With no fewer than eight 911 GT3 Cup with Rally GT Kit cars on the start list of the 2026 East Belgian Rally, Sankt-Vith was the place to be last Saturday for some proper rally action. And the expectations were certainly met. Alongside the fastest times set by Frenchman Thomas Anacleto with Marie Stirling (Gilbert Compétition), it was above all the grand slam by John Wartique and Maxime Andernack (Gilbert Compétition) in the Porsche Rally Trophy Benelux that made an impression…
Since joining the Porsche Rally Trophy in Ypres, John Wartique and Maxime Andernack have continued their rise. In Sankt-Vith, the duo secured their third victory of the season. That win, combined with the fastest time on the Power Stage, also puts them at the top of the standings. Two rounds remain in the championship, both of which will be contested at the end of November during the Spa Rally.
“As announced, the points were doubled during the East Belgian Rally,” said Yves Matton, Series Manager. “Due to the misfortune suffered by Romain Delhez with Gérôme Bollette (RD Racing / RSR), who scored no points this weekend, Wartique takes over the lead in the standings, ahead of Loïc Pirot with Jean-Baptiste Bodet (EMO Sport). In fact, all three are still in contention for the title in Spa. John Wartique obviously has an advantage, but Loïc Pirot and Romain Delhez have not had their final say yet!”
Romain Delhez, with Gérôme Bollette alongside him, suffered misfortune in Sankt-Vith. After one stage in the final loop of the rally, the Liège-based driver was leading, with a 12.7-second advantage over John Wartique and Maxime Andernack. However, a problem decided otherwise. With double points on offer at the East Belgian Rally, Delhez also suffered a setback in the championship. He drops to provisional third place in the 2026 Porsche Rally Trophy Benelux, 44 points behind the leader. His fate is therefore no longer in his own hands.
With their second place in eastern Belgium, Loïc Pirot and Jean-Baptiste Bodet remain in contention for the title. The driver from Luxembourg province admits that he was a little too cautious at certain moments, but continues to collect valuable points. During the double-header finale in Spa, he will be able to fight for the title all the way…
Frenchman Thomas Anacleto, with Marie Stirling as his co-driver, once again showed just how fast he is. Although he was still discovering the Sankt-Vith stages, he set the fastest overall time three times (SS2, SS5 and SS6). A puncture on SS4 cost him considerable time, after which he went off the road and was forced to retire. One thing is certain: Anacleto, who we have seen in action twice in Belgium this season, has certainly made an impression!
Johan Dekens with Rutger Govaerts (Dekens Motorsport) had been leading the Masters classification from the start of the rally. He had decided to treat himself by taking the wheel of one of the 911 GT3 Cup with Rally GT Kit cars entered by his own team, Dekens Motorsport. Dekens looked set for a podium finish in Sankt-Vith. Unfortunately, he went off the road on the penultimate stage. The crew was unharmed, but their rally came to an abrupt end…
For Pieter-Jan Michiel Cracco, accompanied by Jordy Cruys (Dekens Motorsport), things already went wrong on SS3, Sankt-Vith 1. A hard landing after the jump at Maspelt caused a problem. The Belgian driver lost around ten minutes and with it any chance of a strong result. He resumed the rally with just one goal: to enjoy himself. In the end, he remarkably returned to Sankt-Vith in third place on the Porsche Rally Trophy Benelux podium!
Frank Jorissen and Jeff Mullens (Dekens Motorsport) had very little luck in their first rally behind the wheel of the Porsche. A problem immediately forced them back to service. At the start of the second loop, they resumed the rally under the Super Rally regulations, but had to retire again later on, this time for good.
For local driver Rainer Hermann and Horst Cohnen (EMO Sport), the goal was clear: to enjoy themselves as much as possible during their home rally. He experienced driving the Porsche for the first time and made a few mistakes that cost him valuable time. The Sankt-Vith driver eventually had to throw in the towel after SS10 with a damaged rear wishbone.
EMO Sport 2 are champions!
Alongside the performances of the various crews, the penultimate round of the season also saw the first championship title being celebrated! Gilbert Compétition, which entered the cars of John Wartique and Thomas Anacleto, is not registered for the championship. Although we should see the French outfit return to the Porsche Rally Trophy Benelux next year, EMO Sport 2 once again scored a strong haul of points with Loïc Pirot and Jean-Baptiste Bodet. As a result, Patrick Emontspool’s team secured the teams’ title before the double-header finale of the Spa Rally.
“For the second time this season, three crews lined up in the Masters classification,” continues Julien Frère, coordinator of the Porsche Rally Trophy Benelux. “It is the perfect proof that our competitioncontinues to grow and is also attracting more experienced drivers, who are mainly taking part to have fun. Unfortunately, Frank Jorissen, Rainer Hermann and Johan Dekens did not make it to the finish. They experienced some bad luck, but nevertheless enjoyed driving the 911 GT3 Cup with Rally GT Kit on the spectacular stages of Sankt-Vith. We are looking forward to what comes next…”
In just under two months, on 28 and 29 November, the Porsche Rally Trophy Benelux will conclude with the Spa Rally. Will it be John Wartique and Maxime Andernack? Loïc Pirot and Jean-Baptiste Bodet? Romain Delhez and Gérôme Bollette? Everything is still possible…
Championship standings ahead of the Spa Rally:
• Drivers: 1. John WARTIQUE 155 – 2. Loïc PIROT 143 – 3. Romain DELHEZ 111 – 4. Tom RENSONNET 42 – 5. Dylan HENRARD 31 – 6. Glenn JANSSENS 30 – 7. Sébastien INCARDONA 29 – 8. Pieter-Jan Michiel CRACCO 27 – 9. John DE WILDE 14 – 10. Wim MEULDERS 10 – 11. Thomas ANACLETO & Quentin GILBERT 5 – 13. Melissa DEBACKERE 1.
• Teams: 1. EMO Sport 2 201 – 2. RD Racing 93 – 3. DEKENS MOTORSPORT 1 82 – 4. EMO SPORT 1 55 – 5. DEKENS MOTORSPORT 2 12.
