Rally Chile BioBio Preview: WRC1

The 2024 WRC season continues this weekend with the 11th round, Rally Chile BioBio, find out everything you need to know below. 

Drivers’ Championship Rundown Heading Into Rally Chile BioBio

Kalle Rovanperä expanded his Drivers’ Championship lead with a win at EKO Acropolis Rally Greece. Rovanperä now leads Elfyn Evans by 33 points heading into Chile. Thierry Neuville looked like he was going to shrink the gap between himself and Evans in Greece. That was before his suspension broke on the third day ending his rally. Neuville now sits 33 points behind Evans heading into Rally Chile BioBio. Ott Tänak also remained in the same position, with Tänak staying fourth after Greece. Tänak pulled off a spectacular comeback to take home 4th place in Greece. After a mechanical issue forced Tänak to receive 1 minute and 40 seconds worth of late penalties. Tänak sits 15 points behind Neuville heading into this weekend. Sebastien Ogier remains in fifth after Greece. Much like Neuville, Ogier took home limited points after his suspension also broke on the same day. Ogier sits 20 points behind Tänak heading into Chile. Ogier however will not be driving this weekend. 

In A Prime Position 

With Sebastien Ogier skipping Rally Chile BioBio. Esapekka Lappi sits in a perfect position to move into fifth in the Drivers’ Championship. Lappi sits just 1 point behind Ogier heading into this weekend. Fifth isn’t the highest Lappi can move up to this weekend, however. As he sits just 21 points behind Ott Tänak for fourth. This means that if Tänak’s misfortune keeps up in Chile, Lappi could sit fourth in the championship by the end of the event. 

Teams Breakdown

Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT

Toyota comes into Chile on top of the rallying world. The team currently hosts both championship contenders, in Kalle Rovanperä and Elfyn Evans, and will probably win the Manufacturers’ championship this weekend. Rovanperä has a slim chance to seal the Drivers’ championship this weekend. That likely won’t be on the top of Toyota’s mind this weekend, however. As all Toyota needs to do is finish first and second or have one of Neuville or Lappi struggle during the event to win the manufacturers’ championship. If Toyota does clinch the manufacturers’ championship this weekend, it’ll be their 4th consecutive manufacturers’ championship. Making them one of the most successful teams in WRC history, in case they haven’t already proved that. The normal Toyota crew will be at the event this weekend. With Rovanperä, Evans and Takamoto Katsuta competing for the team. 

Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT

With Hyundai, there isn’t much to talk about. The team hasn’t been great but they haven’t been bad either. They’re pretty much right in the middle. Sure you could talk about the poor reliability of the i20 but that’s been beaten to the point that it’s boring to talk about. Thierry Neuville, Esapekka Lappi and Teemu Suninen will compete for the team this weekend. The Korean manufacturer needs a decent result, also known as a first and second-place finish. If they want to keep their slim chances at winning the manufacturers’ championship alive past Chile. Neuville’s drivers’ championship hopes ended in Greece. Unless by some streak of misfortune, both Rovanperä and Evans retire from the event or take home 0 points and Neuville takes home 30. Considering that Rovanperä rarely messes up there’s like a 10% chance this actually happens. 

M-Sport Ford WRT

Where do I start with M-Sport? I mean seriously they seem to have no luck. Loubet hasn’t finished a rally without an issue since Estonia. Tänak hasn’t finished one without an issue since Italy. M-Sport has to put up a good result this weekend. Especially Tänak, mind you mechanical issues are out of his control. It’s just been a lacklustre season for the British team. The Puma hasn’t been reliable, and having a two-car team hasn’t worked in their favour. Tänak comes into Rally Chile BioBio as the defending winner. Winning the event back in 2019 with Toyota. Can Tänak bounce back in Chile? That’ll be found out this weekend, but it’ll depend on a lot more than just his driving. Tänak and Loubet will both drive for the team this weekend. They will be joined by two new Rally1 drivers in Grégoire Munster and Alberto Heller joining the team for the weekend.

