Wide-open competition defines mid-season WRC2 title fight
The 2026 WRC2 championship reaches its midway point with Nikolay Gryazin holding a slim lead in the standings. Following a victory at FORUM8 Rally Japan, Gryazin sits at the top of the leaderboard with 56 points, narrowly ahead of a three-way tie between Yohan Rossel, Roope Korhonen, and Léo Rossel, who each trail by four points. Alejandro Cachón remains firmly in contention in fifth, having displayed consistent speed throughout the opening half of the season.
Competition has been exceptionally diverse, with six different drivers claiming victory across the first seven events. The introduction of the Lancia Ypsilon Rally2 HF has shifted the dynamic, as Yohan Rossel secured back-to-back asphalt wins in Croatia and the Canary Islands. Meanwhile, Toyota’s GR Yaris Rally2 has proven a formidable force, clinching wins through both Korhonen and Teemu Suninen, while Citroën and Škoda continue to play central roles in a dense, competitive field.
The battle for the title is further complicated by the series' unique scoring structure, where drivers nominate seven rallies, with only their best six results counting toward the final tally. As the season progresses into challenging events like the Acropolis Rally and high-speed rounds in Estonia and Finland, the championship remains unpredictable. With the top contenders separated by such thin margins, strategic event selection and the potential for discarded scores will be decisive factors in the second half of the year.
