Nikolay Gryazin came out on top, driving his Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 to victory in the 2025 Rally Sierra Morena, the opening round of the ERC season. Gryazin finished the rally with a solid lead, securing first place ahead of Frenchman Yoann Bonato, who ended up 46 seconds behind. Spanish José Antonio „Cohete” Suárez completed the ERC podium, 1 minute and 24.8 seconds back, while also taking the win in the Spanish Superchampionship (S-CER) for the second round in a row.
The final day of the rally saw plenty of action and a few surprises. Early on, Jon Armstrong was forced to retire after a spin in the first Sunday stage, Cerrobejuelas, damaged his suspension. Spanish sensation Alejandro Cachón, who was at the time second overall, also went off the road in the same stage. He decided to retire due to the time lost. Although disappointed, Cachón took it in stride, saying he was happy with his pace and saw the event as valuable preparation for the upcoming Rally Islas Canarias.
More drama followed in the morning loop. Simone Tempestini retired after going off about 5 kilometers into the third stage (Ermitas – Trassierra). That stage was later neutralised due to a separate incident involving Italian driver Ceci Dei.
In the afternoon, Mabellini impressed by winning the Power Stage, just 0.4 seconds ahead of Gryazin. Marczyk came in third, 3.5 seconds behind, while Bonato and Marczyk both posted a time of 6:50.0, tying for fourth. However, this stage also ended up being neutralized after car 60, driven by Saraiva, crashed just after the finish line.
Thierry Neuville and Elfyn Evans, retired from the event to avoid scoring points . Both were using Sierra Morena as a test session ahead of Rally Islas Canarias later this month (24–27 April), primarily to try out Hankook tyres on tarmac.
One of the standout stories of the rally was former F1 driver Jos Verstappen, who made his ERC debut. He finished 13th overall and claimed the top spot in the new ERC Masters category. While happy with the win, Verstappen remained focused on his long-term goals, stating, “It’s fine to win the Masters but that’s not what we came for. We want to get closer to the top guys […] there are a lot of things to improve and to learn.”
In the support categories, Tristan Charpentier won ERC3, while Sergi Pérez Jr. claimed victory in both ERC4 and Junior ERC.
On the national front, the Rally Sierra Morena was also a round of the S-CER. „Cohete” Suárez took a commanding win followed by Javier Pardo and Pepe López.
All in all, the Rally Sierra Morena delivered a spectacular start to the ERC season, with thrilling battles, challenging conditions, and plenty of stories for rally fans to follow as the championship continues.
Overall Championship Standings after Sierra Morena (rd. 1)
