VM
kalendern 2024 |
FIA World Rally Championship calendar 2024:
25 28 January Rallye Monte-Carlo (Asphalt/Ice)
15 18 February Rally Sweden (Snow)
28 31 March Safari Rally Kenya (Gravel)
18 21 April Croatia Rally (Asphalt)
9 12 May Vodafone Rally de Portugal (Gravel)
30 May 2 June Rally Italia Sardegna (Gravel)
27 30 June ORLEN 80th Rally Poland (Gravel)
18 21 July Tet Rally Latvia (Gravel)
1 4 August Secto Rally Finland (Gravel)
5 8 September EKO Acropolis Rally Greece (Gravel)
26 29 September Rally Chile Bio Bío (Gravel)
31 October 3 November Central European Rally (Asphalt)
21 24 November FORUM8 Rally Japan (Asphalt) |
24-04-23 Ogier snatches Croatia
Rally victory on extraordinary Sunday
Frenchman pounces as Neuville and Evans suffer heartbreak on final day.
Sébastien Ogier jumped from third to first overall on a dramatic Sunday
at Croatia Rally, claiming a surprise win as Thierry Neuville and Elfyn Evans
faced heartbreak.
After three days of neck and neck competition on spectator-packed asphalt
roads around capital city Zagreb, victory looked set to be decided between
Neuville, driving a Hyundai i20 N, and Welshman Evans in a Toyota GR Yaris.
However, as they headed into the second stage of this final day separated
by just 2.6sec, the tables suddenly turned.
A late pace note meant overnight leader Neuville arrived too fast into a left-hander
and slid wide before riding up a bank and into a tree. The impact destroyed
his Hyundais rear aerodynamics package but, more importantly, cost him
almost 25sec.
Unaware of his rivals problem, Evans misjudged a tightening right-hand
bend in the very same stage and spun, dropping 20sec as he tried to get his
car pointing in the right direction. It meant that Ogier, who had occupied
third place since the opening stage on Friday morning, suddenly gained a 9.1sec
lead with two stages remaining.
Unlike his peers, Ogier would make no such errors and kept Toyota team-mate
Evans at bay celebrating his second Croatia Rally triumph by 9.7sec
along with a milestone 100th WRC podium.
"It's been a tough weekend, admitted Ogier, who was co-driven by
Vincent Landais. We knew coming here that our start position would be
an issue, but we never gave up and kept the pressure on for the whole weekend.
I dont think Ive ever had so many moments in one rally, but it's
nice to get the win for the team.
Toyotas 1-2 result extended the Japanese marque's lead in the manufacturers
championship to seven points over Hyundai. But all was not lost for Neuville,
who nursed his battered car to the end 36.1sec behind Evans in third.
The 18 points Neuville earned by leading on Saturday evening helped to retain
his drivers series lead, and he heads Evans by six points after round
four of 13.
It is what it is, Neuville reflected. We had a great few
days, but unfortunately today didn't go so well. At the end we're taking important
points so it's not so bad. We would have liked to push harder in the Power
Stage but these cars without a rear wing are undriveable.
Ott Tänak had a high-speed scare in SS18 when his Hyundai mounted a grass
embankment, but the Estonian recovered quickly to secure a fourth-place finish.
He initially faced pressure from M-Sport Ford hotshot Adrien Fourmaux before
the Frenchman plummeted down the order after damaging his Pumas steering,
hitting an anti-cut marker on the same test that caught out Neuville and Evans.
Takamoto Katsuta claimed the maximum seven points available for being the
fastest driver across Super Sunday, climbing to fifth in his Toyota after
Fourmauxs troubles. Andreas Mikkelsen and Grégoire Munster were
sixth and seventh while Rally2 runners Nikolay Gryazin, Yohan Rossel and Sami
Pajari completed the top 10.
WRC turns to gravel next month for Vodafone Rally de Portugal. Round five
of the season is based in Matosinhos and takes place from 9 12 May.
Overall classification:
1. S Ogier / V Landais FRA Toyota GR Yaris 2h 40m 23.6s
2. E Evans / S Martin GBR Toyota GR Yaris +9.7s
3. T Neuville / M Wydaeghe BEL Hyundai i20 N +49.8s
4. O Tänak / M Järveoja EST Hyundai i20 N +58.6s
5. T Katsuta / A Johnston Toyota GR Yaris JPN +1m 55.5s
6. A Mikkelsen / T Eriksen Hyundai i20 N NOR +4m 1.0s
Drivers' championship standings (after round 4 of 13):
1. T Neuville 86pts
2. E Evans 80pts
3. A Fourmaux 59pts
The official Home of World Rallying:
wrc.com
24-04-17 WRC leader Thierry
Neuville seeks redemption at Croatia Rally
Belgian driver aims to shake off his recent slump in the Balkan capital city.
Points leader Thierry Neuville is in need of a change of fortunes if he is
to stay ahead of Toyota Gazoo Racing rival Elfyn Evans at Croatia Rally this
week (18 21 April), round four of the 2024 FIA World Rally Championship.
Neuville, who drives an i20 N Rally1 car for Hyundai Motorsport, opened his
season in fine fashion by winning Rallye Monte-Carlo, but issues in Sweden
and Kenya have prevented the Belgian from recording a podium finish since.
He arrives in the capital city Zagreb eager to reverse his fortunes and secure
a much-needed win to maintain his six-point lead over Welshman Evans, who
triumphed here last year.
Croatia is one of the most demanding Tposearmac rallies I have ever
competed in, he said. There are lots of blind corners, crests
and jumps something very unusual for a Tarmac event.
Finishing in the top three is crucial to maintaining the championship
lead, [but] our biggest target is to push for a top-step finish.