Two Rally1 Debuts At Rally Chile BioBio

WRC2 driver Grégoire Munster will make his Rally1 debut this weekend. Munster will become the first driver in WRC history to drive a Rally3, Rally2 and Rally1 car in the same season. As Munster drove a Rally3 car in Estonia, a rally2 car at select events for the WRC2 championship and now a Rally1 car. Munster will pilot Jourdan Serderidis’s Puma Rally1. Alberto Heller will also be making his Rally1 debut this weekend. The Chilean driver will pilot a Puma Rally1 provided by M-Sport. 

Esapekka Lappi joined the Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team last season. Should the team keep Lappi for next season?

The Facts

Esapekka Lappi joined Hyundai last offseason to replace Ott Tänak. On paper, this was a bit of a downgrade for Hyundai. As Tänak is a former world rally champion and one of the best drivers in the WRC currently. On the flip side, Lappi has been floating from team to team for the past couple of seasons. Driving for M-Sport, Citroen and Toyota in the process. Lappi was a part-time driver for Toyota last season and put up decent results. Finishing third three times in the season. Lappi moved into a full-time role for Hyundai this season. Making this his first full season since 2020 with M-Sport. Lappi only has one rally win under his belt, that sole win came at the 2017 running of Rally Finland. He is the most recent Finnish driver to win the event. 

Why Hyundai Should Keep Lappi

Esapekka Lappi has been good for Hyundai this season. Finishing on the podium four times so far this season, Lappi has shown he and Thierry Neuville make a good team. Lappi was on pace to win Rally Mexico for his second rally win of his career. However, an accident forced Lappi out of the lead and rally. The biggest thing Hyundai has to consider is how well Neuville and Lappi work together. Lappi has been willing to put Neuville over this season when he’s had to. He’s also a driver who can step up when Neuville makes an issue. 

Who Could Replace Lappi?

If Hyundai chooses to not retain Esapekka Lappi for next season, who could replace him? The likeliest option for Hyundai would be Teemu Suninen or Emil Lindholm. Suninen likely has a spot with Hyundai next season. It’s just unknown if that’s part-time or full-time. Suninen going full-time doesn’t necessarily mean Lappi is out of Hyundai however. As it’s believed Hyundai is getting a fourth i20 Rally1 for next season, or Dani Sordo could retire from driving. Both of which are an option. It’s also believed that if the fourth car does end up happening for Hyundai reigning WRC2 champion Emil Lindholm will get a drive in the car. Ott Tänak has also been rumoured to be involved in talks to rejoin Hyundai. However, that seems unlikely. Lappi is probably Hyundai’s best option for having a second driver that can finish on the podium or top five consistently. 

Sebastien Ogier has confirmed he will drive for the Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT for the 2024 season. 

First To Confirm

Sebastien Ogier is the first of many drivers to confirm their 2024 season plans. With Ogier confirming he will once again be a part-time driver for Toyota next season. The time World Rally Champion has driven part-time for Toyota since the 2022 season. Ogier has proven this season he still has what it takes to compete with the best. As Ogier has won 3 out of the 6 events he’s driven so far this season, and likely would’ve won EKO Acropolis Rally Greece. If it weren’t for a broken suspension arm on the final stage of the third day. Ogier is the first Toyota driver to confirm his plans for next season. As up to this point no other driver for Toyota has a contract for next season. In fact, the only driver at the WRC level with a contract for next season is Thierry Neuville for Hyundai. 

In case There Was A Doubt

There were rumours that Ogier may move to Hyundai for next season. However, that isn’t happening. Ogier has even said there wasn’t much to the talks between him and Hyundai. It was more just talking than anything. As Ogier is his own agent meaning he deals with this stuff on his own. For Ogier, sticking with Toyota seems like the right move. As the Yaris Rally1 has proven it can win, and he has a fantastic team backing him. With Hyundai, it’s a lot of uncertainty. The i20 Rally1 is unreliable, and unproven in a lot of cases. Sure Ott Tänak won a couple events in the car last season, but that was a miracle in a half. Thierry Neuville has been decent this season, same with Esapekka Lappi. For Ogier that unknown isn’t something he needs to challenge at this point in his career. 

