On the high, forested plateau of Belgium’s Eifel, the East Belgian Rally has become the championship’s late-season pressure valve: one day, twelve specials and a grid that reads like a “best of” list for European tarmac. For 2026, the story is simple and satisfying. Fifteen RC2 cars, more than a dozen Porsche 992 Rally GTs and a supporting cast of Alpine A110s, Peugeot 205s and Escort Mk2s turn Saint-Vith and its five surrounding communes into a rolling showcase of speed, noise and rally heritage.
At the front, the BRC title may already be decided, but pride and momentum are not. Jos Verstappen and Maxime Potty arrive as double champions in their respective fights, yet neither has a 2026 win at this event to their name. Verstappen, in the familiar Škoda Fabia RS Rally2, is the favourite: precise, fast and under pressure to convert pace into victory before the season closes. Potty makes his first competitive outing in the compact Lancia Ypsilon Rally2, a car that blends small dimensions with serious punch; if it clicks on these flowing stages, his title year could end with a flourish.
Behind them, Grégoire Munster and Damien Withers in the Hyundai i20 N Rally2 are the obvious spoilers. Withers knows these roads intimately – he has won here before – and the Hyundai’s balance suits the mix of fast connectors and tight village sections that define Büllingen, St‑Vith and Burg‑Reuland. Steven Dolfen’s Škoda Fabia Evo Rally2 and a strong supporting cast of Fabia RS, Citroën C3 and Ford Fiesta Rally2 crews ensure that a single mistake can drop a top driver out of the top five.
The local story, though, belongs to Tom Heindrichs. Born and raised in the German-speaking part of Belgium, the 22-year-old calls Saint-Vith and its surrounding Eifelgemeinden home. After winning the 2025 ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup and running a partial Junior ERC campaign in an Opel Corsa Rally4, he now steps up to a full Citroën C3 Rally2 for his “home” round. This is the same event where he made his BRC debut in 2022 in a Clio R3T; four years on, he returns with PH Sport by i4Race, targeting a strong showing in front of friends, family and local fans. Expect him to be aggressive early, especially on the long, commitment-heavy runs through Büllingen and Burg‑Reuland.
If the RC2 fight is the headline, the Porsche Rally Trophy Benelux is the spectacle. More than a dozen Porsche 992 Rally GT and RGT cars fill the entry, turning the East Belgian Rally into a rear-drive 911 festival. Romain Delhez and Loïc Pirot look like the pace-setters, managing tyres and temperature over three loops on abrasive Eifel tarmac. John Wartique needs a strong result to keep his Trophy hopes alive, while PJM Cracco’s smooth style could pay off in the final loop when others are managing grip. The image is irresistible: a long train of air-cooled and water-cooled 911s sliding through the same forests that host WRC and ERC rounds just a few hours’ drive away.
Alongside 92 modern entries, 38 historic and Youngtimer cars ensure that this is as much a celebration of rallying’s past as its present. In the Youngtimer classes, Olivier Breittmayer’s Alpine A110 and Guy Grosjean’s Peugeot 205 sit among a sea of BMW E30 and E36 M3s, trading lightweight French finesse and hot-hatch agility for German brute force. The historic field reads like a “greatest hits” list: Ford Escort Mk1 and Mk2s in multiple classes, Porsche 911s from the 1970s, Lancia Delta Integrales and even an Audi Quattro. For purists, the chance to see an Escort Mk2 or a Delta Integrale charging through Burg‑Reuland at dusk is worth the trip alone.
The route is compact but demanding: four stages – Büllingen (14.04 km), Bütgenbach (6.30 km), St‑Vith (12.04 km) and Burg‑Reuland (13.67 km) – each run three times, with two 30-minute service windows back in Saint-Vith. Total timed distance is 138.15 km, but the day stretches to nearly 420 km of route, so concentration and tyre management matter as much as raw pace. First car starts just before 09:00 on Saturday; the final run through Burg‑Reuland begins just after 20:00, with the finish ramp expected to light up around 21:00.
For spectators, the hub is the cultural centre “Triangel” in Saint-Vith: start/finish, service park and media centre. Shakedown runs on Thursday evening at Deidenberg near Amel, offering an early chance to see the field in action. Tickets are straightforward: full Saturday access €30, single stage €15, shakedown €15, and an official programme with stage maps for €5.
Fans can see a lot of variety with a ŠkodaFabia RS Rally2, a Porsche 992 Rally GT, an Alpine A110 and a Ford Escort Mk2 all flat-out through the flowing roads.