Attended by over 300,000 spectators in 2022 and 2023, Croatia Rally presents
a unique mix of surfaces ranging from smooth asphalt to badly broken concrete.
Fluctuating grip levels on the undulating roads pose a challenge and, despite
the overall high speeds, narrow passages and numerous blind crests and turns
demand a cautious approach from competitors. Weather adds another layer of
complexity to the already demanding conditions as, if it rains, the surface
becomes muddier and slipperier with each car that passes.
Its a rally that has previously suited Toyota well, with Japanese machinery
topping the podium in every edition since 2021. Eight-time world champion
and past winner Sébastien Ogier joins Evans in the GR Yaris line-up,
as does Takamoto Katsuta.
Hyundai fields three cars for Neuville, Ott Tänak and Andreas Mikkelsen
while M-Sport has entered a pair of Puma Rally1s for Adrien Fourmaux, currently
third in the points, and Grégoire Munster.
Just three years ago, Fourmaux raised eyebrows when he took a Fiesta World
Rally car to fifth overall on his top-flight debut in Croatia. This time he
starts the rally fresh from back-to-back podiums in Sweden and Kenya, eager
to net his maiden victory.
The rally starts in Zagreb on Thursday (18 April). Ahead lie 20 stages totalling
283.28km before Sunday afternoons finish.
The official Home of World Rallying:
wrc.com
24-03-31 Pride of the plains
Kalle Rovanperä takes dominant Safari Rally win
Toyota driver celebrates victory on Sunday after mastering Kenya's tough terrain
for the second time.
Kalle Rovanperä became a two-time winner of Safari Rally Kenya on Sunday
afternoon after he finished the legendary African fixture with a 1m 37.8s
victory margin having led since Friday morning.
In by far the most gruelling FIA World Rally Championship round so far this
season, it was Rovanperäs meticulous balance of both speed and
maturity that ultimately secured his 12th career victory.
The Finn, co-driven by Jonne Halttunen, built a lead of almost one minute
after winning all of Fridays rock-strewn stages around Lake Naivasha,
then kept his nose clean to end Saturday two minutes clear as the chasing
pack ran into mechanical troubles and tyre damage.
That buffer allowed the two-time WRC champion to drive for a finish in Sundays
final leg, which culminated amid stunning scenery at Hell's Gate with Kenyan
President William Ruto in attendance.
Takamoto Katstuta completed a Toyota GR Yaris 1-2 as the Japanese marque extended
its manufacturers championship lead to four points over Hyundai Motorsport,
while M-Sport Ford Puma hotshot Adrien Fourmaux bagged his second consecutive
podium 47.3s behind.
Its always special to win here, Rovanperä beamed. Also,
a legendary event for Toyota. Weve always been so good here and thats
continuing. Like they say in Africa: the car in front is always a Toyota!
A big thanks to the team, everybody made a big effort to make the car
work so well. I think me and Jonne did a good job, I dont think you
can have a better Safari Rally than we did. No issues, clever driving and
I think it was a good effort.
Elfyn Evans ended Friday in contention for a podium but a fraught Saturday,
which saw the Welshman stop twice to carry out stage-side wheel changes, meant
he finished over four minutes back from his team-mate Rovanperä in fourth
overall. He remains second in the drivers championship behind leader
Thierry Neuville, who trailed him by almost six minutes in fifth.
Neuville now heads Evans by six points but endured a troublesome week aboard
his Hyundai i20 N. Fuel pressure problems on Saturday cost the Belgian several
minutes and suspension damage on Sunday, inflicted by a rock on the racing
line, added insult to injury. His colleagues, Esapekka Lappi and Ott Tänak
fared worse.
Lappis problems included two broken gearboxes over the course of the
week while Tänak could only climb back to eighth overall behind WRC2
runners Gus Greensmith and Oliver Solberg after his car sustained broken suspension
on Friday.
Completing the top 10 were gentleman driver Jourdan Serderidis in a Puma and
koda Fabia Rally2 star Kajetan Kajetanowicz.
The WRC returns to asphalt for next month's Croatia Rally which takes place
from 18 - 21 April. The event is based in capital city Zagreb.
Overall classification:
1. K Rovanperä / J Halttunen FIN Toyota GR Yaris 3h 36m 4.4s
2. T Katsuta / A Johnston JPN Toyota GR Yaris +1m 37.8s
3. A Fourmaux / A Coria FRA Ford Puma +2m 25.1s
4. E Evans / S Martin GBR Toyota GR Yaris +4m 20.2s
5. T Neuville / M Wydaeghe BEL Hyundai i20 N +10m 17.5s
6. G Greensmith / J Andersson GBR koda Fabia +18m 5.4s
Drivers' championship standings (after round 3 of 13):
1. T Neuville 67pts
2. E Evans 61pts
3. A Fourmaux 46pts
The official Home of World Rallying:
wrc.com
24-03-31 Punktering "grusade
chansen till seger, men utökad ledning
Två punkteringar skilde Oliver Solberg från segern i helgens Safari
Rally Kenya, men Solberg utökade sin totalledning i rally-VM.
Mästerskapsledaren Solberg var väl nöjd med Safari-prestationen
även om det inte blev någon seger.
Punktering på den tredje (1.51,5 minuter efter) och fjärde specialsträckan
(1.46,8) förstörde segerchansen. I mål var britten Gus Greensmith
med svenske kartläsaren Jonas Andersson 1.23,1 minuter snabbare än
Solberg. Teamkamraten i Skoda vann VM-tävlingen i näst största
klassen (WRC2).
Oliver Solberg och kartläsaren Elliott Edmondson var snabbast eller näst
snabbast på varje etapp där de inte fick punktering. Av 17 problemfria
sträckor vann duon 11.
