Rallying in 2026 has been a wild ride, and as if we already have not had enough of epic final rounds, here is one more to add to the list. Osian Pryce and co-driver James Morgan have won the British Rally Championship, beating out young hopeful Max McRae in the final round by just over a second. It is Pryce’s second BRC title, and another spectacular rallying victory for Wales this year.
The season started strong for Pryce, winning the Severn Valley Stages despite difficult conditions and putting himself into a comfortable early lead, with fellow Welshmen Meirion Evans and co-driver Dale Furniss close behind in second place. In the second round however, it was Max McRae and co-driver Cameron Fair who were putting the pressure on at the Jim Clark Rally in the Scottish Borders, finding impressive stage times on the Friday to take the overnight lead, while Pryce and Evans struggled with their Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 cars. After McRae’s win on the Saturday, the championship fight was truly on. The Grampian Forest Rally saw another win for Pryce while McRae took the first rally of the double-header at Rali Ceredigion, and played his joker to earn an extra five points that snuck him into the lead ahead of his main rival. Disaster then struck in the second rally for Pryce as a mechanical issue on stage 14 forced him to retire, while Evans took the victory.
However, it all concluded in spectacular fashion at the Cambrian Rally in Wales, the final round of the season, where either Pryce, Evans, or McRae could clinch the title. Pryce was on the backfoot going into the rally, while all eyes were on McRae, whose father Alister won the BRC in 1995. The drivers faced harsh winds and torrential rainfall, which proved a hefty challenge as they raced against the clock. On stage three, McRae lost a crucial 15 seconds when he spun, which bumped Pryce into the lead. Sadly for Evans, his season was over by stage five as he was forced to retire after going off the road. This brought it all down to the battle between Pryce and McRae. But while the young contender threw everything he had at the final stage and was able to significantly close the margin to Pryce, in the end it was not enough. By a mere 1.2 seconds, the Welshman secured the BRC title for a second time.
It has been an incredibly exciting year for rallying, with three thrilling final rounds all happening in the same month of October, where championships have been decided down to the last corners and the last seconds. It has been an exciting year for Wales too, now with double championship victories in the same year, as Elfyn Evans won the World Rally Championship only 20 days before Pryce’s own victory. As we look to the future of the sport, there are exciting changes on the horizon, with new regulations happening internally while broadcasting agreements will be making rallying more accessible for people to watch. This should mean that within the next few years it will begin to see more traction too, to rival the days of Group B cars and the height of the sport’s popularity. Pryce and Morgan have worked tremendously as a team in this championship, unwavering in the face of difficulties, and been exemplary in showing the skill involved in rallying. Young talent, such as McRae, is vital in keeping the sport alive too, and hopefully this year has inspired the next generation of champions.
Photo by Abed Ismail on Unsplash under the Unsplash license.
