WRC
WRC stars head to Grampian for early Rally Scotland warm-up
A host of WRC regulars will swap Finland’s jumps for the forests of north-east Scotland this weekend, using the Voly Grampian Forest Rally to gather experience ahead of WRC Rally Scotland in 2027.
Based in Banchory, the 7 – 8 August event features 10 stages and 57 competitive miles across some of Aberdeenshire’s finest gravel roads. Many share characteristics with the terrain expected to shape next year’s Aberdeen-based WRC round.
Heading the international entry are current WRC championship leaders Elfyn Evans and Scott Martin, who will drive a Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 just five days after finishing on the podium at Secto Rally Finland.
It will be Evans’ first competitive appearance on home soil since the 2019 edition of Wales Rally GB. The Welshman admitted that his limited knowledge of the region made the Grampian an especially worthwhile addition to his programme.
“I know very little about the stages up there so, of course, I’d be interested in any opportunities to learn something for the future,” he said.
M-Sport Ford World Rally Team crew Jon Armstrong and Shane Byrne will also step down from their usual Rally1 machinery to compete in a Ford Fiesta Rally2.
They are joined by M-Sport’s WRC2 pairing Romet Jürgenson and Siim Oja, who already possess useful knowledge of the event. The Estonians contested the Grampian during their 2025 British Rally Championship campaign and recorded three fastest stage times.
The strength of the WRC2 contingent does not end there. Lancia Corse HF crews Yohan Rossel and Arnaud Dunand, and Nikolay Gryazin and Konstantin Aleksandrov, will give the Ypsilon HF Rally2 its competitive UK debut.
Rossel delivered Lancia’s maiden WRC2 victory in Croatia earlier this season, while both crews have remained regular contenders at the sharp end of the category throughout the campaign.
North American rally star Brandon Semenuk adds further international interest in a Škoda Fabia Rally2, but the visiting crews will face no shortage of established opposition.
British Rally Championship leader Osian Pryce heads the domestic challenge, with Max McRae and Meirion Evans also firmly involved in the title fight. Local favourite Garry Pearson will be among the leading Scottish contenders on roads where regional experience could prove especially valuable.
The event runs on Friday evening and Saturday, with stages including Durris, Finglennie and Strathgyle.
Rally Scotland will bring the WRC back to the United Kingdom for the first time since 2019. Headquartered at P&J Live in Aberdeen, the new event will use forest roads across Aberdeenshire when it joins the calendar in 2027.
