Renato Travaglia Flavio ZanellaMitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIIRenault Clio S1600 2006 Giandomenico Basso Mitia Dotta Fiat Punto Abarth S2000 2007 Simon Jean-Joseph Jack Boyere Citroën C2 S1600Citroën C2 R2 2008 Luca Rossetti Matteo Chiarcossi Peugeot 207 S2000 2009 Giandomenico Basso Mitia Dotta Abarth Grande Punto S2000 2010 Luca Rossetti Matteo Chiarcossi Abarth Grande Punto S2000 2011 Luca Rossetti Matteo Chiarcossi Abarth Grande Punto S2000 2012 Juho Hänninen Mikko Markkula Škoda Fabia S2000 2013 Jan Kopecký Pavel DreslerŠkoda Fabia S2000 2014 Esapekka Lappi Janne FermŠkoda Fabia S20002015 Kajetan Kajetanowicz Jarosław BaranFord Fiesta R52016 Kajetan Kajetanowicz Jarosław BaranFord Fiesta R52017 Kajetan Kajetanowicz Jarosław BaranFord Fiesta R52018 Alexey Lukyanuk Alexey ArnautovFord Fiesta R52019 Chris Ingram Ross WhittockŠkoda Fabia R5Škoda Fabia R5 evo2020 Alexey Lukyanuk Dmitriy EremeevCitroën C3 R52021 Andreas Mikkelsen Sara FernándezŠkoda Fabia Rally2 evo2022 Efrén Llarena Sara Fernández Škoda Fabia Rally2 evo2023 Hayden Paddon John KennardHyundai i20 N Rally22024 Hayden Paddon John KennardHyundai i20 N Rally22025 Mikołaj Marczyk Szymon GospodarczykŠkoda Fabia RS Rally22026 Teemu Suninen Antti HaapalaŠkoda Fabia RS Rally2Sources:
Multiple winner Name Titles Winning Years Sobiesław Zasada3 1966, 1967, 1971 Luca Rossetti 2008, 2010, 2011 Kajetan Kajetanowicz 2015, 2016, 2017 Walter Schock 2 1956, 1960 Gunnar Andersson 1958, 1963 Bernard Darniche 1976, 1977 Dario Cerrato 1985, 1987 Fabrizio Tabaton 1986, 1988 Enrico Bertone 1995, 1999 Renato Travaglia 2002, 2005 Simon Jean-Joseph 2004, 2007 Giandomenico Basso 2006, 2009 Alexey Lukyanuk 2018, 2020 Hayden Paddon 2023, 2024
Multiple wins by car manufacturer Name Titles Winning Years Lancia15 1969, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993 Fiat8 1953, 1972, 1975, 1981, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011 Ford 1967 (G2), 1980, 1993, 1994, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 Škoda 2012, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2025, 2026 Porsche 7 1953, 1961, 1966 (G3),1967 (G1 and G3), 1968, 1980 Mercedes-Benz 4 1955, 1956, 1960, 1962 Opel 1966 (G1), 1974, 1979, 1982 Toyota 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001
Support categories Support championships European Rally Championship has three support categories, ERC3, ERC4 and ERC Junior. These championships are contested on the same events and stages as the ERC calendar and have tighter restrictions on eligible car criteria. Season 2WD / ERC-3ERC-4ERC Junior U28 / ERC1 Junior / ERC Junior Driver CarDriverCarDriverCar 2013 Zoltán Bessenyey Honda Civic Type-R R3Not contestedNot contested 2014 Zoltán Bessenyey Honda Civic Type-R R3 2015 Emil Bergkvist Opel Adam R2 2016 Chris Ingram Opel Adam R2 2017 Chris Ingram Opel Adam R2 Marijan GriebelŠkoda Fabia R5 2018 Mārtiņš Sesks Opel Adam R2 Nikolay GryazinŠkoda Fabia R5 2019 Efrén Llarena Peugeot 208 R2 Filip MarešŠkoda Fabia R5 2020 Ken Torn Ford Fiesta Rally4 Oliver SolbergVolkswagen Polo GTI R5Škoda Fabia R5 evo 2021 Jean-Baptiste Franceschi Renault Clio Rally4 Ken TornFord Fiesta Rally32022 Igor WidlakFord Fiesta Rally3 Oscar PalomoPeugeot 208 Rally4 Laurent PellierOpel Corsa Rally42023 Jon ArmstrongFord Fiesta Rally3 Roberto DapràPeugeot 208 Rally4 Norbert MaiorPeugeot 208 Rally42024 Filip KohnFord Fiesta Rally3 Mille JohanssonOpel Corsa Rally4 Mille JohanssonOpel Corsa Rally42025 Tymoteusz AbramowskiFord Fiesta Rally3 Calle CarlbergOpel Corsa Rally4 Calle CarlbergOpel Corsa Rally42026 Ville VatanenFord Fiesta Rally3
Former support categories