The 39th „LKW FRIENDS on the road“ Jännerrallye powered by WIMBERGER set new standards in Austrian rallying again in 2026. Across 18 spectacular, selective special stages around Freistadt, international drivers battled for victory on snow and ice in front of massive spectator interest.
Overall winners of the FIA and ORM event were Simon Wagner / Hanna Ostlender (Hyundai i20 N Rally2), who crossed the finish line first after 2:06:15.6 hours, thereby finally securing their long-awaited triumph at the „Jänner“ rally. For the Austrian national champion, this was a special success: „I really wanted this victory for a long time – it was a tough fight, but our team worked perfectly,“ Wagner said after reaching the finish.
In second place followed Michael Lengauer / Jürgen Rausch (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) with a deficit of 1:10.5 minutes, followed by Mads Østberg / Sergiu Itu (Citroën C3 Rally2) in 3rd place. This also demonstrated the high level of the international competition.
„The conditions were extremely demanding – snow, ice, and extreme temperatures. That makes me all the more pleased that so many fans came and cheered us on,“ Wagner commented on how the weekend went.
There were also exciting duels and close times in the other classes, which once again underlined the diversity and appeal of the Jännerrallye.
The organizers draw a positive conclusion and thank all participants as well as the numerous fans for a first-class rally weekend in the Mühlviertel region.