Rally Hungary: Yoann Bonato among ERC regulars

For 8^e and last time of the season, the European Championship offers an attractive list of starters. This is certainly less brilliant than during certain meetings earlier in the year, but indecision remains concerning the favorites for victory.

Among the 83 crews announced, 26 Rally2 will compete. Hayden Paddon the 2023 winner of theERC will be absent, because he is held back by a home round, but there will be several vying for first place. The Skoda drivers are the most numerous with Efren Llarena, Filip Mares, Miklos Csomos, Mikolaj Marczyk, Erik Cais and especially Martins Sesks. Already the author of two successes this year, the Latvian should be formidable on the very fast Hungarian special stages. Also operating a Fabia RS, Mathieu Franceschi will complete his ERC program by discovering yet new terrain. Author of great performances in 2023, the Habs will quickly have to take the measure of these roads with their very particular characteristics.

In Hungary, the response to this Fabia armada will come from the two Citroën C3 Rally2s of Mads Ostberg and Yoann Bonato. The Norwegian will have a final chance to save an average season while the Frenchman will look to add one more podium to his record at this level.

Among the originalities of this round, there is the participation of the Hungarian Norbert Michelisz who is more accustomed to competing on the circuit in touring competitions. The ERC4 Juniors will battle it out for the last time. Norbert Maior leads the championship with 4 points ahead of Roberto Dapra and 12 over the Norwegian Ola Nore. For his first year in Europe, Max McRae, who has been disappointing so far, is only 7^e.

The competitors will have to negotiate 180,26 km timed divided into 2 stages and 12 special stages.