Cold conditions, big moments, and a decisive Rally2 battle..
Saturday 17 January 2026 delivered exactly what the MGJ Winter Rally Stages promised — a proper winter test at Brands Hatch. Round 4 of the Protyre Circuit Rally Championship unfolded under cold temperatures, with slippery and potentially icy patches keeping crews honest from the opening stage.
Despite the conditions, there was a noticeable uplift in attendance compared to last year, with fans braving the cold to watch cars slide, scrabble for grip, and occasionally find the limits of the tarmac a little too abruptly.
The rally didn’t take long to bite. Stage 1 was stopped early following an off for Mark Gellatly and Harriet Worth, their Citroën C3 ending up in the gravel trap. It was an early reminder that precision — not outright aggression — would be the key to surviving the day.
Moments later, Bradley Carroll and Gareth Short slid their Ford Escort Mk2 into the gravel and became stranded. While still stuck, they were struck by Ryan Fagan and Harry Walsh in the Ford Fiesta R5 — another example of how quickly situations escalated as grip levels fluctuated corner to corner.
The opening stages saw widespread sliding, lock-ups, and compromised lines, but they also produced the biggest time gaps of the rally. Crews who adapted quickly to the surface were immediately rewarded.
Pace vs Patience
Michael Igoe and Will Atkins, along with Stuart Maloney and Kristian Yearwood, emerged early as the benchmark, setting strong sector times while others struggled to commit on the cold surface. Behind them, attrition began to play its part — car number 60 retiring with clutch and gearbox issues as the rally wore on.
A major talking point came just before the lunch break when O’Donovan and Grube were disqualified after contact with cones at a circuit split, an infringement that proved costly. It was a bitter blow for a crew who had led the event into the break and looked firmly in control.
A Rally2 fight to the end
At the front, the battle crystallised into a straight fight between Igoe/Atkins and Richard Weatherley with Shaun Layland in another Citroën C3 Rally2. The pair traded stage times through the afternoon in a measured, high-quality contest — until a major oil leak forced Weatherley into retirement late in the rally.
That moment handed momentum decisively back to Igoe and Atkins, who kept things clean and controlled through the final stages to secure victory.
The podium
1st — Michael Igoe / Will Atkins (Citroën C3 Rally2)
2nd — Stuart Maloney / Kristian Yearwood (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2)
3rd — John Stone / Rhys Stoneman (Volkswagen Polo GTI R5)
At the flag, the margins told their own story — just 18 seconds covering first to second, and 29 seconds back to third after a full day of pressure, patience, and precision.
PLN perspective
This was winter rallying exactly as it should be. Tricky conditions, relentless pressure, and no room for complacency. The MGJ Winter Rally Stages once again proved why circuit rallying remains such a compelling discipline — close proximity to the action, constant jeopardy, and stories unfolding at every corner.
At Brands Hatch, survival mattered just as much as speed. And in 2026, Michael Igoe and Will Atkins mastered both.
