The full route and location list for EA Sports WRC has been revealed. Find out everything you need to know below.
Locations
EA Sports WRC will feature 18 unique rally locations. Including all 13 rounds of the 2023 World Rally Championship season. However, the Central European Rally will not be in the game for the November 3 launch date. It will be added later in a free update for all players shortly after launch, however. Along with the 13 WRC events, there will be 5 other events. Those events are Rally Mediterraneo, AOC Rally Pacifico, Fanatec Rally Oceania, Rally Scandia and Rally Iberia. Mediterraneo looks like it’s pretty much the Tour De Corse Rally which takes place on the island of Corsica in France. AOC Rally Pacifico is set in the Eastern part of Asia. Fanatec Rally Oceania is set in New Zealand and Australia. Rally Scandia is set in Norway. Finally, Rally Iberia is set in Spain.
What Will The Routes Look Like?
For EA Sports WRC Codemasters are using pretty much all real stages. However, some don’t use their real-life stage names. The total kilometres of stages in the game adds up to around 370 km. Some stages are more than 30 kilometres in length. You will be able to drive all 204 stages in the four different seasons. You will also be able to drive them in any car. Say you want to take the legendary Subaru Legacy for a spin at Rally Finland like Colin McRae did all those years ago, you can do that. You could even take the Lancia Delta S4 to the Safari Rally, something the car never did in real life. The choice is completely up to you.
Full Stage List
I could write the entire stage list in this article, however, that would be rather clunky. As a result of putting 204 stages in an article and trying to make it look good isn’t easy. However, I will give you a link to the article from EA themselves that has the complete list of stages.
Rally Poland will return to the World Rally Championship next season for the first time since 2017. Find out more below.
Making A Return
It has been confirmed that Rally Poland will return for the 2024 WRC season. The fast gravel roads of Poland last appeared in the World Rally Championship in 2017. Before it was taken off the calendar due to issues with safety. The event has a long WRC history, with it first being run in 1921, although wasn’t on the WRC calendar at that time. As the WRC didn’t exist at the time. Poland first appeared on the WRC calendar in 1973 as a one-off event. It would remain absent until 2009 when Mikko Hirvonen won the event. Then Poland was absent again until 2014 when it made 4 consecutive WRC appearances. Sebastien Ogier won in both 2014 and 2015, while Andreas Mikkelsen won in 2016 and Thierry Neuville in 2017.
When Will Rally Poland Be Run?
The date for the event is the 27th through 30th of June 2024. This means it’ll run at basically the same time Safari Rally Kenya ran this year. Rally Poland will run as one of three consecutive high-speed events. The other two are Rally Latvia and Rally Finland. Latvia also joins the WRC in 2024, after being an ERC mainstay. If you’re wondering about Safari Rally Kenya don’t worry the event will still be run.
When Will The 2024 WRC Calendar Be Released?
Now that we know all 13 rounds that will be on the 2024 WRC calendar, where is it? The simple answer is, that it still has yet to be approved by the FIA. However there is a date the calendar has to be approved by. That date is the 19th of October before the FIA World Motor Sport Council on that day.
The entry list for the Central European Rally has been released. Grégoire Munster is set to compete for the second time in a Rally1 car at the event.
Another Chance
Grégoire Munster will get another chance in a Rally1 car at the first-ever Central European Rally. Munster got a chance to drive a Rally1 car at Rally Chile BioBio courtesy of his friend Jourdan Serderidis. Why is Munster getting another chance? And what does this mean for the Luxembourgish driver?
Why Is Munster Getting Another Drive?
The car Munster drove in Chile and will drive at the Central European Rally is owned by Serderidis. Meaning it’s his choice who drives the car and when. Munster had a decently good showing at Rally Chile BioBio. Sure he was still seconds off the pace of the other Rally1 drivers, besides Alberto Heller who was also making his Rally1 debut at the event. Munster probably would’ve had a top-10 result if it wasn’t for a double puncture on the second day of the event. Coincidentally Munster will be the only Rally1 driver with experience at the event’s three locations. As Munster has competed at rallies in Austria, Germany and the Czech Republic.
What This Means For Munster
What another drive in a Rally1 car will mean for Munster will be determined in some time. However, we can make some guesses as to where it will lead. Munster has said he is using the events in the Rally1 car to gain knowledge to become more competitive in WRC2. As he is lacking top-class knowledge that guys like Oliver Solberg and Andreas Mikkelsen have. On the flip side what could come from this may have nothing to do with WRC2 at all. As M-Sport has no signed drivers for next season, so there may be a spot for Munster on the team next season. It’s probably a long shot, as Munster isn’t the most experienced driver available. However, M-Sport could bring in Munster on a part-time drive and have him compete in WRC2 at events he’s not driving a rally1 car. Jourdan Serderidis could also give Munster this opportunity.