Who Will Join Ogier?

Sebastien Ogier will likely start a domino effect of drivers announcing their 2024 plans. The lineup for Toyota will likely remain the same. Rovanperä seems happy with the Japanese team. So does Elfyn Evans and Takamoto Katsuta. For Toyota they have the perfect lineup heading into next season if they can keep the current lineup. Rovanperä is a nearly unstoppable force, and when he’s out Evans steps up. The bigger question heading into the off-season will be, does Toyota find somebody to fill in for the other half of the season when Ogier’s not there? Currently, that’s Takamoto Katstua’s role with the team. Although Katsuta has driven every event this season, he only scores manufacturers’ points at events Ogier isn’t attending. Toyota will likely keep this how it is, but could they bring another driver in to develop and give valuable Rally1 seat time to at events Ogier isn’t at? It’s possible, but unlikely. 

The Toyota Yaris Rally1 has a chance to make history at Rally Chile BioBio next weekend, but how? Find out below.

How The Toyota Yaris Rally1 Can Make History, Well Kinda

The Toyota Yaris Rally1 currently sits with 15 rally wins heading into Rally Chile BioBio next week. This 15-win number may seem random to mention, but it’s the main focus of this article. As to tie for the 10th winningest car in WRC history, the Yaris Rally1 only needs 1 rally win. Something they can and probably will achieve in Chile. If they do win, the Yaris Rally1 joins another Toyota for the 10th most wins in WRC history. The other Toyota in question? The Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD (STI85). The Celica won its first event at the 1992 running of Safari Rally Kenya, with Carlos Sainz behind the wheel. Its final win came at the 1994 Rally Sanremo with Didier Auriol behind the wheel. Anyways back to the Yaris Rally1. The first win for the Yaris Rally1 came at the 2022 running of Rally Sweden, with Kalle Rovanperä behind the wheel, and the latest win came at EKO Acropolis Rally Greece with Rovanperä also piloting the car. In fact, Rovanperä has the most wins in the car, winning 9 of the 15 events the car has won

Could The Yaris Rally1 End Up Higher On The List?

The Toyota Yaris Rally1 has a chance to tie for 7th on the all-time wins list. Joining the Fiat Abarth 131 with 18 wins. In doing this the Yaris Rally1 would pass the Ford Escort MK2 and Lancia Stratos, both are tied for 8th on the list, with 17 wins a piece. Most likely the Yaris Rally1 will be tied for 8th place by the end of the season. As it’s unlikely that the car will be brought to victory seven consecutive times. As a Toyota driver has won every event from Safari Rally Kenya onward. Rovanperä may be a good driver, but at two events he and every other driver have little experience at, it’s unlikely he or another Toyota driver will win both. Toyota will probably win their home event of Rally Japan to end off the season, however. It is worth mentioning that there is a chance no Toyota driver could win in the remainder of the season. This is extremely unlikely, however, as well Rovanperä seems unstoppable and Elfyn Evans is right behind him. 

Joining Another Toyota

Once the Toyota Yaris Rally1 joins the list of the 10 winningest WRC cars it’ll join another Toyota. Not the Cecila, it’s actually another Yaris. The Toyota Yaris WRC which was used from 2017 to 2021. Taking home its first win at Rally Sweden in 2017 with now Toyota team principal Jari-Matti Latvala behind the wheel. Its final win came at its final event, the 2021 running of Rally Monza, with Sebastien Ogier behind the wheel. The Yaris WRC currently sits tied for fourth on the list. It’s tied with the Citroen DS3 WRC with both cars having 26 wins. Funnily enough, once the Yaris Rally1 makes the list there will be 3 Citroens and 3 Toyota’s on the list. It’s no surprise there are so many Citroens on the list seeing as Sebastien Loeb won 9 consecutive championships with the cars. 

Is there any potential that the WRC could go fully electric in the future? Find out why or why not below. 