Jag får vara nöjd med det här resultatet, men jag är
förstås också är lite besviken. Jag kom hit för
att vinna, men samtidigt är det bra att öka ledningen i mästerskapet,
sa Oliver Solberg.
22-åringen vann förra VM-tävlingen på hemmaplan i Sverige.
Chansen till seger gick förlorad första dagen. Även
om punktering på två sträckor efter varandra är ren
otur, visste vi att Safari Rally bjuder på överraskningar och spänning.
Det är en del av den här tävlingen, sa han.
Solbergs nästa WRC2-start är inte helt fastställd. Det enda
som är klart är att 22-åringen inte kommer till start i nästa
tävling i VM-kalendern, Rally Kroatien.
Vi måste vara strategiska kring programmet. Jag vill verkligen
vinna titeln den här säsongen. Allt är riktat mot det målet.
På så sätt är andraplatsen i Kenya en framgång,
sa Oliver Solberg.
24-03-30 Kalle keeps it clean
on Saturday to close in on Safari triumph
Finn avoids trouble on drama-filled penultimate day in Kenya.
Kalle Rovanperä took a significant step towards clinching his second
Safari Rally Kenya victory, steering clear of trouble while his WRC counterparts
encountered difficulties on Saturday.
Amidst the most eventful day of this FIA World Rally Championship season thus
far, which was marked by fluctuating conditions ranging from dry and dusty
to wet and muddy, Rovanperä was one of few stars to enjoy a clean run.
He widened his lead to an impressive 2m 8.9s as drivers including Thierry
Neuville, Elfyn Evans and Takamoto Katsuta faced significant setbacks.
Despite dominating every stage the previous day, Rovanperä adopted a
more conservative approach on Saturday's roads near Lake Elmenteita, located
south of the rally's Naivasha base. He initially headed Toyota GR Yaris team-mates
Evans and Katsuta until the pair fell behind after sustaining punctures in
the morning.
Thierry Neuville emerged as Rovanperä's closest threat, but his challenge
was short-lived after his Hyundai i20 N encountered a fuel system issue during
the afternoons first stage at Soysambu. Neuville dropped more than two-and-a-half
minutes as he nursed the problem through the remaining two stages, which opened
the door for Katsuta to reclaim the runner-up spot ahead of M-Sport Ford Puma
man Adrien Fourmaux.
Rovanperäs Saturday standing will earn him 18 points provided he
completes Sundays stages. Katsuta will receive 15 while Fourmaux, who
ended 3m 13.3s off the lead, gets 13.
"The lead is now quite good, said the two time world champion,
so of course we took it carefully.
It's not so enjoyable when you have a big lead and in a stage like [Sleeping
Warrior] you just go around every rock, it's scary. Tomorrow is still a tough
day and we will try to finish the job.
Fourmaux survived a front-left tyre delamination in the final stage and is
now on track to secure his second top-three finish in consecutive rallies
following his maiden podium in Sweden. He led fourth-placed Evans, who suffered
a total of four punctures, by over two minutes.
A visibly upset Neuville completed the top five more than 11 minutes adrift
of the leading pace with WRC2 frontrunners Gus Greensmith and Oliver Solberg
behind.
Kajetan Kajetanowicz was eighth ahead of Jourdan Serderidis and Ott Tänak,
who restarted following his Friday retirement. Tänak faced further problems
which included a loose bonnet pin, malfunctioning intercom and excessive dust
inside his Hyundai, but remains within touching distance of the two drivers
ahead of him.
Sundays finale features three stages - each run twice - covering both
sides of Lake Naivasha.
Leading positions after Saturday:
1. K Rovanperä / J Halttunen FIN Toyota GR Yaris 2h 48m 50.2s
2. T Katsuta / A Johnston JPN Toyota GR Yaris +2m 8.9s
3. A Fourmaux / A Coria FRA Ford Puma +3m 13.3s
4. E Evans / S Martin GBR Toyota GR Yaris +5m 35.6s
5. T Neuville / M Wydaeghe BEL Hyundai i20 N +11m 48.6s
6. G Greensmith / J Andersson GBR koda Fabia +15m 2.0s
The official Home of World Rallying:
wrc.com
23-03-29 Unstoppable Rovanperä
leads Toyota top three in Kenya
Finnish star dominates Friday as Hyundai's Esapekka Lappi and Ott Tänak
retire.
Kalle Rovanperä dominated Fridays opening leg of Safari Rally Kenya
to build a 56.9-second lead on a dream day for his Toyota Gazoo Racing team.
The Finn, winner of the FIA World Rally Championship for two years running,
was simply untouchable as he and co-driver Jonne Halttunen romped to fastest
times on all six of Fridays rugged gravel speed tests around Lake Naivasha.
His team-mates Elfyn Evans and Takamoto Katsuta made it a GR Yaris 1-2-3,
the Japanese marque capitalising on what unravelled into a disastrous afternoon
for rival team Hyundai Motorsport after its drivers Esapekka Lappi and Ott
Tänak bowed into retirement.
Lappi had been Rovanperäs nearest challenger at the days
midpoint, but a transmission failure sidelined his i20 N car in the first
stage after service. That elevated Tänak to second until his similar
machine stopped in the following Geothermal test with broken steering after
hitting a rock.
Evans and Katsuta were on hand to pick up the pieces and complete Toyotas
podium lockout. They were split by just 3.9s after Evans moved ahead in the
final stage of the day.
I have to be happy with that, Rovanperä smiled. For
sure, on the last one the conditions were quite rough, and I think from every
car [the ruts] get a bit deeper in places. I didn't take any risks and I was
going around all the stones to try and keep the car in one piece. I would
have loved to go even faster, but at this point this is okay!