With Ott Tänak’s departure from M-Sport being confirmed, what should the team’s next step be?
What’s Next For M-Sport?
The next step for M-Sport is a bit uncertain right now. As who will be available out of the current Rally1 drivers is unknown. M-Sports’ best current option is to plan to roster a team of inexperienced drivers. It’s likely Pierrr-Louis Loubet will stay with the team, and there’s a 90% chance British Rally Champion Adrien Fourmaux will join him. There’s a chance Esapekka Lappi could rejoin the team, however, how the relationship is between Lappi and M-Sport is unknown. Andreas Mikkelsen might be their best chance of getting an experienced driver in their line-up. Mikkelsen looks like he’s on pace to win the WRC2 championship this season. However, I don’t think M-Sport will push to add an experienced driver besides Sebastien Loeb in a part-time role.
A Young Line-Up
M-Sport could use the 2024 season to give younger drivers a chance to gain valuable Rally1 experience. Much like they did with Fourmaux, Greensmith and others last season. M-Sport doesn’t have the budget to sign a championship contender and develop the car, they proved that this season. Even with backing from Redbull, it’s not enough. Going down the route of developing the next line of Rally1 drivers may be the way for M-Sport. As if you can’t bring in a developed talent why not make your own, or at least try. There are options out there for drivers who could become the next big star for M-Sport. In the past M-Sport has done decently well at developing new drivers, namely Ott Tänak and Elfyn Evans.
Who Could Join M-Sport?
As previously mentioned the most likely drivers M-Sport will have are Pierre-Louis Loubet and Adrien Fourmaux. There are also drivers like Yohan Rossel, Nikolay Gryazin, and Grégoire Munster among others who could use a chance in a Rally1 car for a few rallies. There’s also a chance Gus Greensmtih could return to the team for the same reason. All these drivers are on the younger side and have loads of talent. It’s likely if any of them were to get a drive in a Puma next season they’ll have to pay for it. Munster is already getting Rally1 experience this year. Driving at Rally Chile BioBio and the Central European Rally. Although Munster is getting the opportunity through his friend Jourdan Serderidis. Oliver Solberg is noticeably missing from the list of drivers mentioned but why? The answer is simple, it’s due to sponsorship reasons. It’s believed M-Sport will be sponsored by Redbull once again next season. Solberg is sponsored by Monster Energy. Due to this Solberg likely won’t get a drive with M-Sport unless they aren’t sponsored by Redbull.
With Ott Tänak reportedly rejoining Hyundai next season, who should get a part-time drive with the team? Find out below.
Dani Sordo
Dani Sordo has been with Hyundai since they rejoined the WRC in 2014. The only other driver that has been with the team since then is Thierry Neuville. Is this the end of Sordo’s near decade-long run with Hyundai? It’s possible. As Sordo is 40 years old currently. It’s already been confirmed Sordo will be with Hyundai next season, however, it wasn’t specified if that was for a driving role or a different role. Sordo hasn’t had the greatest 2023 season, at least in comparison to 2022. Last season Sordo was pretty much a lock for a third-place finish at any event he competed in. If Sordo wants a part-time drive next season there’s a 99% chance he will get it. It’s not really even a question. The main question here is does Sordo want it? It’s a coin toss if he’ll want another part-time drive.
Esapekka Lappi
Esapekka Lappi is currently a full-time driver for Hyundai. However, with Tänak rejoining the team it forces him into either a part-time role or out of the team. Lappi came to Hyundai for a full-time drive, something he likely thought would continue past this season. Otherwise, he likely wouldn’t have left Toyota last offseason. Lappi has had a decent 2023 season so far. The Fin has finished on the podium 4 times so far this season, including three consecutive podium finishes between the Croatia Rally and Rally Italia Sardegna. Lappi has the talent and the skills to be a full-time driver but with the current state of the WRC, it’s unlikely he gets a full-time drive elsewhere.
He could go back to M-Sport and be the top guy there. Lappi’s options are going to be limited, he could potentially go back to Toyota and drive part-time for them again, but then that would either take away from Takamoto Katsuta or another young driver. Lappi will have a lot of thinking to do in a short period of time.