The Facts

It’s been reported that the current deal between the WRC and Compact Dynamics has been extended to 2027. Meaning the WRC will continue to use hybrid engines until the end of the 2027 season. Giving the WRC just about 3 years to decide their next move as a result. Could their next move be to go fully electric? It’s possible but highly unlikely. It’s unlikely for multiple reasons. I’ll explore some of those reasons in a minute, but first, let’s look at why this could happen. 

Why The WRC Could Go Electric 

Simply put, going electric seems to be the way of the future and what the FIA is interested in. However, that’s about where the good reasons end. The FIA will likely have interest in the WRC going fully electric as most of their championships are going down that route, or another environmentally friendly route. However, most of the FIA’s championships that are doing that take place on a closed course. 

Why The WRC Probably Won’t Go Electric

Buckle up because this is about to be long. The WRC likely won’t go electric, for a multitude of reasons. Including battery range, safety and most importantly it doesn’t make sense. Let me break each of those down further. 

Battery Range

The total kilometres of stages on a single day would require more than just a single battery charge from an electric car. So why not just charge them at service? That’s not the issue, the issue is how long they take to charge. To fully recharge the battery or batteries would take more than 30 to 45 minutes. So why not up the service times? If only it were that simple, the WRC can only close roads for a set amount of time, expanding the service times would push the entire second half of the day back. Something the WRC likely wouldn’t be keen on doing. 

Safety Reasons 

One of the biggest things the FIA and WRC promoter will have to look at with electric vehicles is safety. Not necessarily the safety of competitors, but the safety of fans and spectators. Take a look at EKO Acropolis Rally Greece there were many instances of spectators on the stage throughout the event. The WRC and event Marshalls can’t control every spectator nor sit on every corner of a stage. For this reason, rally cars need to make some loud noise. This is something electric cars don’t make a lot of, they sound like quiet vacuum cleaners. Something you probably wouldn’t hear until it was right behind you. The WRC can’t run the risk of somebody being on stage or in a bad spot and getting hit by a car. There are rules for spectators, yes, but that doesn’t always stop people from doing what they want. Electric cars work on closed courses but on an open course where spectators are right beside the road may not be the safest idea. 

It Doesn’t Make Sense

The WRC going electric just doesn’t make sense at the end of the day. It would be a venture that would end the WRC. Sure there are some electric series that work, and then there are some that fail. The WRC promoter is seeing this firsthand with the World RX. A championship that is losing fans and slowly dying out. The WRC can’t risk the same happening to the championship. It’s not worth it for the championship to take the risk. It’s a coin toss of if it’ll work or if it’ll fail miserably. 

The WRC Needs To Focus On Other Things

Instead of focusing on a fully electric future the WRC first needs to get themselves into a good place. It’s no secret the WRC isn’t doing great currently. Having only three Rally1 teams and no new ones joining in the near future it seems. The WRC should focus on trying to attract new manufacturers and fans. Will bring fully electric bring new manufacturers? Maybe, will it bring new fans? Maybe. It’s all unknown, there’s a 50% chance it will bring new manufacturers and fans and there’s a 50% chance it won’t. The WRC needs to stick with and grow what they have until they are in a comfortable enough spot to try a major change like becoming fully electric. 

Rally Chile BioBio takes place in a week’s time, let’s take a look back at the last time it was in the WRC.

New Event New Experience

Rally Chile BioBio made its WRC debut in the 2019 season. Marking the first time the championship went to Chile and the first time the event had run. Running just a few weeks after Rally Argentina, Chile was sure to give drivers and new experience at the event. Being a new experience for both the WRC and organizers something unusual was probably going to happen and that something didn’t take long to happen. As on just the second stage of the event the stage was halted due to a safety concern. This didn’t really have much of an effect on the stage as it was caught early. However, Thierry Neuville who was first on the road was interrupted due to this. Meaning he was awarded time after the stage. 

Rally Recap

Day One

The first day of Rally Chile 2019 was dominated by Ott Tänak. Tänak took 3 of the 6 stage wins on the day to take a lead of 22.4 seconds heading into the second day of the event. Sebastien Ogier sat second heading into the second day, and Jari-Matti Latvala sat third, 6.4 seconds behind Ogier. 