Championship leader Thierry Neuville became Hyundais only hope, although
the Belgian encountered troubles himself with tyre damage in SS3. The flailing
rubber punched a hole in his Hyundais bodywork, forcing the Belgian
and co-driver Martijn Wydaeghe to don goggles and dust masks for the final
stage of the morning.
A more positive afternoon saw Neuville edge closer to podium position. Beaten
only by Rovanperä in Kedong 2, he trails Katsuta by a mere 6.5s heading
into Saturdays penultimate leg.
M-Sport Fords Adrien Fourmaux had to contend with his Puma surfing on
its sump guard in some of the rougher sections, but he coped well to hold
fifth after a relatively clean day. The Frenchman ended almost two minutes
back from the lead with team-mate Grégoire Munster contesting
his first Safari in Rally1 machinery a similar distance behind.
With Oliver Solberg hampered by tyre troubles, Gus Greensmith built a commanding
lead in WRC2 and also placed seventh overnight. Jourdan Serderidis, Kajetan
Kajetanowicz and Solberg completed the top 10.
Saturday is the longest day of the rally and features six stages totalling
160.96km. Up first is Soysambu, which starts at 08:01 (local).
Leading positions after Friday:
1. K Rovanperä / J Halttunen FIN Toyota GR Yaris 1h 16m 22.6s
2. E Evans / S Martin GBR Toyota GR Yaris +56.9s
3. T Katsuta / A Johnston JPN Toyota GR Yaris +1m 0.8s
4. T Neuville / M Wydaeghe BEL Hyundai i20 N +1m 7.3s
5. A Fourmaux / A Coria FRA Ford Puma +1m 46.6s
6. G Munster / L Louka LUX Ford Puma +3m 34.2s
The official Home of World Rallying:
wrc.com
24-03-28 President William
Ruto welcomes WRC to Kenya
Head of state gets into the Safari Rally spirit as Thierry Neuville wins opening
stage on Thursday.
Kenyan President William Ruto launched the 71st edition of Safari Rally Kenya
from Nairobi, the capital city, today (Thursday 28 March). The event marks
the third round of this years FIA World Rally Championship.
Dressed for the occasion in WRC-branded racing overalls, Ruto flagged away
the leading crews as they drove over the ramp in downtown Nairobi. From there,
the cars headed to the rally-opening super special stage at the nearby Kasarani
Stadium where thousands of fans were vying for every possible vantage point.
Neuville, who carries a three-point championship lead into this round, edged
his Hyundai i20 N partner Ott Tänak by a single tenth over the 4.84km
opener, while reigning champion Kalle Rovanperä completed the top three
just 0.7s further back.
Having recorded two non-finishes in Kenya from three previous attempts, Neuville
is well aware that the going will get tougher from Friday onwards.
"It will be a challenging event, he affirmed. Our fingers
are crossed that, this time, we can get through without any technical problems
or mistakes. I think we are well prepared, and I am feeling good in the car,
so it's always good to start a rally like this.
Africa has been home to two of Takamoto Katsutas four WRC podiums. Driving
a Toyota GR Yaris identical to Rovanperäs, he dropped just 0.9s
whilst posting the fourth-best time ahead of Hyundai rival Esapekka Lappi.
Elfyn Evans, currently second in the points, went sixth-quickest in his Toyota
with M-Sport Ford Puma youngster Adrien Fourmaux following closely behind.
Gus Greensmith set the pace in WRC2, taking eighth overall in a koda
Fabia RS, while Grégoire Munster and Oliver Solberg completed the top
10.
The action resumes at 08:15 local time on Friday morning with the first of
the days six stages. The biggest challenge will be the 31.50km Kedong
test, which makes up the finale of the morning and afternoon loops.
Leading positions after Thursday:
1. T Neuville / Martijn Wydaeghe BEL Hyundai i20 N 3m 19.9s
2. O Tänak / M Järveoja EST Hyundai i20 N +0.1s
3. K Rovanperä / J Halttunen FIN Toyota GR Yaris +0.7s
4. T Katsuta / A Johnston JPN Toyota GR Yaris +0.9s
5. E Lappi / J Ferm FIN Hyundai i20 N +1.5s
6. E Evans / S Martin GBR Toyota GR Yaris +1.7s
The official Home of World Rallying:
wrc.com
24-03-27 WRCs most gruelling
challenge awaits at Safari Rally Kenya
Africa beckons as the WRC hits gravel for the first time this season.
This week's Safari Rally Kenya (28 31 March) promises to deliver one
of the most arduous tests since its triumphant return to the FIA World Rally
Championship calendar three years ago.
After a six-week break since navigating the sub-zero forests of Sweden, drivers
and teams now face a completely different challenge as round three of the
season begins on Thursday amidst the captivating plains and vibrant wildlife
of Africa.
This years Safari Rally has been strategically moved forward in the
calendar to reclaim its historic March slot, aligning perfectly with Kenyas
rainy season. Pre-rally downpours muddied some of the roads during recce,
and many of the cars are running snorkels which allow the engine to
breathe - to deal with potentially flooded sections.
In Kenya, all eyes are on Toyota Gazoo Racing. The GR Yaris Rally1 team has
won every edition since 2021, and even claimed a sensational top-four sweep
here 12 months ago. Despite its formidable track record, however, Toyota is
still searching for its first triumph of the season.
Elfyn Evans, Takamoto Katsuta and reigning world champion Kalle Rovanperä
will each hope to change that. Rovanperä topped the podium in 2022, while
Katsuta who hails from Japan has netted an impressive two podiums
from three Safari starts.
Hyundai Motorsport stands ready to challenge Toyota's African supremacy, and
to extend its success streak with i20 N drivers Thierry Neuville, Ott Tänak
and Esapekka Lappi. Rallye Monte-Carlo winner Neuville currently leads the
drivers championship by three points from Evans, while a hungry Lappi
recorded his second career victory last time out in Sweden.
