Explaining the FIA Motorsport Games Rally format
Team UK will be represented by four teams in the Rally discipline at the 2024 FIA Motorsport Games, with a total entry list of 43 teams competing across tarmac and gravel stages in Valencia, Spain.
Ollie Mellors and Ian Windress (Rally 2) and Ben Mellors and Alex Lee (Historic Rally) will compete in the mixed-surface classes, tackling 12 stages – six gravel, six tarmac – plus two Super Special Stages and the deciding Medal Stage.
Ernie and Anna Graham (Historic Rally Gravel) and James Potter and Tim Sayer (Historic Rally Tarmac) will compete across six regular stages and one Super Special Stage on their respective surfaces.
With the service park at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit, the competition will begin on Friday 25 September with gravel stages before moving onto tarmac on the Saturday.
Across all the disciplines, the top three crews will compete head-to-head on a new super-special course at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo to decide who earns the gold, silver and bronze.
The all-important decider directly precedes the Closing Ceremony and is the last discipline to conclude at the Games.
About the Rally Team UK Competitors
Derbyshire-based Ollie Mellors returns to the Games to compete for the second time in Rally 2 alongside Ian Windress, following a recent win at the Phil Price Memorial Woodpecker Rally. The Rally 2 entry list will see 15 nations compete.
The older Mellors brother, Ben, will compete in his rare 1979 Toyota Celica GT RA40 for Historic Rally, alongside Alex Lee. With only six nations in this event, 2024 could see the team take the gold.
Team Flexifly will be taking on both the Historic Rally Gravel and Historic Rally Tarmac, with Ernie Graham and his co-driver daughter Anna taking on the gravel stages in their Ford Escort RS. The team has had a history of success abroad, proving competitive during 2019 FIA European Historic Sporting Rally Championship, held in Rome.
James Potter and co-driver Tim Sayer will represent Team UK in the Historic Rally Tarmac. Sayer, with Ernie Graham in the driving seat. The duo took part in the 39th edition of the Sanremo Historic Rally in their Ford Escort Cosworth 1600, held earlier this month.
Both Historic fields are smaller, with five nations competing in Gravel and Tarmac respectively, so competitive driving could see Team UK in with a shot of making it to the Super Special Stage to earn a medal.