Day Two

The second day of the event was slightly less dominated by Tänak. As the Estonian only took 2 wins on the days six stages, tying for the most stage wins on the day with Sebastien Loeb. Kris Meeke rolled his Toyota on the opening stage of the day but would carry on. For Thierry Neuville, it was a different story. After taking the stage win on SS7, Neuville crashed out on a blind right-hander, ending his event as a result. Ott Tänak maintained the lead on the second day, now sitting 30.3 seconds ahead of Sebastien Ogier for the lead. Sebastien Loeb took hold of third as a result of Latvala breaking his driveshaft on the final stage of the day. Loeb now sat 5.1 seconds back from Ogier at the end of the day. 

Day Three

The third and final day of Rally Chile saw Ott Tänak only take one stage win. That stage win just so happened to be the Powerstage, awarding him 5 extra points. Sebastien Ogier gained back time on Tänak, however not enough to take the rally lead. As in 4 stages there isn’t much time to be had. Anyway, Tänak held on to win the first-ever Rally Chile. Beating Sebastien Ogier by 23.1 seconds. Sebastien Loeb held on to third, finishing 7.1 seconds back from Ogier. 

Subaru has been linked to a WRC return, but why does the manufacturer need to return to the championship? Find out below.

Continuing A Legacy

Subaru has one of the largest and most iconic histories in the WRC. This isn’t the reason the manufacturer needs to return to the WRC however. It’s deeper than that, and it’s not just a Subaru thing. For the health of the WRC, they need to attract more manufacturers, especially ones with the amount of legacy that Subaru has. For the WRC they need to keep the history of manufacturers alive, especially ones like Subaru that are still around and thriving. The WRC can’t risk letting the history or legacy of Subaru be forgotten. It’s also a way for Subaru to continue their legacy and be able to go out of the championship on their own foot. Not forced out via a financial crisis. 

Adding Another Manufacturer 

This isn’t something that only Subaru can solve. It’s no secret the WRC needs to add another manufacturer to the championship. Currently, the WRC only has two fully back manufacturer teams (Toyota and Hyundai) and one partly backed team (M-Sport), the WRC cannot continue with this. It may look fine for now, because all the teams are committed to the WRC. But what about in the long run? Is M-Sport going to be able to survive and be in the championship in 5 or 10 years? The WRC cannot let that be a risk, you can’t run a championship with 2 teams. It’s not good for the drivers nor the championship. At that point, you risk turning into the World RX. Subaru seems to be the only manufacturer that may have an interest in the WRC, and the WRC needs to do everything in their power to make it happen. 

Takamoto Katsuta has been in the WRC for nearly 4 seasons, is he ready for a larger role with Toyota?

Proving Himself

Takamoto Katsuta has competed in Rally’s top class since the start of the 2020 season. Katsuta has made slow but steady progress with Toyota. Having 4 podiums under his belt so far. With his highest finish being 2nd at Safari Rally Kenya in 2021. Katsuta has been consistent so far in a WRC1/Rally1 car. However, he’s finishing consistently at 5th or lower. Unless somebody has an issue that is. The biggest question is, does Toyota think he’s ready to step into a larger role with the team? As Katsuta has been the teams third full-time driver since 2020. However, Katsuta has only scored Manufacturers’ points at select events. With Sebastien Ogier being the other part-time Manufacturer points scorer for Toyota. 

Why He Needs More Time 

Katsuta is a talented driver, who is slowly improving. However, for a team like Toyota, he may not be ready to step into a full-time manufacturer scoring role. Although even if he did take that next step he likely wouldn’t score many manufacturers points. As Kalle Rovanperä and Elfyn Evans rarely make mistakes. The biggest thing Katsuta needs to improve on is finishing fifth or higher at each event. Finishing sixth isn’t terrible but for a team like Toyota, it’s not favorable. Consistency is key and finishing at or around fifth isn’t bad considering everyone else who’s in the championship. However, at most events, 6th is second last in class. As most of the time, there are only 7 or 8 Rally1 cars at an event. If Katsuta can find a way to consistently finish top five, even if nobody has an issue, he’ll be a good fit for a full-time role with the team. 