M-Sport Ford enters Kenya on a high after young Frenchman Adrien Fourmaux
scored his maiden podium at the previous round. The British team fields a
trio of Puma Rally1 cars for Fourmaux, Grégoire Munster and gentleman
driver Jourdan Serderidis.
The rally starts in capital city Nairobi on Thursday lunchtime. Ahead lie
19 gruelling special stages around Lakes Naivasha and Elmenteita covering
367.76km before Sunday afternoon's finish in Naivasha.
The official Home of World Rallying:
wrc.com
24-03-25 WRC stars stunned
by Magical Kenya
Safari Rally Kenya launches with up-close wildlife encounters in the breathtaking
Maasai Mara.
The legendary Safari Rally Kenya began with a unique twist as the FIA World
Rally Championships (WRC) top drivers embarked on an extraordinary safari
adventure in the world-renowned Maasai Mara National Reserve.
Leading drivers including current championship leader Thierry Neuville of
Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team and second-placed Elfyn Evans of Toyota
Gazoo Racing World Rally Team immersed themselves in a complete two-day safari
experience alongside M-Sport Fords Grégoire Munster and the WRC2
pairing of Nicolas Ciamin and Yannick Roche.
Away from the intense rally schedules, the drivers bonded amidst Kenyas
breathtaking landscapes, immersing themselves in the rich and colourful Maasai
culture and indulging in once-in-a-lifetime encounters with the regions
iconic wildlife.
Highlights included a hot air balloon ride at sunrise, providing panoramic
views of rhinoceroses and elephants in their stunning natural habitat. They
were also treated to close-up encounters with lions, water buffalo, giraffes
and hippopotamuses, among other awe-inspiring creatures.
It has been a great experience, it was a really nice welcome,
expressed Neuville. The hot air balloon was the highlight. In such a
beautiful landscape it was very unique.
It was beautiful scenery and a great experience getting very close to
the elephants.
For Evans, it was an opportunity to do something out of the norm. He said:
It is a different experience to normally when we travel, especially
in Europe, so [it was] nice to do.
Meanwhile, Munster appreciated the chance to bond with his fellow competitors
outside of the rallying environment. The Luxemburg driver said: When
you are on the rally between stages you dont have a lot of time to really
socialise and you have a bit of pressure and a lot of mechanical stuff to
do. So here, having two days just to socialise and experience things you wouldnt
do normally, is quite nice.
Accompanying the WRC stars was Kenyas Principal Secretary of Tourism
John Ololtuaa, who emphasised the significance of showcasing Kenyas
natural beauty to the world.
It is important that [the drivers] came to the Maasai Mara. Ololtuaa
said. We wanted them to experience the beauty that is here. It becomes
part and parcel of projecting to the world what we have as Kenya.
The rally official starts on Thursday (28 March) from the Kenyatta International
Conference Centre in Nairobi.
24-03-23 Oliver Solberg vill
nå toppen ensam
Seger i tävlingen och utökad ledning i rally-VM är
Oliver Solbergs mål i kommande helgens Safari Rally Kenya.
Skoda-fabriksföraren och kartläsaren Elliott Edmondson anländer
till Naivasha i Kenya i delad ledning i mästerskapets näst största
klass (WRC2).
Fransmannen Yohan Rossel vann säsongens första VM-tävling i
Monte-Carlo och delar förstaplatsen med Solberg.
Grundliga förberedelser och intensiva ansträngningar på varenda
specialsträcka krävs för att säkra de eftertraktade 25
VM-poängen som en seger ger.
Safari Rallyt är en unikt tävling på VM-kalendern.
Det gör en enorm skillnad att ersätta snö i Sverige med extrem
värme i Afrika. Varje sträcka kan upplevas som helt olika tävlingar,
säger Oliver Solberg.
Solberg vann förra VM-tävlingen. På sin hemmatävlingen
i Sverige skapade han också rallyhistoria genom att bli den första
WRC2-föraren att avsluta en tävlingsdag (första dagen) bland
de tre bästa totalt i tävlingen.
VM-tävlingen i Afrika är säsongens tredje av 13. Den körs
över 19 specialsträckor och 368 kilometer fördelade på
tre dagar. 22-åringen har startat Safari Rally Kenya tre gånger.
Två av dem slutade han bland de tio bästa totalt i respektive klass.
24-03-11 Rally Islas Canarias
set to join WRC Calendar in 2025
The FIA World Rally Championship is set to visit Canary Islands in the next
two seasons, marking the championship's return to Spain.*
The FIA World Rally Championship is set to return to Spain next season to
take on the fast-paced asphalt roads of the Canary Islands, it was announced
today (Monday 11 March).
Following in the footsteps of Tet Rally Latvia and ORLEN 80th Rally Poland,
both of which have used the pathway of the FIA European Rally Championship
(ERC) to join WRC in 2024, Rally Islas Canarias will move from the ERC to
WRC in 2025 and 2026.
First run in 1977, Rally Islas Canarias has continuously been part of the
ERC since 2016 and in 2026 will celebrate its 50th edition, as part of the
pinnacle of rallying. It is intended to run exclusively on Gran Canaria in
2025, before expanding to include other islands for its 50th anniversary.
Today's announcement was made in front of media on Gran Canaria and, in addition
to WRC Promoter and Todo Sport, was attended among others by Canary Islands
President Fernando Clavijo, President of the Island Council of Gran Canaria
Antonio Morales and FIA World Motor Sport Council Member and Real Federación
Española de Automovilismo (RFEDA) President Manuel Aviñó.
Bringing the Rally Islas Canarias to the WRC has been the reward for
many years of work. It was a goal desired by several generations, and now,
together with WRC Promoter, it has become within reach, expressed Germán
Morales, CEO of the event promoter Club Deportivo Todo Sport.
