{"id":7754,"date":"2025-11-30T18:26:31","date_gmt":"2025-11-30T16:26:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mijnrally.be\/the-rally-watchlist-for-2026\/"},"modified":"2025-12-02T11:35:57","modified_gmt":"2025-12-02T09:35:57","slug":"the-rally-watchlist-for-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mijnrally.be\/en\/the-rally-watchlist-for-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"The rally watchlist for 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

For years now, together with a team of talented photographers, I have been closely following the Belgian Rally Championship. Every year we publish a physical BRC yearbook (RallyRecap)<\/g>, with ten additional championships in addition to the Rally2 story, each with its own A4 page. From that experience, in this article I highlight the people who made the biggest impression on me this year. <\/em><\/p>\n\n

Let’s start with the two riders who caught everyone’s eye this year.<\/h4>\n\n

Jos Verstappen <\/strong>dominated the championship and became the second foreigner in the last four years to call himself Belgian champion. In the field, I often hear comments that the level in Belgium is not that high anymore. Personally, I find that big nonsense; just take a good look at the last two foreigners who became champions. St\u00e9phane Lefebvre is an impressive pilot, it is not easy to become a factory driver in the WRC. Every race the Frenchman takes part in, he is immediately among the favorites. <\/p>\n\n

And then there is Verstappen. Even with him, you don’t just appear at the start of an F1 race 106 times. Whether you want to admit it or not, the Dutchman has talent, and talent does not perish. He proved that with his incredibly fast progression in rallying. In 2022, he was at the start of a rally race for the first time, in Haspengouw. Three years later, he crowned himself champion of Belgium – what an achievement! <\/p>\n\n