Hayden Paddon is defending his title in the European Rally Championship (ERC). This season, the ERC is introducing several changes, including new events, drivers, teams, cars, and rules. The first stage of the eight-event ERC season, the V-Híd Rally Hungary, will take place in the city of Veszprém from April 12 to 14. Previously with asphalt stages, this rally is now a fully gravel event. In addition to contributing to the overall ERC standings, the V-Híd Rally Hungary will also be part of the FIA ERC3, FIA ERC4, FIA Junior ERC, and the newly introduced Fiesta Rally3 Trophy schedules. The FIA European Rally Championship for Tire Manufacturers will feature the participation of the four ERC tire partners: Hankook, Michelin, MRF, and Pirelli. Eight manufacturers, including Citroën, Hyundai, M-Sport-Ford, Opel, Peugeot, Škoda, Toyota, and Volkswagen, will be represented in the FIA rally category cars.
The top three performers of the 2023 ERC season, Hayden Paddon, Mārtiņš Sesks, and Mads Østberg, are all returning to compete for more success in the European championship. Defending champion Paddon, alongside co-driver John Kennard, has signed with the BRC Racing Team equipped with Pirelli tires to drive a Hyundai i20 N Rally2. Paddon expects tougher competition this year, but he is excited to improve his performance in events where he now has experience.
Latvian driver Sesks will continue his partnership with MRF tires but will switch from the Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 to the brand-new Toyota GR Yaris Rally2. Sesks expects a learning curve as the team adapts to the new car and prepares for the increased number of asphalt stages throughout the season. However, he is committed to thorough preparation and hard work to ensure a strong season.
El piloto noruego Østberg, representando al equipo TRT Racing, usará neumáticos Michelin en su Citroën C3 Rally2. Después de ganar la última etapa de la temporada en el Rally Hungary en 2023, Østberg planea llevar ese impulso a la temporada de 2024. Él expresa su amor por el ERC, destacando el alto nivel de competencia y la emocionante cobertura televisiva. Østberg está emocionado de participar en el campeonato una vez más.
Además de Paddon, Sesks y Østberg, hay varios otros pilotos esperados para competir por el éxito en el ERC. Jon Armstrong, el piloto húngaro Miklós ‘Mixi’ Csomós, Mathieu Franceschi, Mikko Heikkilä, Efrén Llarena, Andrea Mabellini, Miko Marczyk, Filip Mareš, Simone Temestini y Simon Wagner están entre los pilotos que probablemente estarán en la vanguardia de la competencia en el V-Híd Rally Hungary.
