EUROPEAN RALLYCROSS SET FOR MONDELLO RETURN AS TOHILL DOMINATES WINTER DOUBLE-HEADER
The FIA European Rallycross Championship is coming back to Ireland for the first time in 30 years, with Mondello Park confirmed as a round of the 2026 series next July. The news broke in the days leading up to last weekend’s Irish Rallycross Championship double-header, where newly crowned British Rallycross Champion Derek Tohill delivered a commanding performance.
Tohill arrived in Mondello carrying the GB1 plate on his Peugeot 208 WRX after sealing his second 5 Nations British title earlier in November. He also led the Irish series and was targeting a tenth straight national crown. Mixed winter conditions and a strong Supercar entry meant nothing was guaranteed, but the Dubliner and the PFCRX/DA Racing crew controlled both days from the front.
Across the two rounds, Tohill won both Supercar finals and both Superfinals, extending his Irish championship advantage and closing out his 2025 programme on a high. The weekend also doubled as a test session, with the team trialling small upgrades to the 208 WRX.
The confirmation that Ireland will host a European round again was the major talking point in the paddock. Mondello will join a six-event Euro RX calendar scheduled for next summer and marks the championship’s first visit to Ireland since the mid-1990s.
Tohill said the return of European Rallycross is a milestone moment.
“This is monumental for rallycross in our country,” he said. “Euro RX events were the reason I went racing in Europe, but I’ve never had a home round. To finally have one is fantastic. It’s a huge opportunity, but it will take massive work from Motorsport Ireland, the rallycross community and volunteers. Events like Loheac in France need over 700 people to run — that shows the scale of what’s ahead. If we all pull together, we can make Mondello a permanent stop on the European calendar.”
The double-header wrapped up Tohill’s competitive year, which also included collecting his 2024–2025 Irish Rallycross Championship trophy at the Motorsport Ireland Champions of Motorsport Awards earlier this month.
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