As close as it gets! Stellantis Cup season is delivering a thriller..
Four rounds into the 2025 Stellantis Motorsport Rally Cup IRE & UK, the championship battle is already delivering on its promise of close competition, unpredictable outcomes and rising young stars. With dominant drives, dramatic comebacks and fierce intra-team rivalries, the opening half of the season has set the stage for a gripping fight for the coveted €40,000 prize drive in the FIA European Rally Championship.
The season began on the tarmac roads of Clonakilty at the West Cork Rally, where Kyle McBride made an immediate statement of intent. The Donegal driver was in imperious form in his Peugeot 208 Rally4, setting the fastest Stellantis Cup time on every stage across the weekend. It was a complete performance that saw him take a commanding early lead in the standings. For a driver returning to the series with renewed focus, it was the perfect start.
However, McBride’s early momentum was short-lived. At round two the Carlisle Stages, he hit trouble, opening the door for a resurgent Joe Kelly to capitalise. Having crashed out in West Cork, Kelly arrived in Carlisle with a point to prove and wasted no time in doing so. On the fast gravel roads of Northumberland, he dominated from the start, winning every stage and building a margin of over 45 seconds by the finish. It was a dramatic turnaround that put Kelly firmly back in the title conversation.
Just three weeks later, the Cup returned to tarmac for the iconic Rally of the Lakes in Killarney. Once again, Kelly was the man to beat. While the pace at the front was tighter than at Kielder, Kelly executed a smart and controlled performance, fending off early pressure to secure his second consecutive win. His calm approach under pressure suggested a driver growing in maturity and confidence. Behind him, Kalum Graffin edged out Jack Brennan in a tense scrap for second place, Graffin earning his first Cup prize voucher of the year in the process.
Heading into the fourth round, it was Kelly who had the upper hand in the points, but McBride wasn’t about to back down. At the Donegal International Rally, his home event, McBride returned to winning ways in dominant fashion. Fastest on every stage across Friday, he built a lead that not even a spirited Saturday push from Kelly could overturn. The victory brought him back into serious championship contention and served as a reminder of the raw pace that made him an early favourite.
With four rounds down and four to go, the 2025 Stellantis Cup title race is finely poised. Kelly leads the standings with two wins, but McBride is just six points adrift and brimming with confidence. Meanwhile, Brennan’s consistent run of top-four finishes, including third in Donegal has kept him in touch, despite not yet standing on the top step of the podium.
As the championship prepares to switch back to gravel for the Grampian Forest Rally in August, the pressure is beginning to mount. With events on varied surfaces still to come and little to separate the top three, every second and every point will count.
The first half of the season has delivered everything fans could have hoped for: tight battles, comeback stories, and breakout performances. The second half promises even more, as Ireland and the UK’s top young rally talent continue their quest for one of the sport’s most valuable prize drives. The title fight is far from over.