It's confirmed, Hungary is disappearing from the 2026 ERC calendar

As we announced a few weeks ago, Hungary has indeed been dropped from the 2026 European Rally Championship calendar. Initially, the season was scheduled to open there in March. However, facing financial difficulties, the organizers had to abandon their plans and reverse course. The championship will now consist of seven rounds instead of eight, starting on April 18th and 19th in Spain. Rally Sierra Morena. "This decision follows the announcement by the MNASZ, the Hungarian national motorsport federation, that the Rally Hungary, which had joined the calendar of theERC "The event scheduled for 2019 will not take place in 2026 due to internal issues affecting its operation," the ERC promoter confirmed today. This isn't the only change to the 2026 calendar: the new Portugal round, originally scheduled as the season finale, will now be held two weeks later than planned on October 24th and 25th, whereas it was initially scheduled for October 10th and 11th.

A championship resolutely focused on asphalt

Unlike the World Rally Championship, the 2026 ERC will therefore have a stronger focus on asphalt than gravel. With five tarmac events and two gravel rallies, compared to the initial three including Hungary, the European Rally Championship presents itself as an attractive alternative for fans of the discipline. This situation will change next year, as it is already known that the Rally of Rome will switch to gravel. WRC While the Rally of Sardinia will replace it on the ERC calendar, adding another gravel event. Among the favorites to participate, Andrea Mabellini has announced his plans and will compete in the championship at the wheel of a brand-new Lancia Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale. The final lineup for the 2026 ERC is not yet known, but as was the case last year, the championship should be exciting to follow. As a reminder, Mikołaj Marczyk is the reigning champion and has not yet announced his plans for the 2026 season.

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