Teemu Suninen
What a story Teemu Suninen has been this season. Suninen was pushed down to WRC2 last season. After going up and down between WRC1 and WRC2 in 2021. Suninen was given another chance at the sports top level this season. Taking over for the late Craig Breen who passed away during a pre-event test at the Croatia Rally. Suninen has made the most of this opportunity, finishing 5th in Estonia, 4th in Finland and was on pace to finish top 3 in Chile before he crashed out. Suninen will likely get a drive with Hyundai next season once again. As he has shown pace and has learned and gotten used to the car rather quickly. Suninen may be able to win rallies or at least finish on or close to the podium consistently for Hyundai.
A Tough Choice
Hyundai is gonna have a tough choice to make before next season. Especially if all three drivers want a part-time drive with the team. All three drivers have their benefits and reasons they should get the drive. The most likely drivers to get the role will be Suninen and Lappi. Sordo will likely call it quits. However, a lot can change between now and the start of the 2024 season.
Ott Tänak Reportedly Rejoining Hyundai For 2024 Season
Ott Tänak is reportedly rejoining the Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT for the 2024 season. Find out more below.
After One Year
Tänak left Hyundai last offseason after competing with the team since 2020. Tänak’s departure from the team was pretty much known before it was announced. As he and teammate Thierry Neuville didn’t have the best relationship at the time. With the team heavily favoring Neuville, even when Tänak had a strong chance at winning the drivers championship. Tänak had made some comments to the media about the situation and mainly Neuville, although they did not directly mention Neuville. Regardless of the dispute, Tänak and Neuville still reportedly have loads of respect for each other. Tänak moved back to M-Sport after leaving Hyundai and that move hasn’t been the greatest. With the Puma Rally1 encountering many reliability issues throughout the season.
Why Is Tänak Rejoining Hyundai?
It’s no secret Hyundai’s i20 has reliability issues much like M-Sport Puma. However, Tänak is currently the most successful driver in that car. Winning 3 of the 5 events the car has won at. Tänak had a chance at winning last years championship until Hyundai chose to let Neuville win EKO Acropolis Rally Greece over Tänak. For Tänak rejoining Hyundai is almost a no-brainer if you look past the issues with Neuville and such. As joining Hyundai gives Tänak a chance at winning the championship. Sure the car won’t be suited to his driving style, that didn’t stop him last season, however. To be completely honest, being at M-Sport didn’t give Tänak much of a hope of winning the championship. Tänak proved this past weekend at Rally Chile BioBio that the Puma can win, but it takes a lot of luck. It is also worth mentioning the Hyundai Tänak left 18 months ago isn’t the same as it is now.
What This Means For Hyundai
Tänak rejoining the team gives Hyundai two top drivers again. The pairing of Tänak and Neuville worked well. You had two guys who could win rallies. Well, this is good as we have seen it can lead to issues, especially when the two drivers in question are fiercely competitive. Tänak is arguably the second-best driver in the championship currently behind Kalle Rovanperä. However, the gap between the two isn’t small. I mean we are talking about the guy who gave Rovanperä a run for his money last season, although that push by Tänak started just a bit too late. Having two top drivers gives Hyundai a strong chance at winning the manufacturers’ championship, something they did in 2019 and 2020. However, that also relies on Hyundai getting a car that actually works for a full event more than 50% of the time.
What Tänak’s Return Means For Lappi
Esapekka Lappi took over Tänak’s role in Hyundai after Tänak left. Lappi has done decently well this season. Tänak rejoining the team ultimately means Lappi won’t get a full-time drive with the team. That is unless Hyundai is getting the fourth car they are rumored to be getting. However, if they do get that fourth car it’ll likely be used to give a young driver seat time in a Rally1 car. For Lappi, it currently looks as if he will either split the third car with somebody, probably Teemu Suninen or look for another team to join. Lappi should stick with Hyundai if given the chance, however, there is reason to believe he’ll move. Lappi spent last season driving part-time for Toyota. However, he likely won’t rejoin Toyota. I suspect if he were to leave Hyundai he’ll join M-Sport, but why? If Lappi wants a full-time drive next season M-Sport is the place to do it. With M-Sport, Lappi would be the number one driver. Plus the team would be able to build the car around his wants and likes. For M-Sport it also makes sense. As Lappi won’t break the bank while giving them a decently good driver.
Rally Argentina is reportedly close to securing a long-term WRC deal. Find out more about the potential deal below and when it could begin.
