Last updated on December 25, 2025
Veteran Czech driver Jan Kopecký delighted home fans by taking victory at the Barum Czech Rally Zlín, securing another standout result in his illustrious FIA European Rally Championship (ERC) career.
While Kopecký celebrated on the top step of the podium, the rally proved unpredictable for many of the front-runners.
- Simon Wagner was unable to recover ground lost on Saturday evening, ultimately finishing fourth.
- Erik Cais, in a Hyundai i20N Rally2, showed strong pace but tyre damage on Saturday cost him a potential podium.
- A gearbox issue on Sunday hampered Filip Mareš, relegating the Hankook-equipped Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 driver to sixth place.
- Miko Marczyk struggled with consistency but salvaged two points in the Power Stage, settling for seventh.
Further down the field, Adam Březík, Jakub Matulka, and Mille Johansson rounded out the top 10.
The rally wasn’t without drama:
- Last year’s winner Dominik Stříteský retired early after damaging three wheels in an overshoot during SS3.
- Miklós Csomós crashed out on SS2, while Simone Tempestini exited on the same stage with suspension failure.
- Former ERC champion Chris Ingram returned after nine months away, overcoming steering and power issues to reach the finish.
In the support categories:
- Martin Vlček dominated the Master ERC, finishing 5min 25.2sec ahead of Darius Biedrzyński.
- Hubert Kowalczyk claimed ERC3 honours in a Renault Clio Rally3, beating Casey Jay Coleman by 43.8 seconds. Coleman, however, secured the ERC Fiesta Rally3 Trophy.
- Calle Carlberg clinched the Hankook FIA Junior ERC title, despite his rally ending prematurely with a driveshaft failure. The Junior ERC event victory went to Craig Rahill, who triumphed on his Lancia Ypsilon Rally4 HF debut, finishing 35.9 seconds ahead of rookie Karl Peder Nordstrand.
The ERC now moves to Wales for JDS Machinery Rali Ceredigion (5–7 September), the penultimate round of the season.
