Following the spectacular Ardeca Ypres Rally, the Porsche Rally Trophy Benelux is heading across the Belgian border for the first time this season this weekend. The destination is the GTC Rally, based in the village of Achtmaal in North Brabant, just a few kilometres from the Belgian border. The event takes place over two days and is regarded as one of the most exciting rallies on Dutch soil.
Incidentally, with the GTC Rally, the 2026 Porsche Rally Trophy Benelux is already halfway through the season.
“As a reminder: each day of competition counts as a separate round, which means that in the Netherlands, the two loops of three special stages each on Friday evening – which fans refer to as the ‘Night of Achtmaal’, after a former Dutch rally that was largely driven in the dark – form the fifth round of the Trophy. On Saturday, there are then two loops of four stages that count as the sixth round of the season,”explains Rudi Penders, who is responsible for managing the Porsche Rally Trophy Benelux with Prospeed.
“The good news is that the three leaders in the 2026 Porsche Rally Trophy Benelux will all be competing on the Dutch tarmac,” continues Yves Matton, Series Manager. “None of them have driven this rally before, so the special stages will be new to everyone.”
Delhez versus Pirot versus Wartique
The leader in the Porsche Rally Trophy Benelux standings following the Rally of Wallonia and the Ardeca Ypres Rally is Romain Delhez. He is determined to retain his lead, especially as he may not be on the starting grid for the Saarland-Pfalz Rally in Germany. The Liège native will, however, have to manage without his regular co-driver Gérôme Bollette this weekend, as he is unable to attend. Jérôme Marchand will take his place – a co-driver with whom Delhez has successfully teamed up in the past.
In the Westhoek, Loïc Pirot surprised friends and foes alike by securing second place on two occasions. In doing so, the Luxembourger has firmly established himself as a title contender, particularly as he intends to complete the entire second half of the season. Trailing Delhez by 32 points in the standings, Pirot – once again with Jean-Baptiste Bodet as his co-driver – is keen to narrow that gap in the Netherlands.
John Wartique only began his campaign in the 2026 Porsche Rally Trophy Benelux at Ypres, but immediately claimed victory in the fourth round of the season – the Saturday stage. He is looking forward to getting back behind the wheel of a 911 GT3 Cup Rally GT-Kit, a car he drove successfully last year. This bolsters his ambition to complete the rest of the championship, making him an immediate and formidable rival for Delhez and Pirot. After all, the former single-seater driver is known for never giving up. Maxime Andernack will once again be in the co-driver’s seat.
In the team category, EMO Sport 2 has brought together the talents of Loïc Pirot and John Wartique. Patrick Emontspool’s team is thus defending its lead in the team standings against RD Racing, Romain Delhez’s team, which is collaborating with the French outfit RSR.
“During the GTC Rally, the 911 GT3 Cup Rally GT-Kit complies with exactly the same technical regulations as in Belgium,”explains Lionel Hansen, who is responsible for the technical aspects of the Trophy . “The only difference is that the top speed is limited to 190 km/h.”
The 2026 GTC Rally will get underway on Friday 10 July at 7.00 pm. Competitors are expected back at the service park around 11.30 pm, meaning that even in mid-July, some special stages will be completed in the dark. On Saturday, the competition resumes at 10.00 am, with stages that also include some unpaved sections. The winners will be announced at around 7.30 pm. A total of 145 kilometres will be covered against the clock across the fourteen special stages. Action guaranteed!
