Last weekend’s Voly Grampian Forest Rally provided a spectacular preview of Scotland’s eagerly anticipated return to the FIA World Rally Championship, doubling as round three of the 2026 British Rally Championship and the official FIA candidate event ahead of next year’s Rally Scotland.
The two-day, Banchory-based event took place on forest roads closely resembling those that will feature when the FIA World Rally Championship returns to Scotland in 2027. As a result, a number of high-profile international crews used the rally to gain valuable experience and gather data ahead of next year’s world championship showdown.
Arguably the biggest draw for spectators was FIA World Rally Championship leader Elfyn Evans and co-driver Scott Martin, who brought their Toyota Gazoo Racing GR Yaris Rally2 to Grampian to sample the stages and collect valuable information for Toyota ahead of Scotland’s return to the WRC calendar.
Their stage times were not recorded on the official results, however, leaving the way clear for three other WRC-level crews to fight for outright honours on their respective fact-finding missions.
At the centre of the action was M-Sport World Rally Team driver Jon Armstrong and co-driver Shane Byrne, who produced a blistering performance to claim overall victory in their Ford Fiesta Rally2.
Currently competing at the highest level of the sport in Rally1 machinery, Armstrong was another driver using Grampian to build his knowledge of the Scottish stages – and the Irishman made the most of the opportunity, setting the pace for most of the event.
Estonian Romet Jürgenson and co-driver Siim Oja completed an M-Sport 1-2 in second place, with Jürgenson able to draw on his previous experience of the Grampian Rally after competing on the event as part of the British Rally Championship in 2025.
Nikolay Gryazin and Konstantin Aleksandrov completed the podium in third aboard the new Lancia Ypsilon HF Rally2, adding further international star quality to an already impressive field.
The leading British Rally Championship contenders were certainly not overshadowed by the international stars, with Osian Pryce and James Morgan producing another impressive performance to finish fourth overall and take maximum BRC points.
Pryce’s victory came after a weekend of high drama in the BRC field, with the Welshman eventually finishing more than 26 seconds clear of Max McRae and Cameron Fair. The result further strengthens Pryce’s position at the head of the championship standings as the title battle heads towards its decisive stages of the season.
The biggest winner, however, was arguably the Grampian Rally itself.
Organised by Stonehaven & District Motor Club, the 2026 event provided a spectacular demonstration of the quality of the region’s forest roads and the passion, expertise and commitment of its rallying community.
From the packed Rally Zone at King George V Park in Banchory to the thousands of spectators lining the forest stages, the event generated an atmosphere befitting an international-standard rally and provided a powerful showcase for Aberdeenshire and Kincardineshire to a global rallying audience.
The combination of world championship stars, a fiercely contested British Rally Championship battle and spectacular Scottish forest stages delivered a compelling demonstration of what Scotland can offer when the WRC returns in 2027.
“This was undoubtedly the best edition yet,” said Clerk of the Course Graham Provest.
“The success of the 2026 Voly Grampian Forest Rally was a collective achievement involving hundreds of volunteers, officials, marshals, partners, landowners, local communities and supporters, all helping to deliver a spectacular weekend that put Aberdeenshire and Kincardineshire firmly in the international rallying spotlight.
“We can’t thank everyone enough for all their support, and we hope that they enjoyed the spectacle. The Grampian Rally has always been one of the most highly regarded events in the country, and this year we took it up a notch again. A fabulous weekend for us all.”
Among the many volunteers providing vital support to the safe and successful staging of the rally was Motorsport UK Chair David Richards.
In his final year leading Motorsport UK, Richards is taking the opportunity to experience as many different aspects of the sport as possible, highlighting the huge range of opportunities available to everyone who wants to get involved in motorsport – from competing and organising to officiating and volunteering.
His presence among the hundreds of marshals and officials at Grampian underlined the enormous contribution made by volunteers across all levels of the sport, without whom events such as the Voly Grampian Forest Rally simply could not take place.
Interested in starting your rally or marshalling journey, visit the Motorsport UK Get Started website to find out more.