26 JULY 2026 / PIRELLI MOTORSPORT
Pirelli has extended its lead at the top of the European Rally Championship tyre manufacturers’ standings after victory in Poland for Teemu Suninen and fourth place for Andrea Mabellini.
Suninen also leads the drivers’ championship with Mabellini second in the overall standings and, for Pirelli, this was its third consecutive victory in the four rounds held so far. Suninen’s Škoda Fabia moved into the lead almost immediately at the revamped 82nd Rally Poland, leaving even the specialists of Silesian asphalt roads facing a hard-pressed but ultimately futile pursuit.
The Finn, who won five of the 14 special stages contested, never looked likely to relinquish the lead with his Finnish co-driver Antti Haapala on the notes, the duo delivering a measured and strategically flawless rally while keeping the Lancia Y of Mabellini, Teemu’s main rival for the FIA ERC title, at a safe distance.
From being 27 points ahead after Rally di Roma Capitale at the start of July, the Italian manufacturer Pirelli now heads second-placed Michelin by 31 points in their pursuit of back-to-back titles in the FIA European Rally Championship with three rounds remaining – two on asphalt and one on gravel.
Pirelli also helped Adrien Rzeznik to victory in the classification for drivers competing in the Polish championship, and there was further Finnish joy in the FIA ERC3 category, where Ville Vatanen won the M-Sport Fiesta Rally3 Trophy in a Ford Fiesta Rally2, for which Pirelli is the sole tyre supplier and technical partner.
‘Three wins on different tyres confirms Pirelli strength’
“The season is proving extremely positive and highly rewarding for us,” said Terenzio Testoni, Pirelli Rally Activity Manager.
The fact that we have won three rallies so far with three different tyre combinations confirms the strength of our entire product range. In Poland, our strategy of nominating the softer tyres from the P Zero asphalt range proved successful: the soft RA7+D and the medium RA7E enabled our drivers to secure victory in their respective categories.
“The medium tyre was particularly decisive thanks to its versatility and reliability in all racing conditions, proving to be the right choice both in the cooler morning temperatures and in the warmer conditions of the afternoon.”
