Stellantis Rally Cup After Flanders, will Lander Depotter also conquer the East Cantons?
The second half of the season began with the Omloop van Vlaanderen, and now the Stellantis Motorsport Rally Cup Belux heads into its final stretch next Saturday in Sankt Vith. The East Belgian Rally, known for its quick and natural stages, is a favourite among drivers.
This means there will be a strong lineup of Opel Corsa Rally4s and Peugeot 208 Rally4s in the ‘Cup’. Nine teams will compete for attention across twelve special stages, with three runs through Bütgenbach, Amel, Sankt Vith, and Burg-Reuland.
After dominating the Omloop van Vlaanderen, Lander Depotter now has 78 points in the standings. In a single rally, he managed to open a gap on German Lukas Thiele, who trails by 21 points. Former leader Manuel Merlevede, who was forced to retire far too early in Roeselare, is now 34 points behind.
Because Thiele can still use his joker to earn extra points, both he and Merlevede must do everything they can to improve their standings in the East Cantons. If Lander Depotter wins again, he will be very close to securing the title before the final round at the Spa Rally. The stakes are high.
These three also need to watch out for young Dutch driver Nard Ippen. Although he had to withdraw in Ypres, he showed impressive speed in every other rally, making him a real contender. Corentin Fiasse is also in the mix, with the experience needed to handle the tricky stages around Sankt Vith. Everyone will be pushing hard from the start.
Local driver Sergio Plattes will be eager to show his home fans that he can compete with the more experienced racers. His knowledge of the course might help him keep up with Corentin Dozot, who is focused on moving up in the standings. Steven Spittaels and Irishman Niall O’Sullivan, separated by just one point, share the same goal.
On Saturday, the first car will cross the starting podium at 8:20 AM. After 140.88 km against the clock, darkness will have descended over Sankt Vith when the verdict in the penultimate round of the Stellantis Motorsport Rally Cup Belux 2025 will be announced…
