Why Ingram’s British title means more than it seems

Few stop-lines in the world of rallying invoke memories like Brenig does.

Who could forget Elfyn Evans’ maiden World Rally Championship success there, or the crowning moment of Sebastien Ogier’s emotional world title with M-Sport Ford. And those were both in the same year!

Wind the clock forwards seven seasons, and last weekend it was Chris Ingram’s turn. This may have not been for the world title, but Ingram’s coronation as British Rally Champion meant just as much for very different reasons.

Ingram’s quest in the British Rally Championship this year has been about creating a new narrative, re-establishing himself and using it as a springboard for bigger and better things.

DirtFish caught up with the now 30-year-old who revealed why this championship title means so much to him, and what it could mean for his future.

The risk in his success

Signing up to contest a full British Rally Championship campaign with Wales’ Melvyn Evans Motorsport outfit – first piloting a Volkswagen Polo GTI R5 before swapping to a Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 mid-season – was undoubtedly huge news for the BRC and British rallying in general.

But it was potentially a risky strategy for the man himself.

From the outside looking in it seemed as if Ingram – a European Rally champion in 2019 – had everything to lose and next-to nothing to gain.

“Yeah I suppose so,” Ingram tells DirtFish, “but I believed that we would win.

“I predicted that on Tarmac we would be a level ahead, but I knew that gravel would be a real challenge and I knew that William [Creighton] with his full season in WRC2 would get stronger through the year.”

That prediction came true, as Ingram faced off against last year’s Junior WRC champion for the British crown at the Cambrian Rally. Staged on classic Rally GB tests like Clocaenog, Alwen and Brenig, incredibly Ingram and Creighton finished within a second of each other on four of the seven stages – albeit always in Ingram’s favor.

Eventually Creighton blinked and suffered a half-spin, affording Ingram a relaxed run to glory on the final stage.

It could be suggested that a British title for Ingram doesn’t carry much weight, but he is quick to point to the depth of the competition and how hard everyone was pushing for it as reasons to dispel that theory.

“If I’d won the BRC five to 10 years ago it wouldn’t have meant as much, but winning it this year in its best year arguably ever is very special and I’m very proud of it, because we’ve had to really fight for it,” he says.

“A lot of national championships now are easily as fast as ERC and WRC2 – it’s a fact,” he adds, “because everyone knows the stages more and everyone’s a local hero.

“And to become the first driver to win both the British and European championships is really special, and something which I hope will help us gain more publicity and funding.”

And then there was M-Sport registering Jon Armstrong for BRC points at the double-header Rali Ceredigion, and then asking him to cede the round two win to help team-mate Creighton.

“It’s amazing that M-Sport were taking the championship so seriously. That just proves how much it was worth winning and how credible the championship has been this year.

“It gave me probably a bit of extra motivation that I didn’t just want to go and win the championship on the Cambrian I wanted to win the rally as well and prove that I could win on both surfaces by being the quickest. I did know that William would be really strong and they would be giving the event the respect it deserves, and fair play he was on an unreal pace.”

Why this means so much to Ingram

Ingram’s career trajectory has been an intriguing one – particularly in the 2020s.

Since winning the European Rally Championship in 2019, there have been a number of challenges; budget being one, but COVID-19 the huge factor.

While trying to map out his next plan, the global pandemic completely took the sting out of Ingram’s career momentum and he emerged from the other side of it with practically nothing.

Understanding that context is key to understanding why the British championship feels like such a breakthrough achievement for Ingram.

“After COVID I didn’t drive all year. I was really low, it was a dark, lonely time. It felt like I got completely forgotten about in rallying, even though I was the reigning European champion and only 25 years old,” Ingram reveals.

“My personal life has gone from those dark times to everything I’ve ever wanted, having a loving and supportive partner and a baby boy on the way, I’m really lucky and grateful. Having the right people around me has been key, but also having self belief and working to improve myself daily mentally, physically, spiritually.

“I always believed that I had natural driving ability and car control, but I didn’t believe in myself as a person. Whereas now I trust and believe in myself totally. It’s just been a journey of self-belief.

“I’ve created who I am today through all the hard times and now I’m in the best place I’ve ever been, I’m performing the best I ever have and I’m improving every rally.”

The potential has always been there for those paying attention – second overall at Ypres Rally last year and racing Sébastien Loeb in Charlemagne for example – but now the momentum is back. And more crucially, he is happy and enjoying the journey – not just the results.

His target is a proper tilt at WRC2, and he already has a golden chance in front of him.

A WRC2 return in Japan

Shortly after he wrapped up the British title, Ingram was confirmed as an entrant at this year’s WRC season finale in Japan.

Funded by Castrol which has sponsored his and team-mate Meirion Evans’ GR Yaris Rally2s this season – spawning an epic homage livery to the old Toyota Team Europe Celicas and Corollas of the 1990s – Ingram describes the opportunity as a “a celebration of what we’ve achieved this year”.

As such, the Briton is “under strict orders to finish the rally” alongside co-driver Alex Kihurani, and so is placing an onus on “enjoying the opportunity and enjoying the moment”.

But as he builds towards securing a WRC2 program for 2025, he’s aware he has a massive chance before him.

“Since Alex joined me I’ve been on the podium on every rally we’ve finished, so we obviously want to try and keep that streak going,” Ingram says. “I’ve only done one rally in the Toyota on Tarmac so it would be foolish to say I want to go and win it when you’ve got the likes of works drivers [Sami] Pajari, [Nikolay] Gryazin etc.”

Alongside Kihurani – who in becoming British champion becomes the first American to win an outright European rallying title since Sergio Cresto in 1984, and Ingram describes as ” the missing piece that I’ve needed my whole career, we share the same ambition and utmost belief in one another” – Ingram feels he is “twice the driver I was” when he won the ERC.

His aim remains to be World Rally champion.

“More than ever,” he affirms.

“Next year we’re pushing to be in WRC2 with a fully funded season. We’re ready for it.”