Wanting A WRC Return
Rally Argentina has been absent from the WRC calendar since 2019. The event has one of the longest histories in Rally. First joining the WRC in 1980, Rally Argentina was a staple on the WRC calendar up until 2019. The event would only miss 2 seasons in that period, 1995 and 2010. Sebastien Loeb has won Rally Argentina the most times, winning it a total of 8 times throughout his career. Only two active WRC drivers have won the event. Those drivers being Thierry Neuville and Ott Tänak.
When Could Rally Argentina Make It’s WRC Return?
Rally Argentina will most likely return on the 2024 or 2025 WRC calendar. The 2024 WRC calendar hasn’t been revealed yet, however, it is believed the calendar is ready to be revealed. It had been previously reported that the calendar would be revealed at EKO Acropolis Rally Greece. Seeing as this article is being written just under a month after Greece took place, that didn’t happen. There’s a chance the event will appear on the 2024 calendar if everything works out for it. However, it’s more likely it’ll reappear on the 2025 calendar.
Where Would It Run?
The event would be run as one-half of a back-to-back trip to South America. With Rally Chile BioBio being the other half. This was done in 2019, when Rally Argentina ran at the end of April and then Rally Chile ran less than two weeks later in May. This seems like the most logical option for the WRC. As it cuts down on costs to transport the cars over twice.
However, finding the correct time frame for this would take a bit of moving things around. As of now the Croatia Rally and Vodafone Rally De Portugal run at that time. It’s not just as easy as saying push events back either. As events only have limited time to run, some may be able to move back a couple of weeks or months, while others may not be. It is possible one of the events could take place in early March. While the other takes place during the end of March this would allow the WRC to have the events go back to back while also making sure they don’t interfere with other events.
Rally Chile BioBio has come to an end. Ott Tänak took home a dominant win at the event. Winning by just over 40 seconds.
Day One
Day one of Rally Chile BioBio started with 6 special stages totalling 112.86 km. Ott Tänak picked up where he left off in Chile taking the first stage win of the weekend. However, his lead would be short-lived. As Elfyn Evans would take the lead on SS2. Evans maintained the lead until SS4 when Teemu Suninen took the rally lead. While also winning his first stage in a Rally1 car. Suninen only held the lead for one stage before Ott Tänak took it back. Tänak remained the event leader at the end of the first day. Taking a 4.2-second lead over Suninen into day two.
Day Two
The second day of Rally Chile BioBio was the Ott Tänak show. With the Estonian taking all but two stage wins on the day. Kalle Rovanperä was the only other driver to win a stage on the day. Tänak ended the second day with a 58.3-second lead over Suninen. The win was Tänak’s to lose at this point, but Tänak didn’t want to celebrate too early. As he knows better than anyone that a lead, even of that size can disappear in an instant.
Day Three
The third and final day of Rally Chile BioBio was the Thierry Neuville show. With Neuville winning three of the day’s four stages. However, none of that mattered in the end as Tänak held on to take the rally win. Tänak wasn’t pushing at all on the final day as expected. Neuville battled with Teemu Suninen for second place. That was until Suninen crashed out on SS15, handing Neuville second and Toyota the manufacturers championship. Kalle Rovanperä took home the Powerstage win.
Drivers’ Championship Standings
Kalle Rovanperä remains in the drivers’ championship lead as expected. Rovanperä now leads Elfyn Evans by 31 points heading into the Central European Rally later this month. Thierry Neuville also remains in his position, staying in third now 31 points behind Evans. Neuville’s championship hunt is officially over. Ott Tänak stayed in fourth despite taking the event win. However, the gap between him and Neuville has shrunk to just 9 points. It’s possible for Tänak to move into a top-three position by the season’s end. Sebastien Ogier stays in fifth, now 47 points behind Tänak. Esapekka Lappi still sits on the edge of a top-five position, just one point behind Ogier.
Tänak Shines
Ott Tänak has had a rough 2023 season. With the Estonian only having one win before Rally Chile BioBio. It doesn’t help matters that the Puma Rally1 has been extremely unreliable. Tänak has had strong performances, but every time he does it seems that the car gives out. It’s been an unfortunate year for the 2019 championship. As Tänak has proven that he is still one of the best drivers in the championship. Hopefully, this is a sign of things to come for Tänak but unfortunately, it seems to have come too late. As Tänak’s championship hopes have been over for a while. Hopefully, Tänak can start building himself up for next season, whether or not that’s with M-Sport is a different story.
Suninen Shines
Teemu Suninen may have retired on the penultimate stage of Rally Chile BioBio, but that doesn’t take away from his performance. There aren’t many drivers who can say they beat Kalle Rovanperä and Elfyn Evans on multiple stages during an event. Especially with just three events worth of experience in a car. Suninen was the second-best driver this weekend behind Tänak. It may have had something to do with road position on the opening day, or it could be a showing sign that Suninen can compete with the big guys.
