The opening round of the 2026 Stellantis Rally Trophy UK took crews to the Severn Valley Stages as part of the Motorsport UK British Rally Championship – and proved to be a demanding start to the season, with fast Welsh forest stages serving up a thrilling battle throughout the Rally4 ranks.
After a competitive day on some of the most iconic gravel stages in British rallying, Riley Chester and co-driver Robbie Sandford emerged as the leading Stellantis Rally Trophy UK crew, guiding their Peugeot 208 Rally4 to an impressive second place overall in class after a mature and consistent performance.
Teammates Sam Mason and James Seymour completed the podium in third, ensuring a double podium finish for the UCRC Rally Team-run Peugeot squad. While both crews finished over a minute behind the category winners, they showed encouraging pace throughout the event and firmly established themselves as early championship contenders.
Much of the attention during the rally centred around Charlie Mathewson and Josh Carr, who looked set for a strong result after running firmly in contention for second place and even claiming a stage victory during the day.
However, heartbreak struck on the final stage when the pair suffered an off in the closing miles, damaging their Peugeot 208 Rally4. Despite nursing the wounded car to the finish, the lost time would ultimately see them tumble down the order in a cruel end to an otherwise impressive performance. Luke Constantine and Ifan Devine brought their Opel Corsa Rally4 home in fourth as they continue to bed into the new machinery on gravel.
The Severn Valley Stages marks an encouraging start for the Stellantis Rally Trophy UK competitors, with strong pace, stage-winning potential and close competition already setting the tone for what promises to be an exciting season ahead. Next, the series switches to tar for the Jim Clark Rally in Scotland.
