Barum result widens the gap
FIA ERC reported that Team MRF Tyres left Barum Czech Rally Zlín with a larger lead in the 2026 European Rally Championship for Teams. The squad arrived 38 points clear of The Racing Factory–Motorsport Solutions and increased that advantage to 42 points after results from Andrei Gîrtofan and Simone Tempestini.
Two rounds remained when the championship report was published on 20 August. The outcome matters to the title contest, but it does not make Team MRF the confirmed champion. The source describes the team as moving closer to a fourth teams crown, not completing the job.
Two drivers add to the total
Tempestini’s finish supplied part of the points at a moment when completing the event mattered. In the FIA account, he contrasted the result with the previous round in Poland and regarded Zlín as useful experience. The report does not state his exact finishing position or individual points contribution.
Gîrtofan reached the finish of Barum for the first time and also scored ERC Drivers’ points for the first time. He described a demanding rally in which confidence improved as the kilometres accumulated, and his result contributed to the team total.
A milestone without a coronation
The event was Team MRF Tyres’ 50th ERC start. FIA ERC used that milestone to frame a campaign in which scoring by both drivers strengthened the team’s championship position.
The milestone and 42-point lead explain why the official report presents the squad as closing in on another title. With two rounds still scheduled, the evidence supports calling the advantage strong; it does not support calling the contest settled.
Standings require careful wording
The Racing Factory remained second. FIA ERC listed Lancia Corse HF, Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy and JC Raceteknik as the next three teams, completing the reported top five.
One detail in the source is internally inconsistent: its final standings link refers to four rounds even though the surrounding account places Barum before two remaining events. We therefore avoid assigning a completed-round number beyond the source’s clear statement that two were still to come.
Source note
Based on the official FIA ERC report published on 20 August 2026; no later modified date was displayed.