A boat cruise on the River Seine in the French capital provided a superb setting for the event, which was organised by ERC promoter Eurosport Events and welcomed almost 150 guests, including title-winning drivers, team representatives, championship officials and partners.
 
ERC Co-ordinator Jean-Baptiste Ley said: “It was a great privilege to welcome so many members of the ERC family to Paris to not only celebrate the 2018 season and honour the successful drivers and teams, but also to remember all the great stories, the action and all the effort that, along with the support of our partners, contributed to making the 2018 FIA European Rally Championship a great success. And with 2018 drawing to an end, the hard work is well underway to ensure the 2019 season is even better.”
 
The 2018 FIA European Rally Championship was contested over eight events and the following drivers were honoured in Paris:
 
FIA EUROPEAN RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP ERC1*:
Driver: ALEXEY LUKYANUK (RUSSIA) Russian Performance Motorsport Ford Fiesta R5
Co-driver: ALEXEY ARNAUTOV (RUSSIA)
 
Second-place driver: NIKOLAY GRYAZIN (RUSSIA) Sports Racing Technologies ŠKODA Fabia R5
Second-place co-driver: YAROSLAV FEDOROV (RUSSIA)
 
Third-place driver: BRUNO MAGALHÃES (PORTUGAL) ARC Sport ŠKODA Fabia R5
Third-place co-driver: HUGO MAGALHÃES (PORTUGAL)
 
Alexey Lukyanuk: “This is a reward for many years of trying and pushing. We had some strong performances and more elaborate drives, perhaps not on the limit but we tried to score points at every rally. Winning this title will be a good point in any discussions with sponsors, we have the speed and the potential to go further so it’s very positive. Now we feel the job is done properly and we should enjoy that.”
 
FIA EUROPEAN RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP ERC2*:
Driver: TIBOR ÉRDI JR (HUNGARY) Érdi Rallye Team Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X
Co-driver: GYÖRGY PAPP (HUNGARY)
 
Second-place driver: SERGEI REMENNIK (RUSSIA) Russian Performance Motorsport
Second-place co-driver: MARK ROZIN (RUSSIA) Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X
 
Third-place driver: JUAN CARLOS ALONSO (ARGENTINA) RMC Motorsport
Third-place co-driver: JUAN PABLO MONASTEROLO (ARGENTINA) Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X
 
Tibor Érdi Jr: “My team and my co-driver make a good job the whole year, 100 per cent. We are champions again and we are very happy. We have a good car and thank you to my sponsors, family and the whole crew who helped me. Winning the second title is much easier than the first title in 2017 but all year there has been a fight and it has been on my shoulders that I am the champion.”
 
FIA EUROPEAN RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP ERC3*:
Driver: MĀRTIŅŠ SESKS (LATVIA) ADAC Opel Rallye Junior Team Opel ADAM R2
Co-driver: RENĀRS FRANCIS (LATVIA)
 
Second-place driver: TOM KRISTENSSON (SWEDEN) ADAC Opel Rallye Junior Team Opel ADAM R2
Second-place co-driver: HENRIK APPELSKOG (SWEDEN)
 
Third-place driver: EFRÉN LLARENA (SPAIN) Rally Team Spain PEUGEOT 208 R2
Third-place co-driver: SARA FERNÁNDEZ (SPAIN)
 
Mārtiņš Sesks: “Starting this season, I thought Azores would be hard, then I thought Canarias would be hard, then Italy and then Czech Republic, which was actually the most extreme rally I have ever done. That was the weekend when I really understood how hard it is to drive at this [international] level.  But it has been a fantastic season and, in the end, it's a good feeling. I'm just happy.”
 
FIA ERC JUNIOR UNDER 28 CHAMPIONSHIP*:
Driver: NIKOLAY GRYAZIN (RUSSIA) Sports Racing Technologies ŠKODA Fabia R5
Second-place driver: CHRIS INGRAM (GREAT BRITAIN) Toksport WRT ŠKODA Fabia R5
Third-place driver: FABIAN KREIM (GERMANY) ŠKODA AUTO Deutschland Fabia R5
 
Nikolay Gryazin: “It feels good and I’m really satisfied. I don’t show emotions too much but I’m really happy. We improved a lot this year, we had a good strategy and a good preparation for each event. Now I look to next year when I get two rounds of the ERC as my gift from Eurosport.”
 
FIA ERC JUNIOR UNDER 27 CHAMPIONSHIP*:
Driver: MĀRTIŅŠ SESKS (LATVIA) ADAC Opel Rallye Junior Team Opel ADAM R2
Second-place driver: TOM KRISTENSSON (SWEDEN) ADAC Opel Rallye Junior Team Opel ADAM R2
Third-place driver: EFRÉN LLARENA (SPAIN) Rally Team Spain PEUGEOT 208 R2
 
FIA EUROPEAN RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP FOR TEAMS*:
First position: ADAC OPEL RALLYE JUNIOR TEAM
Second position: SAINTÉLOC JUNIOR TEAM
Third position: RUSSIAN PERFORMANCE MOTORSPORT
 
ERC LADIES’ TROPHY:
Driver: EMMA FALCÓN (SPAIN) ARC Sport Citroën DS3 R3T
Second-place driver: CATIE MUNNINGS (FRANCE) Saintéloc Junior Team PEUGEOT 208 R2
Third-place driver: TAMARA MOLINARO (ITALY) Ford Fiesta R5
 
ERC NATIONS’ CUP:
First position: ADAC OPEL RALLYE JUNIOR TEAM
Second position: RALLY TEAM SPAIN (RFEDA)
Third position: ACCR CZECH TEAM
 
Subject to confirmation and FIA World Motor Sport Council approval, the 2019 ERC season will open on the Azores Airlines Rallye from 21-23 March and feature a further seven events.
 
*Subject to confirmation of results by the FIA