Lappi and Loubet Roll Out
Esapekka Lappi was set to move into the top five of the drivers’ championship. However, that all came crashing down on the first stage of Rally Chile BioBio. As the Fin would go too tight into a corner and hit something that caused his car to roll. Lappi and his co-driver were okay after the crash that left his i20 with half of a rear end. Just two stages later Pierre-Louis Loubet would suffer the same fate as Lappi. Loubet looked like he was going to have his best event of the season. Unfortunately, he just couldn’t keep it up and rolled out of the event. Loubet also tore half of his rear end off in the crash.
Rally Chile BioBio Links
How Tires Changed Rally Chile BioBio
Day One Recap: WRC1
Day Two Recap: WRC1
Day Three Recap: WRC1
Suninen Crashes Out Of Rally Chile BioBio
Roope Korhonen has won the 2023 WRC3 championship after Diego Dominquez retired from Rally Chile BioBio.
WRC3 Champions
Roope Korhonen takes home his first WRC3 championship this season. Korhonen has won every event he’s competed in WRC3 this season. WRC3 drivers are allowed to elect 5 rounds to score points in, Korhonen has only competed in 4 events, however, that doesn’t seem to make a difference as only 4 events are counted. Diego Dominquez has competed in all 5 of his rounds as of the end of Rally Chile BioBio. The championship race would’ve continued if Domiquez hadn’t suffered a mechanical issue on the opening stage of the final day. All Dominquez had to do was finish the event to guarantee a top-two finish at the event. As only two drivers were competing in the class. However, all Korhonen would’ve had to do from that point was score 5 or so points to win the championship anyway.
Eyes On WRC2
Roope Korhonen has already made it known he has his eyes set on WRC2. It’s likely that Korhonen will compete in the Central European Rally in the WRC2 class later this month. Korhonen did compete at his home event of Secto Rally Finland in a WRC2 car, he finished 19th in the WRC2 class. What’s next for Diego Dominguez is unknown at this point, but, it’s likely, that he’ll also look to move into the WRC2 class. Whether or not Korhonen will compete in his fifth WRC3 event is unknown, however, it doesn’t sound like he’ll have to.
Disappointing End For Domiquez
Diego Dominguez had a disappointing end to his season. Dominguez was a strong driver and one of the favourites to win the WRC Junior Championship and the WRC3 championship. However, due to a mechanical issue, he lost the WRC3 championship. It’s a disappointing end to the season for one of the better up-and-coming drivers in the WRC.
The Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team has won the 2023 Manufacturers championship. Find out more below.
Back To Back To Back Champions
The Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally team have won their third consecutive Manufacturers championship. The Japanese manufacturer has won the championship since 2021. Taking home the championship this weekend looked like a long shot after Rovanperä and Evans struggled on the third day due to tires. However, that didn’t seem to matter. Rovanperä and Evans managed to finish third and fourth overall. Both drivers were promoted to these positions after Teemu Suninen crashed out on SS15.
Toyota’s 2023 Season
Toyota hasn’t had as dominant of a season as the 2022 season. As Kalle Rovanperä has only won 3 events this season. However, the story this year has seemed to be on Sebastien Ogier and Elfyn Evans. As Ogier has also taken 3 wins this season, but has only driven 6 events so far this season. Elfyn Evans took 2 wins so far this season, including at Secto Rally Finland. Toyota has only lost three events so far this season, making the manufacturers’ championship victory easier. The team started the year where they left off with a win in Rallye Monte-Carlo. Sebastien Ogier won the event to becoming the winningest driver at the event. Kalle Rovanperä didn’t take his first win of the season until Vodafone Rally De Portugal. Evans won the Croatia Rally, while Ogier won Rally Mexico. Ogier also won Safari Rally Kenya which Toyota took home a podium sweep at. Rovanperä was back to his winning ways in Estonia, Evans won Secto Rally Finland and Rovanperä won Rally Greece.
Making History
Toyota moves one step closer to becoming the manufacturer with the second most manufacturer championships in WRC history. The team currently sits just one manufacturer win behind Citroen for the second most. They sit 3 behind Lanica for the most. Since rejoining the WRC in 2016 Toyota has won 4 manufacturers championships. The Japanese team has been nearly unstoppable for the past 5 or so seasons. As they have been able to hire some of the top drivers in the sport, from Ott Tänak to Kalle Rovanperä, the team hasn’t had a lack of talent in their lineup.