The Ardeca Ypres Rally will live up to its reputation as the highlight of the Belgian Rally Championship season. There are 180 cars competing across the three concurrently run rallies, and all eyes will be on the Belgian Rally Championship Division 1 competition, where 102 cars will take to the stages. World class drivers like former WRC stars Stéphane Lefebvre, Kris Meeke, Quentin Gilbert, alongside current WRC star Hayden Paddon will join the fastest Belgian drivers to take on the stages around Ypres. It is clear that the cream of the rallying-crop will cross the starting ramp on Friday.
After two consecutive victories in Ypres, Stéphane Lefebvre starts as the favorite in the PTR Racing Toyota Yaris GR, sporting the Stock-Depot livery. However, he and co-driver Pieter Tsjoen won’t have an easy path to the three-peat. Hayden Paddon, who only succumbed to Lefebvre in the final stages last year, is back. Moreover, the New Zealander has more tarmac rally mileage under his belt than last year and can rely on the local knowledge of his Belgian co-driver, Kris D’alleine. Paddon is driving a BMA-prepared Hyundai i20 N Rally2, as is Grégoire Munster, another serious contender for the win. Drawing on his WRC experience, Munster is aiming for victory in Ypres, an event he is keen to win. However, he cannot afford to take excessive risks, as he has no “jokers” left to play in the Belgian championship.
Kris Meeke was a last-minute addition to the entry list, taking over the Jobfixers Porsche 992 Rally GT after Pieter-Jan Michiel Cracco withdrew due to injury. Despite the eleventh-hour entry, Meeke has winning form in Ypres, having taken the 2009 event, where he beat Freddy Loix en-route to the IRC title. Last year, Dani Sordo and Cédric Cherain ran at the front in the Porsches, something Meeke will be looking to replicate. In the GT category, Meeke will have to fight hard for the victory, as Cherain has opted to rally a Porsche in Ypres.
For the Belgian competitors, Maxime Potty has another great opportunity to take a significant step towards his second title. Potty is certainly confident for a good result in his Skoda Fabia RS, but the same applies to Jos Verstappen. Incredibly, Verstappen left all the local specialists trailing in his wake at recently at the Wervik rally. Last year, he stood on the podium and is undoubtedly capable of another podium celebration. However, like Munster, Verstappen will need to drive strategically and minimize risk. After retiring in Wallonia and withdrawing from the Sezoensrally, he too is lacking in “joker” rallies.
With such a high-quality field, the battle for a place in the top 10 will be fiercely contested. Bjorn Syx has consulted Stéphane Lefebvre on how to get the most out of his Toyota on the fast roads of the Westhoek region. Vincent Verschueren is fresh from a confidence-boosting run in Wervik, and Lander Depotter is competing in Ypres with a top-tier car for the first time. They are sure to battle at the front in their respective are undoubtedly well-equipped with the Skoda Fabia RS machines. Skoda is well represented as Bernd Casier and Emile Breittmayer have also made the switch for this event.
Thomas Martens will aim to stay close and learn from his renowned BMA teammates in his Hyundai, while Gilles Pyck and Jonas Dewilde can measure themselves against one another in their Citroën C3 Rally2s, a car that remains highly competitive on the Ypres stages. Davy Vanneste proved that last year by finishing fifth overall amongst the best of the Belgian drivers.
Then there is a major dark horse, as the Lancia Ypsilon HF Rally2 driven by Christophe Merlevede will tackle the Ypres stages for the first time. The driver from Poperinge impressed during his debut with the Lancia at the Monteberg Rally, and the local ace has already demonstrated his talent in Historic competition and behind the wheel of a Rally3 car. He will be aiming to pull off another surprise while competing against the absolute elite.
That is not all, with Steven Dolfen (Skoda), Nicola Stampaert (Skoda), Richard Pex (Skoda), Bert Coene (Ford), Etienne Verbeke (Skoda), and Bart Sobry (Ford) also giving it their all. Koen Wauters, competing in only his fifth rally ever, will once again start in a fast Skoda Fabia RS.
The Porsche Rally Trophy Benelux visits the Ardeca Ypres Rally for its second 2026 round. Romain Delhez is aiming for a second victory, though Kris Meeke and Quentin Gilbert will provide stiff competition. Glenn Janssens is back in Ypres, while Porsche specialist, John Wartique, is making his comeback. Loïc Pirot will be experiencing the Ypres stages for the first time.
Moving to the Stellantis Motorsport Rally Cup, the battle in that class will be epic as 19 entrants will compete in Ypres. RACB National Team juniors Emilien Allart and Nolann Lejeune, will be looking for a good result. A fierce battle is expected in the Rally3 class between the fast Clios driven by Xavier Dekeyser, Benoit Verlinde, and Olivier Decoene.
It is undeniable that the standard of competition will be exceptionally high this Friday and Saturday at the 61st edition of the Ardeca Ypres Rally. The event kicks off on Friday at 3:00 PM and comprises 21 special stages. The winner will be decided by 8:55 PM on Saturday.
