Stellantis Rally Cup A star-studded line-up for the Ardenne Rally Festival!
Although the Stellantis Motorsport Rally Cup got underway quite early in the year – in fact, right at the start of the Belgian Rally Championship in the Hesbaye region – teams and crews have had plenty of time to prepare for round two. This is scheduled for this weekend as part of the Ardenne Rally Festival organised by DG Sport, which will feature a round of the BRC Division 2 in its 2026 calendar.
As might be expected, the field is growing, proof that the route proposed in the Semois region is likely to appeal to the crews.
n the Rally4 category, Lander Depotter (Opel Corsa), the season’s first winner, will naturally be keen to build on this fine run of form. In Sint-Truiden, the young Dutch-speaking driver had won ahead of Manuel Merlevede (Peugeot 208) and Corentin Fiasse (Peugeot 208), both of whom are determined to turn the tables on a completely different route, one that is as technical as it is fast and natural.
Also present at the start, Steven Spittaels (Peugeot 208) and Clément Willaert (Opel Corsa) will be looking to secure further podium finishes. They will, however, have to watch out for the ‘newcomers’, including a certain Lény Cols, who will be lining up his Lancia Ypsilon HF Rally4 at national level for the first time! And the pilot from Verviers is hungry for success.
Corentin Dozot, for his part, will be back in the Peugeot 208 he drove last year, and this will be also the case for Sergio Plattes, who will want to increase the pace with his 'Lioness'.
Wilkin set to shake up the Rally6 race
In the Stellantis Motorsport Rally Cup’s Rally6 category, Emilien Allart will of course be on the starting grid, having made a perfect start under the colours of the RACB National Team at the Rally van Haspengouw. His teammate, Nolan Lejeune, will want to make it happen this time. This means that the two yellow Opel Corsa Rally6s will once again take centre stage this weekend.
They will face off against Benoit Wauthier’s Peugeot 208, who has taken the lead in the Junior BRC – reserved for Rally6 cars this season – following the Sezoensrally. This means this other young gun has plenty of experience under his belt. As for Jean Beaupain, he made a strong impression at Sint-Truiden with his Lancia Ypsilon, and he is determined to keep up the pressure.
Watch out, however, for Laurent Wilkin, who is one of the leading lights in regional events and has some experience of rallies in the Semois region! With his Peugeot 208 Rally6, he will be the perfect benchmark for the others.
Also worth noting is the presence of a Dutch-speaking driver, Brent Boudrez, hailing from the region… of Ypres, where the Stellantis Motorsport Rally Cup 2026 will contest its third round in just over a month’s time. And where the field promises to be nothing short of explosive, whether in Rally4 or Rally6.
In the meantime, we head to Alle-sur-Semois for what promises to be a thrilling contest.
