Motorsport fans lap up the first round of the Australian Rally Championship held in the forests surrounding Canberra, with Lewis Bates securing victory on home turf for the first time.

Australian motorsport is having quite the moment.

In Formula 1, Oscar Piastri, Daniel Ricciardo and Mark Webber have all excelled on the world stage in recent times.

Record crowds attended the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne earlier this month, and now another form of motor racing is accelerating in popularity — rally driving.