Suninen Seals the Deal: ERC Glory in Wales

There are championships won with a final-stage charge, others decided by a dramatic twist of fate. Teemu Suninen’s 2026 FIA European Rally Championship title was secured in a rather different way — through consistency, patience and one more mature drive when it mattered most.

Second place at JDS Machinery Rali Ceredigion was enough for the Finnish Škoda driver to secure his first European Rally Championship title with one round still remaining. After a season of podiums, victory in Poland and a string of strong performances, Suninen finally had the prize to show for his return to full-time competition.

And fittingly, the title was secured on one of the most demanding rallies of the ERC calendar.

Wales Delivers Once Again

Rali Ceredigion has quickly developed its own identity in European rallying. Based around Aberystwyth, the Welsh event combines narrow and technical asphalt roads with fast, flowing sections where the hedges and unforgiving banks leave little room for experimentation.

The weather adds another layer to the challenge. A dry-looking stage can quickly become slippery, while damp Welsh roads can punish a driver who gets even slightly overconfident. It is a rally where commitment is essential — but so is knowing when to leave a few tenths on the road.

For Suninen, there was an additional challenge. He had never competed on Ceredigion's stages before, yet immediately showed his pace by topping the Qualifying Stage.

The opening stages produced exactly the sort of battle expected from an ERC event. Suninen and Kris Meeke traded the lead, with the Finn ending Friday just 0.9 seconds ahead of the former WRC star.

But as the rally progressed, Meeke began to find another level.

Meeke's Welsh Masterclass

For Kris Meeke, Ceredigion was a return to the European championship — and an opportunity he grabbed with both hands.

Driving a Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 alongside Noel O'Sullivan, the Northern Irishman delivered a commanding performance on the Welsh asphalt. Once he moved into the lead, Meeke gradually pulled away from Suninen, eventually crossing the finish 38.6 seconds ahead.

The victory was Meeke's maiden ERC win, adding another chapter to a career that has already taken him to the highest level of world rallying. He won 10 of the rally's 16 stages, underlining just how comfortable he was on the demanding Welsh roads.

Yet while Meeke was chasing his first ERC victory, Suninen was playing the bigger game.

The championship.

The Bigger Picture

Suninen did not need to win Ceredigion. He needed to finish strongly, keep his closest rival behind him and avoid throwing away the advantage he had built throughout the season.

That is exactly what he did.

Andrea Mabellini, Suninen's closest championship rival, finished sixth in Wales. That result was enough to confirm Suninen as European champion, regardless of what happens at the season finale in Portugal.

It is a fitting reward for a driver who returned to competition in 2026 after sitting out the previous season.

The campaign has been built on consistency. Suninen finished runner-up in Rome and at Barum, won Rally Poland and now added another second place in Wales. Alongside his ERC programme, he has also made selected WRC2 appearances, including a victory in Portugal.

For a driver who already has three WRC podiums on his résumé, the ERC title represents something different: his first major championship crown since winning the Fiesta Sport Trophy Finland in 2014.

And it could prove to be more than just another trophy.

Suninen has made no secret of his desire to return to the WRC's top level in 2027. A European championship title, combined with his strong WRC2 performances, gives him a compelling case.

A Champion's Season

There was drama before the finish in Wales, with several crews falling by the wayside. Two-time Ceredigion winner Osian Pryce was forced out with a gearbox problem, while Jakub Matulka crashed on Sunday's opening test. Miko Marczyk took the final podium position, with Max McRae fourth and Meirion Evans the highest-placed Welsh driver in fifth.

But ultimately, the weekend belonged to two drivers for two very different reasons.

Kris Meeke finally got his ERC victory.

Teemu Suninen got the championship.

For Suninen, the second step of the podium was more valuable than the top step could ever have been. He arrived in Wales chasing points and left as a European champion.

The final round in Portugal will now be a celebration rather than a title decider. But for Suninen, the work is far from finished.

The ERC crown has been secured.

Now comes the next question: can the Finn turn European glory into a return to the World Rally Championship?

If 2026 has shown anything, it is that Teemu Suninen is not finished at the top of rallying.

Not even close.