With ten 911 GT3 Cup with Rally GT Kit cars on the starting line of the Ardeca Ypres Rally 2026, spectacular action was guaranteed throughout the two days of competition on the treacherous special stages in the Westhoek. Extremely high temperatures, combined with rain on Saturday morning, made conditions particularly demanding for both crews and machinery, resulting in an exceptionally intense battle.
As the traditional highlight of the Belgian rally season, the Ypres Rally once again lived up to its reputation as one of the most spectacular and challenging events on the calendar. Within the Porsche Rally Trophy Benelux, the separate Friday and Saturday legs claimed several victims, as did the 911 GT3 Cup with Rally GT Kit entries competing outside the championship standings as ‘Guests’.
“Just to remind everyone, Cédric Cherain and Kris Meeke were not eligible for points or prize money in the Porsche Rally Trophy Benelux because of their Guest status,” explained Series Manager Yves Matton. “Unfortunately, both encountered technical issues already on Friday. Cherain was forced to retire, while Meeke restarted on Saturday to entertain the fans with some spectacular driving. He went on to set an impressive series of fastest times among the Porsche field. It was also unfortunate to see French driver Quentin Gilbert retire so early. On the first pass over the Kemmelberg (SS1), he was actually faster than both Cherain and Meeke, earning the five points available in the opening Power Stage, but he went off the road in the second stage. That allowed the other Porsche Rally Trophy Benelux competitors to move into the spotlight.”
On Friday, Romain Delhez and Gérôme Bolette were untouchable. They dominated the rally and claimed victory by 36.6 seconds over Loïc Pirot and Jean-Baptiste Bodet. For the driver from Liège, it marked a third consecutive victory after his double success at the Rally of Wallonia, confirming his status as one of the favourites for this year’s title. Remarkably, neither of the top two crews had much, if any, previous experience of the Ypres Rally stages.
Newcomers John Wartique and Maxime Andernack completed the first podium of the weekend, ahead of Glenn Janssens and Karen Jansen, who secured victory in the Masters category. Wim Meulders and Werner Frank also reached the finish of an especially demanding opening leg. The same could not be said for John De Wilde and Isidoor Smets, who retired with gearbox failure, nor for Melissa Debackere and Marlon Krieger, who were forced to stop after a minor collision damaged their radiator. Debackere opted not to restart on Saturday in order to preserve her budget and return later this season.
On Saturday, the clocks were reset, but this time Romain Delhez’s luck ran out. He retired early with an electronic control unit failure. Although he rejoined under the Super Rally regulations, his event came to a definitive end after going off the road on Dikkebus 2. Despite this setback, he remains the championship leader after Ypres.
The battle for victory then developed into an exciting duel between Loïc Pirot and John Wartique. Wartique made his mark by taking his first victory of the season, finishing 35.8 seconds clear of Pirot after the thirteen special stages of Saturday’s leg. Glenn Janssens completed the podium and once again won the Masters category, finishing ahead of John De Wilde both overall and in class. Wim Meulders was less fortunate, retiring after a collision due to back pain, although his Porsche remained undamaged. We wish him a speedy recovery.
“RD Racing/RSR won on Friday, but in the end EMO Sport 2 came away with the biggest reward in Ypres thanks to John Wartique’s Saturday victory,” explained Rudi Penders, whose ProSpeed organisation manages the Porsche Rally Trophy Benelux. “Patrick Emontspool’s team enjoyed an outstanding weekend overall, with Loïc Pirot, driving for EMO Sport 1, finishing second on both competition days.”
Following the Ypres Rally, Romain Delhez remains at the top of the drivers’ standings with 88 points despite his Saturday retirement. Loïc Pirot follows with 56 points, while John Wartique climbs to third with 48 points after his successful debut. In the teams’ standings, EMO Sport 2 leads the way with 93 points, ahead of RD Racing on 75 points and Dekens Motorsport on 64 points.
In less than two weeks, the Porsche Rally Trophy Benelux 2026 heads to the Netherlands for the GTC Rally on 11 and 12 July.
Successful debut for the 2.0!
As announced, Simon Jean-Joseph took the start in Ypres with the 911 GT3 Cup with Rally GT Kit 2.0, the car that represents the future of the Trophy. He competed outside the classification as the official zero car, carrying the symbolic starting number 911.
“After an initial, deliberately cautious shakedown and a number of adjustments, the car’s setup and development quickly progressed in the right direction,” said Lionel Hansen, the technical manager behind Porsche’s return to rallying. “By the end of the weekend, Simon was extremely enthusiastic. He praised the progress that had been made and, above all, highlighted how much he enjoyed the unique atmosphere of the Ypres Rally and the Belgian fans’ passion for both rallying and this iconic event.”
