European rally champions honoured at ceremony in Katowice
Rally Silesia (11–13 October) concluded the FIA European Rally Championship (ERC) season, with its results deciding the title. A day after the finish, Europe’s leading crews returned to Katowice to receive their trophies from an eight-time world champion. The awards ceremony for the world’s oldest rally championship took place at the Porcelain Factory in Katowice.
Hungary, Spain, Sweden, Estonia, Italy, the Czech Republic, Great Britain and Poland – these countries hosted the rallies on the calendar of the 72nd FIA ERC season – the second-highest tier in world rallying after the WRC.
This year, Rally Silesia made its ERC debut, joining the eight headline events in Europe. It was in the Silesian Voivodeship that the battle for the continental crown was settled. For the second year running, the prestigious title went to New Zealanders Hayden Paddon and John Kennard (Hyundai i20 N Rally2), who finished the event – held under the patronage of Wojciech Saługa, Marshal of the Silesian Voivodeship – in third place. To contest Rally Silesia, the 37-year-old Paddon travelled nearly 18,000 km – the distance from Cromwell, his hometown, to Silesian Stadium, a co-organiser of the rally. The legendary “Witches’ Cauldron” – Silesian Stadium has been Rally Silesia’s home from the outset, hosting rally HQ, the service park and a spectacular evening superspecial that impressed international guests.
PRESENTED BY EIGHT-TIME WORLD RALLY CHAMPION CO-DRIVER JULIEN INGRASSIA
The City of Katowice co-hosted this year’s Rally Silesia. The opening ceremony and the Friday-night city-centre superspecial ran here. Action around Spodek and the Culture Zone – like every stage of the rally – was broadcast live on Rally.TV and carried by dozens of TV networks worldwide, showcasing the transformation of Katowice’s city centre in recent years.
After three days on what competitors themselves called extremely demanding stages in the Silesian Voivodeship, the ERC frontrunners gathered again for the prize-giving. The series promoter chose the Porcelain Factory as the venue – now a science-and-technology park on a revitalised site where tableware was once produced, and a symbol of Silesia’s transformation from heavy industry to a hub for modern business.
Among those presenting 2024 trophies was Julien Ingrassia – the eight-time World Rally Champion co-driver alongside Sébastien Ogier. Across the weekend the Frenchman also joined Rally Silesia’s stage broadcasts, adding expert insight and analysis.
The top silverware – for the European champions – is heading to New Zealand with Paddon/Kennard, the first non-European crew to win the continental title (2023 and 2024). Further honours were awarded as follows:
- ERC3 champions (Rally3): Filip Kohn / Tom Woodburn (CZE/GBR)
- ERC4 champions (Rally4): Mille Johansson / Johan Grönvall (SWE/SWE)
- ERC Junior champion: Mille Johansson (SWE)
- Teams’ champion: BRC Racing Team (ITA)
- Tyre suppliers’ champion: Michelin (FRA)
- Best Performance of the Year: Alejandro Cachón at Rally Islas Canarias
- Best Livery: Castrol MEM Rally Team (GBR)
- Most Improved Driver: Andrea Mabellini (ITA)
- Quote of the Year: Efrén Llarena at Rally di Roma Capitale
POLES TO THE FORE
The winners of the last four categories above were chosen by fan vote. Polish crews were among the honourees: Mikołaj Marczyk / Szymon Gospodarczyk – two-time Rally Silesia winners – received trophies for third overall in the season standings. Another Rally Silesia winner on the night, Andrea Mabellini, was voted Most Improved Driver.
The ERC season was reviewed by Iain Campbell, series coordinator, and Miikka Anttila, former co-driver, the record holder for WRC starts and now the FIA Sporting Delegate for the European championship.
“The European Championship is a fantastic series, appreciated by fans for its strong fields and fierce competition at every round. It also sets the bar high in organisation and promotion. From our ERC debut we showed that Rally Silesia can be a strong fixture on the calendar. The City of Katowice, Silesian Stadium and the Silesian Voivodeship again proved they are ready to host events at the very highest level,” said Grzegorz Wróbel, President of the Automobilists’ Foundation, organiser of Rally Silesia.