Since adding the European Rally Championship to our portfolio of championships,
we have been left with little doubts about the capabilities of the rally management
team to run this rally next year on the WRC calendar, expressed WRC
Promoter Managing Director Jona Siebel.
We are enthusiastic about having Spain back on the WRC calendar and
are encouraged to see our clearly defined strategy to have an opportunity
for ERC events to have a pathway to WRC coming to fruition as Rally Islas
Canarias follows on from Latvia and Poland in 2024.
Moving from the ERC to WRC calendar will have the added benefit of the expected
influx of thousands of fans who will make their way to the popular European
holiday destination, combining the fast-paced action on the blistering-quick
stages with a kickstart to their summer.
The rally promises smooth, twisting asphalt surfaces which rise and dip across
the volcanic inlands. While coastal temperatures are renowned for favourable
year-round beach-going weather, drivers need to be prepared for changeable
weather conditions as the stages snake their way through the islands
mountainous interiors.
The WRC most recently visited Spain in 2022 when the rally was based out of
the Catalunyan beachside resort of Salou.
*Pending World Motor Sport Council approval
24-01-28 Masterful Neuville
opens 2024 campaign with victory in Monte-Carlo
Belgian keeps Sébastien Ogier at bay to bank his 20th FIA World Rally
Championship win.
Thierry Neuville celebrated his 20th world rally win at Rallye Monte-Carlo
on Sunday afternoon, banking a perfect score of 30 points alongside co-driver
Martijn Wydaeghe.
The Hyundai i20 N star opened his 2024 FIA World Rally Championship title
bid with a sublime performance in the French Alps, mastering the ice-patched
mountain roads to head Toyota Gazoo Racing rival Sébastien Ogier by
16.1sec.
Neuville shrugged aside early engine issues before launching an attack on
Saturday, overtaking both Ogier and his GR Yaris team-mate Elfyn Evans to
storm into the lead with a slender 3.3sec advantage. A clean sweep of fastest
times in Sundays final leg cemented his position ahead of the nine-time
Rallye Monte-Carlo winner.
"I don't have the words, to be honest, beamed an elated Neuville
after finishing the final stage on the iconic Col de Turini. It was
just so great this weekend, I felt so comfortable in the car.
The whole team was doing an amazing job and I think the whole package
was working really well. There are always things to improve so of course we
need to continue working, but we are very happy to win this rally, he
added.
Ogier led for a single stage on Saturday afternoon, but the Frenchman could
not repel Neuville despite his best efforts. It's been a nice battle
with Thierry. Well done to him, he has been really fast this weekend,
he admitted.
Evans held the upper hand after the first two legs but time ebbed away from
him on Saturday, not helped by a hybrid unit problem. He eventually finished
29.1sec behind his team-mate Ogier.
Ott Tänak placed fourth on his first rally back in Hyundai colours. Mystery
engine problems hindered the 2019 WRC champion throughout the rally although
a stage win on Saturday morning proved his potential with the i20 N car.
Adrien Fourmaux equalled his career-best result by finishing fifth overall
in his M-Sport Ford Puma. Behind him was Hyundais Andreas Mikkelsen,
with Takamoto Katsuta almost three minutes further back after sliding off
the road on Friday.
Yohan Rossel claimed the WRC2 victory with a last-gasp Wolf Power Stage push,
climbing to eighth overall in the process. He passed Pepe López in
the finale while Nikolay Gryazin rounded out the top 10. Jan Cerný
took victory in WRC3 and Mauro Miele won the WRC Masters Cup, while López
topped the WRC2 Challenger standings.
Round two of the WRC takes place on the snow and ice of Sweden. The series'
only pure winter fixture is based in Umeå on 15 18 February.
Overall classification:
1. T Neuville / Martijn Wydaeghe BEL Hyundai i20 N 3h 9m 30.9s
2. S Ogier / V Landais FRA Toyota GR Yaris +16.1s
3. E Evans / S Martin GBR Toyota GR Yaris +45.2s
4. O Tänak / M Järveoja EST Hyundai i20 N +1m 59.8s
5. A Fourmaux / A Coria FRA Ford Puma +3m 36.9s
6. A Mikkelsen / T Eriksen NOR Hyundai i20 N +5m 34.6s
Drivers' championship standings (after round 1 of 13):
1. T Neuville 30pts
2. S Ogier 24pts
3. E Evans 21pts
24-01-28 Oflyt i VM-genrepet
för Oliver Solberg
Oliver Solberg visade upp sig med fyra sträcksegrar i Rally Monte-Carlo,
men två punkteringar förstörde chansen till en topplacering
i genrepet till fighten om VM-titeln.
22-åringen fortsatte att imponera i säsongens första VM-tävling
som avslutades i hamnen i Monaco på söndagseftermiddagen.
Tävlingen i Monte-Carlo räknades inte med i mästerskapet för
Oliver Solberg, så ett sämre resultat i helgen påverkar alltså
inte hans mästerskapssäsong.
Under fredagen tog Skoda-föraren fyra segrar på de totalt sex specialsträckorna
med sin Fabia RS Rally2 och höll en fjärdeplats totalt i den näst
största klassen. Men dagen efter bjöds på två punkteringar
i snabb följd och bara ett reservhjul.
Det var vårt eget val att bara ta med ett reservhjul. Om vi ??hade
haft två hade det varit bra och vi kunde ha fortsatt tävlingen.
Men reglerna är tydliga; du måste ha fyra däck med luft på
bilen, sa Oliver Solberg.
Tävlingen tjuvstartade med två specialsträckor i mörker
på torsdagen.
