Constantine crowned Stellantis Rally Trophy UK champion in Ceredigion thriller
Luke Constantine and Ifan Devine secured the 2026 Stellantis Rally Trophy UK title in spectacular fashion at Rally Ceredigion, wrapping up the championship with a round to spare and earning themselves a coveted prize drive in Hungary later this year.
The Opel Corsa Rally4 pairing arrived in west Wales with a sizeable championship advantage over closest rivals Sam Mason and Riley Chester, but with two opportunities to score points across a unique double-header weekend and the added threat of Stellantis Rally Cup Ireland leader Oran England making his Junior BRC and Stellantis Rally Trophy UK debut; the title was far from a foregone conclusion.
Constantine and Devine, however, produced exactly the performance required when it mattered most.
The weekend began under the cover of darkness on Friday night, with the opening leg of Rali Ceredigion providing one of the toughest challenges of the season. The narrow, technical Welsh lanes were made even more demanding by the lack of visibility, but Constantine showed impressive confidence and commitment to emerge from the darkness with a 15-second lead over England at the end of the opening leg.
With Round Four points on offer on Saturday, England launched his fightback in daylight, steadily eating into Constantine’s advantage as the battle at the head of the Junior BRC and Stellantis field intensified.
The Irishman ultimately edged the Corsa driver by just 2.1 seconds to take the Round Four victory, with Mason completing the podium and Chester fourth.
Constantine’s second place, however, kept his championship campaign firmly on track – and set up a dramatic conclusion to the weekend.
Sunday’s second points-paying encounter was scheduled to feature four stages and more than 62 competitive kilometres, but deteriorating conditions and the unforgiving nature of the Welsh lanes would dramatically alter the contest.
Three of the four stages were cancelled for the Stellantis runners following incidents involving crews in the international field. One of those incidents involved England, who suffered a heavy impact with a tree. England and co-driver Mullen were taken for precautionary medical checks following the incident.
With the entire weekend ultimately coming down to a single final-stage shootout for Round Five honours, Constantine knew exactly what was required.
Determined to claim the maximum points available, Constantine attacked the final test and stopped the clocks 25 seconds faster than Mason, securing victory and the maximum championship score.
More importantly, the result put the championship beyond reach with one round still remaining.
As Constantine and Devine climbed onto the podium in Aberystwyth, they could finally celebrate becoming the 2026 Stellantis Rally Trophy UK champions.
It was a fitting reward for a season that has seen the pair consistently demonstrate the speed and composure required to fight at the sharp end of the Rally4 field, with their Ceredigion performance highlighting their ability to deliver when the pressure was at its highest.
The title also comes with a significant prize. Constantine and Devine will now turn their attention to an exciting international opportunity, with their championship reward including a prize drive in Hungary, followed by a test in a Lancia Ypsilon HF Integrale Rally2 in November.
Before then, Constantine has another title firmly in his sights. The newly crowned Stellantis Rally Trophy UK champion will head into October’s final Junior BRC round with the opportunity to add the Junior British Rally Championship title to his growing list of achievements.