Depends On A Different Thing 

If Katsuta steps into a larger role next season is up to not just Toyota, but 8-time World Rally Champion Sebastien Ogier. There were rumours circulating that Ogier may leave the team at the end of the season for Hyundai. However, that doesn’t look like it’ll be the case. As for Ogier, he’s in a perfect situation. He’s in a car that can win relatively easily. Ogier has also proven he can still win events. He’s won the most events this season, and would likely lead the championship if he was doing a full campaign. 

The 2024 WRC Calendar has yet to be released, it’s gotta be released soon right? But when could it be released? Find out below. 

A Possible Delay 

It was previously reported that the 2024 WRC Calendar was to be released before Greece. Well, Greece finished just over a week ago and still no calendar. So where is it? Is possible that the WRC and FIA are held up by an event? As for the 2024 calendar to be confirmed, all events have to be confirmed. If an event is struggling to get permits to run or is having another issue it could delay the calendar. We know basically the entire calendar already. As all but 3 event slots are confirmed. The remaining slots will likely be filled by Croatia Rally, Rally Japan and Rally Poland or Argentina. It’s possible that any one of these events are holding the release of the 2024 calendar up. It’s also possible the FIA and WRC are just waiting until October to release it.

When Could The 2024 WRC Calendar Be Released? 

The earliest the 2024 calendar could be released is Rally Chile BioBio in just under 2 weeks time. It’s also possible it’s unveiled as late as the Central European Rally in October. The calendar will probably be released sometime between Chile and Europe. That is if everything goes according to schedule. 

Why The 2024 WRC Calendar Needs To Come Out Soon

The 2024 Calendar doesn’t just tell fans when a WRC event is taking place. It also is normally the start of silly season talks and talks of drivers retiring and such. Most drivers, unless they are 100% sure they want to retire, don’t retire until after they see the next season’s calendar. It’ll also be the kind of true start to contract negotiations. Which have been silently taking place, but nothing has really materialized. Things will likely stay this way after the calendar is released. As everyone will likely remain with who they currently drive for. Besides maybe Ott Tänak and a few others. Nobody really wants to make a move until they see what’s next for the WRC. 

Pirelli announced earlier this week it would not be the tire supplier for the WRC past the 2024 season. So who could replace them? 

Michelin 

Michelin was the main tire supplier for the WRC from the start of the 2011 season, until the end of the 2020 season. Of course, other tires were used within this timeframe. Such as Pirelli and D-Mack. However, those were pretty much only used by privateers and teams sponsored by said tire brand. Michelin has already been involved in rumours regarding who could become the WRC’s trite supplier in 2025 and beyond. Michelin would make sense for the WRC to choose. As they have past experience with the brand, and it’s one some drivers will be familiar with. Due to the previous experience with the WRC and overall having the budget and brand recognition, Michelin will probably be the new tire supplier for the WRC after 2024. 

MRF Tyre

MRF Tyre is currently used in the ERC by their own team and some other drivers. The MRF Tyre team has won the Teams championship in the ERC the past two seasons. Proving the tire can do good at rally events. Plus with it being used in the ERC, the FIA and WRC get to see firsthand how the tire holds up. If MRF were to become the main tire supplier for the WRC it’s likely their team will come along with them. Whether or not this is in the Rally1 class is a different story. However, if it is in the Rally1 class. It’s another positive for the WRC as another team, even if it’s not a new manufacturer is needed in the WRC. 

Yokohama 

Yokohama is a bit of a dark horse. As they haven’t been used by any of the FIA’s rally championships. However, that doesn’t mean they haven’t been used in rallies. Yokohama is the main tire supplier for Subaru Motorsports USA. The biggest issue with tires is normally how easily they debeed or get punctured. Yokohama, much like Michelin would have the budget to do such a large venture. However is Yokohama ready for something as large as the WRC? Only time will truly tell if they are ready for that big of a venture.

 Pirelli To Leave The WRC After 2024