Det var utmanande att hitta komforten och känslan i bilen. Vi
gjorde lite ändringar efteråt och i fredags var bilen riktigt fin
att köra. Att vinna sträckor är bra, men jag tror att vi fortfarande
hade mer i oss. Vi var långt ifrån maxgränsen för vad
vi kan prestera.
Solbergs officiella säsongspremiär i WRC2-mästerskapet äger
rum i hemmatävlingen Rally Sweden i Umeå den 15-18 februari.
24-01-27 Neuville heads Ogier
in Rallye Monte-Carlo thriller
Belgian ends Saturday with 3.3s lead over eight-time WRC champion.
Thierry Neuville has set up the perfect Sunday showdown at Rallye Monte-Carlo
after dethroning Sébastien Ogier in Saturdays final stage, provisionally
netting himself 18 points.
Hyundai i20 N star Neuville was undoubtedly the man to beat in the morning.
Having held third last night, he pinched second place from Ogier on the days
first ice-patched speed test and stormed into the top spot before midday as
time ebbed away from overnight leader Elfyn Evans.
Ogier seized control by reeling off back-to-back stage wins early in the repeated
afternoon loop, but Neuville retaliated by outpacing the Toyota GR Yaris-driving
Frenchman in the closing kilometres to carry a 3.3sec advantage into Sunday.
With Rallye Monte-Carlo marking the debut of the all-new WRC points structure,
Neuvilles late charge will earn him 18 points providing he completes
Sundays stages. Ogier will receive 15 while Evans, who ended the day
34.9sec off the lead in third, gets 13.
"It was perfection, Neuville said of his drive on Pellafol - Agnières-en-Dévoluy.
Everything went well and I really enjoyed the car - it was incredible.
It was important to take the points tonight but we also needed to keep
the car on the road. I had a good feeling, so I went for it and it seems like
it paid off," he added.
Ogiers stage win at Les Nonières - Chichilianne was the 700th
of his career. That feat moved him ahead of Finnish legend Juha Kankkunen
(699 stage wins) into fourth on the all-time WRC list of stagewinners.
"I have been trying since the beginning of the rally, basically,
admitted the nine-time Rallye Monte-Carlo winner. This [final stage]
was no different, but Thierry did a good stage. It looks like we need to try
harder tomorrow.
Super Sunday brings the opportunity for the top performers over the course
of the final day to collect up to seven points, in addition to the five bonus
points also up for grabs in the rally-ending Wolf Power Stage.
Evans completed SS10 with no hybrid boost on his GR Yaris. Even with the issue
fixed, he could not find an answer to the sudden speed of his peers. I
dont know what's going on, the Welshman admitted after yielding
16.9sec in SS12. It didn't feel great, but thats chronic.
Hyundai man Ott Tänaks hold on fourth was strengthened as he pulled
away from his closest challenger Adrien Fourmaux, helped by his stage win
on Pellafol / Agnières-en-Dévoluy. The pair were split by over
one minute at close of play, with Fourmaux doubling down on his conservative
approach after seeing his M-Sport Ford Puma colleague Grégoire Munster
off the road in SS12.
Munsters demise allowed Andreas Mikkelsen to claim sixth in his Hyundai,
while Takamoto Katsuta climbed up to seventh following his costly ditch excursion
on Friday.
Eighth place went to Nikolay Gryazin, who currently heads Pepe López
in a thrilling duel for WRC2 supremacy. Yohan Rossel is also involved in the
support category scrap and completed the top 10.
Sunday's final leg features three stages as crews journey south to Monaco.
The trio add up to 52.12km before the rally finishes in the principality.
Leading positions after Saturday:
1. T Neuville / Martijn Wydaeghe BEL Hyundai i20 N 2h 37m 58.5s
2. S Ogier / V Landais FRA Toyota GR Yaris +3.3s
3. E Evans / S Martin GBR Toyota GR Yaris +34.9s
4. O Tänak / M Järveoja EST Hyundai i20 N +1m 46.9s
5. A Fourmaux / A Coria FRA Ford Puma +2m 54.0s
6. A Mikkelsen / T Eriksen NOR Hyundai i20 N +4m 21.2s
The official Home of World Rallying:
wrc.com
24-01-26 Leader Evans under
attack from Rallye Monte-Carlo expert Ogier
Toyota pair split by just 4.5s after leg
two of WRC season opener.
Elfyn Evans leads Rallye Monte-Carlo after Fridays second leg, but
the Welshman is under increasing pressure from his Toyota Gazoo Racing team-mate
Sébastien Ogier.
Evans had been 21.6sec clear of his GR Yaris Rally1 colleague after Thursdays
night-time loop, but Ogier is now looming large in the Welshmans rear
mirror after a stunning drive over Fridays French Alps roads near Gap
saw him whittle that deficit down to just 4.5sec.
Ogier won two of the mornings three speed tests and climbed from third
to second after Hyundais Thierry Neuville spun his i20 N in SS4. The
Frenchman had moved to within 10.7sec of Evans by the days midpoint,
with the bulk of the time being gained over the ice-patched special stage
from La Bréole to Selonnet.
The pair were closely matched for much of the repeated afternoon loop, but
it was again at La Bréole / Selonnet held in darkness on its
second run where Ogier shone, outpacing his colleague by 4.1sec to
set-up a thrilling showdown going into Saturdays penultimate leg.
It was a difficult start to the rally, but we expected that with our
start position, said Ogier, a nine-time winner of this event. Now
I am glad that we managed to be very close - tomorrow will be fun.
Evans, who was never outside the top three times, admitted that conditions
had been difficult to read.
It never gets easier, this rally, he explained. [The last
stage was] very difficult in the dark. I had a lot of information, but I couldn't
see a lot of it to be honest - I just had to trust it. It's very difficult
to read the conditions on the road. I'm happy to get through today without
any issues.
