Forming the penultimate round of the all-action title chase from September 5-7, JDS Machinery Rali Ceredigion provides a spectacular Tarmac test for the ERC season regulars and their counterparts from the Probite British Rally Championship.

In the race to become ERC champion for 2025, Michelin-equipped top seed Miko Marczyk heads Andrea Mabellini by 11 points. But when dropped scores are factored in, Marczyk trails Mabellini by two points, due to the Pole having to discount 13 points from his current total, and Mabellini having zero points to drop following a non-finish earlier in the year.

If Mabellini non-scores in Wales, second place and one Power Stage point would make Marczyk champion. But if the Pole fully falters by not scoring, Mabellini would move closer to becoming Italy’s first outright ERC title winner since Luca Rossetti in 2011, providing he wins the rally and banks maximum Power Stage points.

“I am open for good competition and I would really like to show the potential of our driving in Wales,” said Pole Marczyk. “I am motivated, it’s the moment of the season where it will be necessary to take more risk. It’s a demanding race because of a lot of crests, narrow and fast roads, sometimes some bumps. The most important and tricky thing will be the weather conditions, which can be very mixed and changing a lot. You need to be fast on one tyre in very different conditions. I will fight to the end.”

Italian Mabellini, who runs on Pirelli tyres, said: “Rali Ceredigion means a lot to me because it was my first ERC podium last year. The landscape is amazing with many parts that are very narrow and tricky with one line to follow. It’s demanding and it’s not easy to understand what is going on with the weather so for sure the tyre choice will be a key feature. As we saw last year the Qualifying Stage will be important because if you can start in the front, you can have an advantage. We will fight for the title and have a good contender in Miko.”

Mabellini will start the event with a two-minute penalty following a decision of the Stewards. It follows a report that members of Mabellini’s team – without his knowledge – were identified as being on stages 10 and 12 of JDS Rali Ceredigon at a time when rules state they should not have been. During a hearing earlier, the Stewards determined that there had been a breach of article 35.3 and article 35.4.2 of the FIA 2025 Regional Rally Sporting Regulations, article 9 of the Supplementary Regulations and article 12.2.1.c of the FIA 2025 International Sporting Code. As a result, they imposed a two-minute time penalty on Mabellini and co-driver Virginia Lenzi. Stewards’ Decision No. 01 can be found HERE.

Talent-packed entry ready for Welsh action
After beating Marczyk and Mabellini on Barum Czech Rally Zlín last month, Jon Armstrong will push for a maiden ERC victory. The Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy driver, who has an outside chance of snatching European championship glory, is entered ahead of Polish talent Jakub Matulka, the ERC3 winner on JDS Machinery Rali Ceredigion last season, and Hankook-shod Master ERC contender Martin Vlček from Czech Republic.

Max McRae, nephew of rallying legend Colin McRae, claimed the ERC4 and Junior ERC honours in Wales 12 months ago. He’s in his first year of ERC1 competition following two seasons in Junior ERC.

ERC stage winner Philip Allen, double Irish Tarmac champion Callum Devine (Team MRF Tyres), British points leader and 2023 Junior WRC champion William Creighton and leading Welshman Meirion Evans will also be in action, as will two-time Rali Ceredigion winner Osian Pryce and 2024 Junior WRC champion Romet Jürgenson.

Abramowski on the brink of ERC3 glory
Tymek Abramowski starts JDS Machinery Rali Ceredigion knowing he can become ERC champion if he outscores his fellow Pole Hubert Kowalczyk. Irish Junior WRC frontrunner Eamonn Kelly will also contest the Rally3-based category, while rising Welsh star Ioan Lloyd will bid for victory in ERC4, one year on from his European championship debut.

JDS Machinery Rali Ceredigion route in short
A “refreshed and challenging route” is in store for the penultimate round of the 2025 FIA European Rally Championship. Starting on Friday 5 September with the new Pendam Free Practice, Qualifying Stage and Shakedown stage, a single run through the 1.25-kilometre Aberystwyth town centre stage provides the Friday evening entertainment.

Leg one continues on Saturday 6 September with a largely all-new route made up of three repeated stages run either side of service in Aberystwyth. Starting with the 14.30-killometre Cwm Elan test, the action continues with the new Y Diafol stage – the rally’s longest at 33.85 kilometres – followed by the 13.74-kilometre Mydroilyn run. The day concludes with a rerun of the Aberystwyth town centre stage.

The deciding leg on Sunday 7 September features two double-use stages, Nant y Moch (14.00 kilometres) described by organisers as a “classic over the high-commitment, reservoir roads”, and Mynnydd Bach (15.48 kilometres), which organisers say is a “difficult countryside stage with a mix of single and double-width roads which will run as the ERC's Power Stage on the second pass.” The Ceremonial Finish is scheduled from 15:45.

How to watch?
Fans across the globe can experience the excitement and drama of the ERC with every stage of every rally broadcast Rally.TV platform. In addition, the ERC is broadcast in a number of countries around the world and fans are advised to check local listings for details.

JDS Machinery Rali Ceredigion: the key numbers
Stages: 12
Stage distance: 185.24 kilometres
Total distance: 676.97 kilometres