Chris Ingram (rally driver)

Chris Ingram
Born	(1994-07-07) July 7, 1994 Manchester, England
Occupation	Rally driver
Years active	2010–present
Known for	First Briton in over 50 years to win FIA European Rally Championship (2019); 2024 British Rally Champion

Chris Ingram (born 7 July 1994 in Manchester) is a British rally driver who, in 2019, became the first Briton in over half a century to claim the FIA European Rally Championship (ERC) title. In 2024, he added the British Rally Championship (BRC) crown to his achievements, marking him as the inaugural competitor to secure both ERC and BRC championships. Ingram has also participated in the World Rally Championship (WRC), earning significant results within the WRC2 division. He continues to chase the World Rally Champion title alongside his American co-driver, Alex Kihurani.

Early Career

Starting his rallying journey at age 15, Ingram competed in the F1000 British Junior Rally Championship, finishing runner-up in 2010 and dominating in 2011 by winning six out of seven rounds to claim the championship. Upon receiving his road licence at 17, he transitioned to forest rallies, capturing the RF 1400 class title on his debut behind the wheel of a 1000cc Citroën C1.

In 2012, Ingram made his British Rally Championship debut piloting a Renault Sport Twingo R2, where he secured the Twingo R2 Trophy and also contested France’s Rallye du Var in a Renault Sport Clio R3. His performances that year earned him the MSA Young Driver of the Year award—the first rally driver ever to be honoured with this distinction.

The following year, Ingram stepped onto the European stage by entering the ERC at Ypres Rally and simultaneously made his first appearance in the World Rally Championship (WRC), triumphing in the RC4 category.

ERC Junior Years (2014–2017)

In 2014, Ingram competed in the inaugural ERC Junior Championship and was awarded the Colin McRae Flat Out Award following a crash while leading at the Circuit of Ireland. Later that season, Peugeot UK signed him as their youngest British manufacturer-backed driver since Richard Burns. Partnered with co-driver Gabin Moreau, he won the RC4 class at Wales Rally GB by a margin exceeding two minutes.

During 2015, Ingram completed a full ERC Junior campaign, capturing his first ERC Junior victory at Rallye Açores and earning his second Colin McRae Flat Out Award.

In 2016, after joining Opel Motorsport, he competed across both ERC Junior and ERC3 categories, achieving five consecutive podium finishes and ultimately securing the ERC3 championship with a standout win at Barum Czech Rally Zlín.

The 2017 season saw Ingram driving for Opel’s three-car squad dominate events such as Azores, Gran Canaria, and Rally Liepāja, clinching both the ERC Junior Under 27 and ERC3 titles.

European Rally Championship (2018–2019)

Advancing to four-wheel-drive competition in 2018 with Toksport WRT behind the wheel of a Škoda Fabia R5, Ingram finished fourth overall and topped the ERC Junior U28 category at Azores. He also debuted in WRC2 during Rally Turkey, placing third in class and ninth overall—outperforming notable drivers including Sébastien Ogier.

In 2019, alongside co-driver Ross Whittock, Ingram completed a full ERC season with Toksport, consistently reaching podium positions. Their efforts culminated in winning the FIA European Rally Championship title—the first British crew to achieve this feat since Vic Elford in 1967.

Impact of COVID-19

Following his European championship success in 2019, Ingram's career momentum was significantly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The global health crisis disrupted rally calendars worldwide and constrained sponsorship opportunities. Despite prior achievements, securing a comprehensive WRC program proved challenging due to economic repercussions from the pandemic. He resumed competition in WRC2 with a partial campaign during 2022.

World Rally Championship

Since 2018, Ingram has participated intermittently in the WRC2 category. During the 2022 season, he achieved two wins in the WRC2 Junior class and secured 24 individual stage victories.

At the 2024 Rally Japan event, Ingram recorded the quickest time overall in the Shakedown stage, surpassing all Rally1 competitors—marking a historic first for a Rally2 driver. Unfortunately, he withdrew later in the event due to mechanical complications.

British Rally Champion (2024)

In 2024, Ingram claimed the title of British Rally Champion by winning four out of seven championship rounds:

• Round 1 - Legend Fires North West Stages (Lancashire)
• Round 4 - Grampian Forest Rally (Aberdeen)
• Round 5 - Day 1 of ERC Rali Ceredigion (BRC)
• Round 7 - Cambrian Rally

Throughout the season, he competed behind the wheel of both a Volkswagen Polo GTI R5 and a Toyota GR Yaris Rally2.

WRC-2 results

Year	Entrant	Car	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	WDC	Points
2018	Toksport WRT	Škoda Fabia R5	MON	SWE	MEX	FRA	ARG	POR	ITA	FIN	GER	TUR 3	GBR 12	ESP	AUS	24th	15
2022	Chris Ingram	Škoda Fabia Rally2 evo	MON 7	SWE	CRO 5	POR 3	ITA 4	KEN	EST	FIN	BEL 4	GRE Ret	NZL	ESP	JPN	7th	56

ERC results

rowspan=2 ] #FFDF9F" ] (Barum Rally Zlín) <br />3 rowspan=2]#DFDFDF" ](Cyprus rally) (CYP) (2) rowspan=2]#ffffbf"]1st rowspan=2]#ffffbf"]141 rowspan=2]Škoda Fabia R5 Evo

Year	Entrant	Car	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	ERC	Points
2013	Chris Ingram	Renault Twingo RS R2	JÄN	LIE	CAN	AZO	COR	YPR 30	ROM	CZE	POL	CRO	SAN	VAL	NC	0
2014	Chris Ingram	Renault Twingo RS R2 Evo	JÄN	LIE 30	GRE	IRE Ret	AZO 14	YPR 20	EST					NC	0
		Peugeot 208 R2								CZE 35	CYP	ROM	VAL Ret			COR
2015	Chris Ingram	Peugeot 208 R2	JÄN	LIE 14	IRE 15	AZO 15	YPR Ret	EST Ret	[[2015 Barum Czech Rally Zlín  ] (CZE) <br />Ret   |}
						style=background:#DFFFDF;" ](Rally Hungary) (HUN) (4)

References

Profile of Chris Ingram on eWRC FIA ERC Interview: Take Five with Chris Ingram Ingram’s Strong Performance at Rally Japan mancity.com Feature: Chris Ingram – Love This City Motorsport UK Coverage: Ingram Clinches British Rally Championship After Tough Battle

External links

• Official site