The Castrol MEM Rally Team begins its 2026 British Rally Championship campaign on this weekend’s Severn Valley Stages (Saturday 11 April), with new team-mates Meirion Evans and Osian Pryce ready to challenge for both the drivers’ titles in a pair of Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 cars.
Meirion heads to the opening round looking for his first major rally win on gravel – although a puncture near the end of the 2025 Malcolm Wilson Rally and a spin on the final stage of the recent Rally North Wales denied him a certain well-deserved victory on both occasions.
Together with co-driver Dale Furniss (from Llanfyllin in Powys), Meirion tested his Pirelli-shod Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 in Gorsedd Bran forest (Denbighshire) yesterday – with the 30-year old from Lampeter in Carmarthenshire making subtle set-up changes that have improved the car.
Osian got his first taste of the Toyota GR Yaris Rally2’s performance at the same Castrol MEM Rally Team test and immediately gelled with the Michelin-shod car.
The 33-year old Machynlleth-born driver won the Severn Valley Stages in 2024 and is seeded at number one on what is the 2022 British champion’s 125th rally start, meaning that he’ll run as the first BRC car on the road.
Osian will be reunited this weekend with James Morgan (from Llandysul in Ceredigion). They’ve only contested one event together before, the Cambrian Rally 10 years ago.
With just over 50 stage miles, this Saturday’s Severn Valley Stages (which has a ceremonial start and finish in Llandrindod Wells and a midday service halt at the Royal Welsh Showground in Llanelwedd) will be a flat-out blast from the very beginning – with little margin for error in the classic mid-Wales forests of Sarnau, Myherin and Tarenig.
Meirion Evans said: “I’m looking forward to this weekend’s Severn Valley Stages, as it’s nice to get the show on the road again. We’re starting the new season aiming for some more strong results and hoping to challenge for rally victories and the BRC title like we did last year.
“We had a good test yesterday and made some very positive steps with the Toyota Yaris. The car worked well on Rally North Wales, but I felt there were some things that could be improved and by exploring a few things during the test I feel that we’ve made some steps in that direction. Hopefully that will help this weekend.
“In fact, as the road was wet in the morning and dry in the afternoon, it was nice to get a mix of conditions which should benefit us not just for this weekend’s Severn Valley Stages but the season ahead.”
Osian Pryce said: “Having now driven the Toyota GR Yaris Rally2, I don’t see any reason why we shouldn’t be aiming for a win on the Severn Valley Stages this weekend.
“There wasn’t much doubt in my mind that I’d gel with the car, yet it was still reassuring to know that everything I’d heard about the Toyota was correct and I felt comfortable in it straight away.
“I’m also happy with being seeded at car number one. At the end of the day, I won the rally two years ago, so it’s our turn to run first on the road and I’m looking forward to it. Having a clean road ahead might even suit me. It is what it is, and we’ll have to wait and see how that plays out.”
