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SPECTACULAR RALLY1 CARS TO APPEAR ON ESTONIA’S FAST GRAVEL ROADS FOR THE FINAL TIME
A total of 11 Rally1 cars will start this year’s FIA World Rally Championship round in Estonia. Due to changes in the technical regulations from next year, this will be the final opportunity to see these cars competing on the fast gravel roads of Southern Estonia.
Championship-leading manufacturer Toyota Gazoo Racing will field five crews in Estonia.
Alongside current championship leaders Elfyn Evans / Scott Martin, the line-up includes two-time rally winners this season Takamoto Katsuta / Aaron Johnston, reigning Delfi Rally Estonia winners Oliver Solberg / Elliott Edmondson, five-time podium finishers this season Sami Pajari / Marko Salminen, and reigning world champions Sébastien Ogier / Vincent Landais.
Sébastien Ogier: "I’m excited to compete at Rally Estonia again, five years after my last start there. The Estonian gravel stages are really fast and a pleasure to drive – it’s a special feeling to push with these cars on such rewarding roads. I’m sure that it won’t be easy to find the limits of those stages again, but this is exactly the kind of challenge that I enjoy. I also know how great the passion is for rallying in Estonia and that there’s a fantastic atmosphere around the event, so I’m looking forward to it.”
Hyundai Motorsport will field three crews at Delfi Rally Estonia. Alongside Adrien Fourmaux / Alexandre Coria, who matched their career-best WRC result with second place at this year’s Safari Rally Kenya, the team’s line-up includes Thierry Neuville / Martijn Wydaeghe, who have finished on the podium at Rally Estonia on three occasions, and Esapekka Lappi, who secured third place at Rally Estonia in 2023. This time, Lappi will be partnered by Enni Mälkönen.
Like Hyundai, M-Sport World Rally Team will also field three Rally1 cars in Estonia. While Jon Armstrong will be making his fourth Rally Estonia appearance, it will be the first start in Estonia for his co-driver Shane Byrne. Josh McErlean / Eoin Treacy will make their second Rally1 start on Estonian roads after finishing ninth overall last year. Latvian duo Mārtiņš Sesks / Renārs Francis will make their fourth start of the season and will undoubtedly be hoping for strong support from Latvian fans along the stages.
EIGHT ESTONIAN CREWS ENTERED IN RALLY2 CARS
While 11 Rally1 cars are entered for this year’s Delfi Rally Estonia, the Rally2 category features no fewer than 28 cars.
Defending their home-event victory from last year will be Robert Virves / Jakko Viilo (Škoda), who will face strong international competition led by this year’s Rally Sweden winners Roope Korhonen / Anssi Viinikka (Toyota) and Rally Portugal winners Teemu Suninen / Janni Hussi (Toyota).
In addition to Virves / Viilo, seven more Estonian crews will compete on home soil. Romet Jürgenson / Siim Oja (Ford), the only Estonian crew to contest every WRC round this season, claimed their first-ever WRC2 stage wins at Rally Estonia last year.
Making their Rally Estonia Rally2 debuts will be Toyota Next Generation programme members Jaspar Vaher / Rait Jansen (Toyota) and Estonian Next Rally Star programme driver Patrick Enok (Škoda), who will be co-driven by experienced Silver Simm. Both crews have already secured victories in rounds of the Finnish Rally Championship this season.
Egon Kaur / Ermo Veltson (Toyota), Joosep Ralf Nõgene / Aleks Lesk (Toyota), and Karl Martin Volver / Annika Sõna (Toyota) will make their first WRC starts of the season.
Alongside the younger generation and experienced Estonian crews, Rally Estonia founding members Urmo Aava / Silver Kütt will also compete, with their Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 prepared by the RedGrey team.
In addition to Rally1 and Rally2 machinery, this year’s Delfi Rally Estonia will feature 14 crews competing in Rally3 and Rally4 cars. Estonian entries include Priit Koik / Allan Birjukov (Renault) and Esmar-Arnold Unt / Arro Vahtra (Ford) in Rally3, while Travis Pärs / Allar Heina (Peugeot) will compete in Rally4.
“We are very pleased to see that 53 crews have registered for Delfi Rally Estonia, which is significantly more than last year. This comes as a positive surprise for us. It is great to welcome nine-time world champion Sébastien Ogier back to Estonian roads after a five-year absence. It is especially pleasing to see so many Estonian crews entered across the Rally2, Rally3 and Rally4 categories. The most exciting competition will undoubtedly take place in Rally2, where all of Estonia’s leading young talents will be competing alongside several older and more experienced crews,” said WRC Delfi Rally Estonia CEO Janno Siitan.
The full entry list for WRC Delfi Rally Estonia 2026 can be found HERE.
REVAMPED THURSDAY PROGRAMME INCLUDES RALLY1 DEMONSTRATION RUN
This year’s rally features an updated schedule. On Thursday, July 16, Rally Estonia’s traditional opening show will take place in Tartu Town Hall Square, starting at 18:00. The programme will feature internationally acclaimed artist NOËP and Estonia’s Female Artist of the Year 2025, An-Marlen.
At 19:00, the ceremonial start podium will begin, followed for the first time by a Rally1 demonstration run for spectators on Vabaduse Boulevard in central Tartu, located in the immediate vicinity of the start podium.
All activities taking place in Tartu Town Hall Square and the city centre are free of charge for spectators.
The Delfi Rally Estonia 2026 Service Park and diverse EXPO area will be located on the grounds of the Estonian National Museum, right at the heart of the rally. Visitors will have the opportunity to watch teams working in the service area, follow the rally action, explore the EXPO and commercial zones, and attend the daily “Meet the Crews” sessions.
Entry to both the Service Park and EXPO area is free for spectators, with gates opening on Thursday, July 16, at 12:00. The venue will feature an entertainment programme, rally simulators, fan merchandise, food and beverage outlets, exhibitors, and many other attractions for visitors of all ages.
On the evening of July 17, the second day of the rally weekend, the official Delfi Rally Estonia concert, “5MIINUST 10 AASTAT”, will take place at the Tartu Song Festival Grounds. It will be the band’s biggest concert ever and their only performance this summer.
This year’s WRC Delfi Rally Estonia will mark the final opportunity to see the current generation of Rally1 cars competing in Estonia. The world’s best rally drivers will once again be brought to fans’ doorstep, and as last year, the rally winner will be decided on the Power Stage at the Kääriku Sports Centre, which will also host the ceremonial finish.
Across three competitive days, crews will tackle 18 special stages covering a total of 301.80 competitive kilometres on the roads of Southern Estonia.
All essential information about WRC Delfi Rally Estonia, as well as the official rally shop, can be found at www.rallyestonia.ee.
WRC Delfi Rally Estonia 2026 will take place in Tartu and on the roads of the municipalities of Tartu, Otepää, Elva, Kanepi, Kambja, Kastre, Luunja, Peipsiääre and Mustvee from July 16-19, 2026.
Photo: Jaanus Ree / Red Bull Content Pool