- Fabian Schulze / Jacqueline Kaiser (DEU) win thanks to their consistent performance in the Peugeot 208 Rally4
- Martin Kainz / Anna-Maria Seidl (DEU) secure victory in the internal Mitropa Rally Club Championship with their Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX
- The 2025 Mitropa Rally Cup champions are confirmed: Hermann Gaßner Jr. wins the overall title, Rino Muradore takes the historic category, and Martin Kainz claims the Club Championship
28-year-old Fabian Schulze, together with co-driver Jacqueline Kaiser, claimed victory in the Mitropa Rally Cup (MRC) classification at the 65th Rallye International du Valais (23–25 October 2025) in Switzerland. Second place went to Italy’s Simone Boscariol / Jasmine Manfredi in a Renault Clio RS R3T, followed by Rüdiger Dilg / Alexander Hirsch (DEU) in a Škoda Fabia Rally2 evo.
Schulze’s consistency paid off from the start. On Thursday evening’s opening stage, a nearly 9 km circuit, the duo set the second-fastest time behind last year’s winners Albert von Thurn und Taxis / Jara Hain (DEU) in a Škoda Fabia RS Rally2. After a brief aquaplaning scare during the morning shakedown, Dilg took a more cautious approach and settled for the third-fastest time on the opening stage.
Friday brought six special stages. Von Thurn und Taxis led the MRC classification overnight, 6:20.3 minutes ahead of Schulze. Dilg’s earlier off during the shakedown caused suspension issues that couldn’t be fully repaired, forcing the team to restart on Saturday under the Super Rally regulations. Boscariol was third, 16:47.0 minutes adrift.
However, heavy rain and even snowfall on Saturday changed everything. Von Thurn und Taxis and Hain slid off the road and retired while leading. The Swiss-German duo Erich Stäheli and Jürgen Nolte (Dacia Logan) also dropped out with technical problems. Of the five MRC teams that started, only three reached the finish in Martigny after 555 kilometers.
In the internal Club Championship, five teams took the start. The win went to Martin Kainz and Anna-Maria Seidl (DEU) in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX, ahead of Italians Nicola Graziadei/Michael Parisotto (Citroën Saxo VTS) and Norberto Droandi/Emanuela Florean (Peugeot 106 Rallye). Championship leaders Olaf and Heike Rachner (DEU, Suzuki Swift Sport MK4) lost their advantage after sliding off the road on the rain-soaked opening stage and damaging a suspension arm. They finished fifth behind their compatriots Christoph Keil and Josef Spath (Peugeot 206 XS).
The overall Mitropa Rally Cup titles in its 60th season are now decided:
Hermann Gaßner Jr. takes his third Mitropa Rally Cup victory (after 2009 and 2019). Driving a Renault Clio Rally3, he ends the season 21 points ahead of Slovakian Robert Kolčák. Third place also goes to the Gaßner family – Hermann Gaßner Sr. finishes on the podium.
In the Mitropa Rally Historic Cup, the standings were settled before the Swiss finale. Italy’s Rino Muradore takes his fifth title (after 2006, 2007, 2021, and 2022), followed by Austrians Thomas Klösch and Alois Nothdurfter.
Martin Kainz (DEU) remains undefeated in the Club Championship, taking the title for the fifth time in a row – and the sixth overall since his first win in 2014. Olaf Rachner (DEU) finishes second, and Italy’s Federico Laurencich takes third.
All champions will receive their trophies at the official Mitropa Rally Cup awards ceremony on 22 November 2025 in Salzburg.