Neuville remained very much in the fight at the sharp-end and trailed Ogier
by 11.6sec in third. He won three of the days six special stages and
enjoyed a trouble-free run aside from his early-morning spin.
Ott Tänak was lucky to end the day 57.5sec further back in fourth after
ice on a right-hander sent his Hyundai sliding into a ditch during SS3. It
took spectators just 40sec to get the Estonian back on the road. Grégoire
Munster and Takamoto Katsuta also went off at the same location, with the
latter dropping more than five minutes.
Adrien Fourmaux repaid M-Sport Fords faith in him by delivering an impressive
third-best time in SS5. The 28-year-old is returning to the WRCs top
level having contested WRC2 in 2023, and he completed the top five aboard
a Puma.
Andreas Mikkelsen, also returning to the top-flight for the first time since
2019, ended the day over one minute back from Fourmaux in sixth overall. Driving
a Hyundai, the Norwegian found it difficult to trust the information in his
pace notes with surface conditions changing constantly.
Seventh-placed Munster reached the overnight halt 28.2sec further back in
his Puma, while WRC2 contenders Nikolay Gryazin, Pepe López and Yohan
Rossel completed the top 10.
Saturday brings another full-on schedule with Esparron / Ozenet launching
the day at 08.05. Les Nonières / Chichilianne and Pellafol / Agnières-en-Dévoluy
follow before the trio are repeated, bringing the day's total competitive
distance to 120.40km.
Leading positions after Friday:
1. E Evans / S Martin GBR Toyota GR Yaris 1h 25m 28.9s
2. S Ogier / V Landais FRA Toyota GR Yaris +4.5s
3. T Neuville / Martijn Wydaeghe BEL Hyundai i20 N +16.1s
4. O Tänak / M Järveoja EST Hyundai i20 N +1m 13.6s
5. A Fourmaux / A Coria FRA Ford Puma +1m 38.0s
6. A Mikkelsen / T Eriksen NOR Hyundai i20 N +2m 58.9s
The official Home of World Rallying:
wrc.com
24-01-23 Legendary Rallye Monte-Carlo
opens 52nd WRC season
It's a fresh start for the WRC stars as a new season begins in the French
Alps.
The curtain rises on a brand-new FIA World Rally Championship season this
week as the worlds toughest motorsport series roars back into action
at the legendary Rallye Monte-Carlo (25 28 January).
Thirteen rounds await across four continents during the WRCs 52nd season.
Kicking off the new year in style, this weeks famous fixture has attracted
a capacity entry of 70 cars.
Rallye Monte-Carlo, the oldest fixture on the WRC calendar and arguably the
most unpredictable rally of the year, moves its base away from the Principality
of Monaco and back into the French alpine town of Gap, where it was most recently
based in 2021. The relatively straightforward asphalt roads high in the mountains
are complicated by winter weather, placing an emphasis on cunning tyre choices.
Tactical twists: New points structure adds fresh dimension
The WRC now features a revamped points system that brings more excitement
and intrigue to the rallys closing stages on Sunday morning. The structure
awards up to 18 points based on the general classification after Saturday,
up to a further seven points for performances on Sunday, and maintains the
traditional five bonus points for the rally-ending Wolf Power Stage.
These updates maintain the core concept of determining an overall rally victor.
As always, the crew with the lowest total time across the entire event will
be crowned the winner.
Driver line-ups: Market shuffles and fresh faces
Reigning manufacturers champion Toyota Gazoo Racing fields three cars
for the season opener, led by last years runner-up Elfyn Evans who is
starting his fifth season with the team. The Welshman is joined by Japans
Takamoto Katsuta, who steps up to a full-time seat in one of Toyotas
point-scoring GR Yaris Rally1 cars. Nine-time Monte-Carlo winner Sébastien
Ogier pilots the third Yaris while reigning world champion Kalle Rovanperä
will complete a partial programme for Toyota in 2024, starting in Sweden next
month.
Hyundai Motorsport has re-signed Ott Tänak after the Estonian spent last
season with M-Sport Ford. Tänak won nine rallies with the Korean manufacturer
between 2020 and 2022. Now he aims to make history and land a maiden drivers
crown for the marque, having previously claimed the title himself behind the
wheel of a Yaris in 2019.
Five-time championship runner-up Thierry Neuville of Belgium leads the i20
N Rally1 attack with Tänak, while reigning WRC2 champion Andreas Mikkelsen
back at WRCs top level for the first time since 2019 - returns
to pilot the teams third car this week. He will alternate drives with
Spains Dani Sordo and Finlands Esapekka Lappi throughout the season.
M-Sport Ford fields a youthful line-up with Adrien Fourmaux and Grégoire
Munster both tackling full campaigns aboard Puma Rally1 cars. Frenchman Fourmaux
returns full-time to Rally1 with M-Sport, having competed in WRC2 the
WRCs main support category - in 2023, while 2024 marks Munsters
first full season at the pinnacle of rallying, making him the first Luxembourger
to achieve the feat.
Monte master Ogier aims to break records
Ogier bids for a record 10th Rallye Monte-Carlo victory on roads close to
his birthplace near the host town of Gap. But the 40-year-old is taking nothing
for granted, knowing exactly how challenging the roads can be.
For me this is a must-do event and theres a lot of hopes for this
first rally, he said. I think its the rally that you need
to respect more than any other as the conditions can be so challenging, which
means that nothing is guaranteed. Numbers are never my main motivation, but
if I could get a 10th win on this event it would be something very special.
The rally starts in Monacos Casino Square on Thursday afternoon. Competitors
face 17 speed tests covering 324.44km before Sunday afternoons finish
back in downtown Monaco.
The official Home of World Rallying:
wrc.com
.