Now in its sixteenth year, the event has grown beyond a pure competition into a showcase of engineering, driver skill and fan engagement, with competitors and spectators alike benefiting from favourable weather and a well organised programme.

At the centre of the weekend were the King of the Hill titles, awarded across the event’s three main categories. Robert Wolk emerged as the standout in the Single Seater, Sports Car and Prototype category, securing his second title with a best run of 35.024 seconds in the final shootout. Driving the Gould GR55, he demonstrated consistent pace throughout the weekend, even if he narrowly missed his personal target of breaking the 35 second barrier.

In the Modified Saloon Car category, Pieter Zeelie further cemented his reputation as one of the event’s most successful competitors. His victory marked a second consecutive win and a third overall, achieved in a highly developed Toyota MR2. Although he fell just short of his own class record set the previous year, his winning time of 37.216 seconds reflected the steady evolution of the car.

The Road Car and Supercar category highlighted how modern production vehicles are increasingly capable of delivering performance close to that of dedicated race machinery. Clint Weston claimed back to back titles in a Mercedes AMG GT 63 S E Performance, setting a new class record of 42.527 seconds. Notably, the car remained in standard production specification, underscoring the advances in road car engineering.

The seventeenth edition, scheduled for late April to early May 2027, is expected to build on this foundation, further enhancing the Hillclimb’s reputation as a key fixture on South Africa’s motorsport calendar.

The 2026 Simola Hillclimb individual class winners were:

Road Cars and Supercars:

• A1: Rory Atkinson – 2026 Volkswagen Golf GTI (50.296 sec)
• A3: Leyton Fourie – 2026 BMW M2 (45.931 sec)
• A4: Cristiano Verolini – 2026 BMW M4 (44.505 sec)
• A6: Gordon Nicholson – 2017 Audi R18 V10 Plus (47.258 sec)
• A7: Garth Mackintosh – 2017 McLaren 720s (47.704 sec)
• A8: Clint Weston – 2025 Mercedes-AMG GT63 S E Performance (42.527 sec)

Modified Saloon Cars:

• B2: Graeme Nathan – 2020 Volkswagen Polo GTI SupaCup (44.618 sec)
• B4: Pieter Zeelie – 2002 Toyota MR2 (38.270 sec)
• B5: Silvio Scribante – 2006 Audi RS3 (38.103 sec)
• B7: Ricardo Giannoccaro – 2016 Lamborghini Huracan GT3 (43.833 sec)
• B9: Janus Janse van Rensburg – 2025 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio (49.876 sec)
• B10: Jared Rossouw – 2012 Volkswagen Golf (45.613 sec)

Single Seaters, Sports Cars & Sports Prototypes:

• C1: Devin Robertson – 1995 Radical Pro Sport (39.107 sec)
• C2: Ian Schofield – 2018 Mygale Formula Ford (40.963 sec)
• C3: Robert Wolk – 2005 Gould GR55 (35.292 sec)
• C4: Connor Kilbride – 2015 Ligier JS53 Evo2 (42.782 sec)
• C6: Johan Bekker – 2010 Ariel Atom (51.715 sec)

The 17th edition of the Simola Hillclimb will take place from 29 April to 2 May 2027. For more information and ticket sales, visit the website: www.simolahillclimb.com