The 2021 World Rally Championship is primed to get underway, just 7 weeks after the close of the 2020 season at Monza. It’s one of the shortest time lapses between 2 seasons due to the delayed 2020 season finale. Technical regulation changes are set to take come into force in 2021, the major one being the change of tyre supplier from Michelin to Pirelli, who will now supply both the WRC & WRC2 cars for the duration of the 2021 season & beyond. The change in tyre suppliers could throw…
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WRC Rally Turkey, Elfyn Evans takes surprise victory.
Turkey played host to round five of the 2020 World Rally Championship, the infamous rough roads have seen plenty of drama over the years, with the rocky gravel stages & searing heat sealing the events reputation as a real carbreaker. The action got underway on Friday, it was Sebastien Loeb who would set the pace throughout the Friday. Loeb, a three time winner of the event in the past knows the event well, but had never driven the stages on Friday, in the process fending off teammate Thierry Neuville &…
Read MoreWRC season set to restart in Estonia.
It’s been a long time since there has been some good news in the world of WRC, but after much consternation and waiting, we finally have an official restart date for the 2020 World Rally Championship. September 4th, 5th & 6th will see Rally Estonia, which was originally going to run as Rally Dirtfish has become part of the WRC calendar. Estonia was already primed to join the WRC calendar from 2021 onwards, but with Rally DIrtfish going ahead and a number of WRC teams and drivers competing, the decision…
Read MoreWRC news round up, Rally New Zealand and Finland cancelled, Ford making progress on new reg car
Organisers have confirmed that the predicted return of the WRC season in Rally New Zealand will no longer take place in 2020. Event organisers Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development (ATEED) confirmed on june 4th the cancellation of Rally New Zealand. The events CEO, Mike Goldstein stated “It became clear that with our borders closed to international travel and the logistics required to host thousands of international visitors as part of the World Rally Championship, that the September 2020 date was not practical.” New Zealand has effectively eradicated Covid19 from…
Read MoreWRC Rally Mexico, Ogier triumphs amidst Covid-19 shortened event
The third round of the World Rally Championship once again plays host to Rally Mexico, high temperatures and challenging gravel conditions faced the teams and drivers once again. The event going ahead was a surprise following mass cancellations of global motorsport events due to the ongoing Coronavirus/Covid-19 outbreak, Formula 1, IMSA Weathertech, WEC & Indycar amongst others have cancelled events en-masse due to government containment conditions and travel restrictions. The WRC has not escaped the grip of Covid-19, with the fourth round of the championship, Rally Argentina already being cancelled…
Read MoreElfyn Evans triumphs in shortened Rally Sweden.
Sweden played host to the second round of the World Rally Championship this weekend, but there was something different, something unusual for those watching and attending. Yes, it’s a distinct lack of snow. Rally Sweden’s USP has always been the massive amounts of snow, giving unique scenery and a unique challenge for the drivers and teams as the cars run on studded tyres. There was drama before the rally even got underway, with talks of the event potentially being cancelled due to the lack of snow. The decision was taken…
Read MoreWRC Monte Carlo, Thierry Neuville victorious in Monte thriller.
After a long and dramatic off season, the 2020 World Rally Championship began in earnest in the hills above Monte Carlo. The conditions for the event were unusually good, with dry conditions and not an awful lot in the way of snow and ice on the mountain roads. The 2020 season sees three manufacturers in the series, Ford, Hyundai & Toyota. Citroen announced a shock exit from the sport in the off season which has seen a game of musical chairs for many drivers. Ott Tanak has moved from Toyota…
Read MoreWRC news: Ford M-Sport confirms 2020 driver line-up.
After a long period of speculation within the WRC paddock and community, Ford M-Sport has confirmed its driver line up for the 2020 WRC season. Former Citroen driver Esapekka Lappi is confirmed as the teams new lead driver, replacing Elfyn Evans who completed the move to Toyota at the end of 2019. Ford confirmed that they will retain young Finnish driver Teemu Sunninen for a second season as their second driver. Sunninen showed flashes of brilliance in the 2019 season and Sunninen will likely build on the steady form he…
Read MoreCitroen announces WRC departure, Ogier joining new team for 2020.
In a surprising turn of events, Citroen announced this morning that they will be discontinuing their WRC programme with immediate effect. The news came prematurely amid widespread speculation that Citroen would depart the WRC before the new 2022 hybrid regulations, but the shock came as Citroen announced they will not contest the 2020 season. Citroen cited the reason as being the departure of Sebastien Ogier from the team and the lack of a high quality driver to lead the team into 2020. There are background factors that may have influenced…
Read MoreWRC Wales Rally GB, Tanak triumphs as the Championship comes into focus.
The World Rally Championship roared back into life from October 3rd to October 6th with the championship arriving in North Wales for Wales Rally GB. This year the Rally sees a change, being based out of the seaside town of Llandudno as opposed to its traditional base out of Deeside. The scrutineering for the event took on a unique format, with the Workshops of North Wales Honda hosting scrutineering and the cars being pushed through the showroom, allowing fans a unique opportunity to get up close to the cars and…
Read MoreWRC Rally Turkey, Citroens 1-2 Turkish Delight.
Round 11 of the WRC took place on the second weekend of September on the fearsome rock strewn gravel stages around Marmaris and above the Turquoise coast. Blistering heat and a splash of heavy rain would furnish the drivers with a real challenge for both man and machine. The Thursday evening saw the opening stage of the rally, a short blast around the streets of Marmaris which saw Thierry Neuville & Andreas Mikkelsen to for first position, setting identical times trailed by Pontus Tidemand’s Ford Fiesta in third. The first…
Read MoreWRC Rally Germany, Toyota reigns supreme.
Germany is the scene for the second asphalt round of the World Rally Championship in 2019, with the event exhibiting a broad challenge from the narrow vineyards around the River Mosel, to the high speed stages in the Saarland region and the punishing bumps and ruts of the Panzerplatte. The event got underway on Thursday evening with a single stage around on the winding roads near the service park on the St.Wendeler Land stage. Ott Tanak took victory on the opening stage, though his Toyota Yaris was missing both its…
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