Vodafone Rally De Portugal: Kalle Rovanperä Maintains First

The second day of Vodafone Rally De Portugal has passed. Kalle Rovanperä dominated during the day to maintain the lead.

SS9, VIEIRA DO MINHO 1

The ninth stage of Vodafone Rally De Portugal and the first one of day two saw Kalle Rovanperä take the win. Setting a time 12.8 seconds faster than Esapekka Lappi who set the second-fastest time on the stage. Dani Sordo set the third fastest time on the stage, 0.5 seconds slower than this Hyundai teammate Esapekka Lappi. Thierry Neuville set the fourth fastest time on the stage, 1.7 seconds slower than his Hyundai teammate Dani Sordo. Thierry Neuville’s former teammate Ott Tänak set the fifth fastest time on the stage, 3.3 seconds slower than Neuville. 

SS10, AMARANTE 1

Stage 10 would once again see Kalle Rovanperä take the stage win. Setting a time 3.3 seconds faster than Ott Tänak who set the second fastest time on the stage. Esapekka Lappi finished with the third fastest time, 5.7 seconds slower than the time of Tänak. Thierry Neuville set the fourth fastest time on the stage, 2.2 seconds slower than the time of Lappi. The returning Takamoto Katsuta finished with the fifth fastest time on the stage, that time would be 8.2 seconds slower than Neuville’s however. 

SS11, FELGUEIRAS 1

The third stage of the day would see Kalle Rovanperä take his third consecutive stage win. Setting a time 5.7 seconds faster than Thierry Neuville who set the second fastest time. Dani Sordo set the third fastest time in the stage, 0.9 seconds slower than the time set by Neuville. Ott Tänak finished fourth in the stage, setting a time 1.2 seconds slower than Sordo’s. Esapekka Lappi set the fifth fastest time in the stage, 0.1 seconds slower than the time set by Tänak. 

SS12, VIEIRA DO MINHO 2

The twelfth stage of Vodafone Rally De Portugal would once again see Kalle Rovanperä top the stage. With Rovanperä setting a time 2.8 seconds faster than Dani Sordo. Esapekka Lappi set the third quickest time in the stage, 0.1 seconds slower than Sordo’s time. Thierry Neuville finished the stage with the fourth fastest time on the stage, 4.9 seconds slower than Sordo’s time however. Ott Tänak set the fifth fastest time in the stage, 9.7 seconds slower than the time set by Neuville. 

SS13, AMARANTE 2

The fifth stage of the day would see Dani Sordo end Kalle Rovanperä’s stage win streak. Setting a time 0.7 seconds faster than Kalle Rovanperä who set the second fastest time. Thierry Neuville set the third fastest time on the stage, 1.6 seconds slower than Rovanperä’s time. Esapekka Lappi would finish with the fourth fastest time on the stage, 0.5 seconds slower than Neuville’s time. Takamoto Katsuta would round out the top five on the stage, setting a time 6.7 seconds slower than Lappi. 

SS14, FELGUEIRAS 2

Stage 14 would see Kalle Rovanperä back on top. With Rovanperä setting a time 2.4 seconds faster than Esapekka Lappi, who finished with the second fastest time. Thierry Neuville would finish the stage with the third fastest time, that time would be 0.5 seconds slower than Lappi’s time however. Ott Tänak set the fourth fastest time on the stage, with a time 1.2 seconds slower than Neuville. Dani Sordo would round out the top five on the stage. Setting a time 0.8 seconds slower than Tänak’s. 

SS15, LOUSADA (SSS)

Stage 15 would mark the final stage of the second day of Vodafone Rally De Portugal. Dani Sordo would end the day with a stage win, much like the first day. Sordo would set a time 0.2 seconds faster than Takamoto Katsuta who would finish second on the stage. Thierry Neuville set the third fastest time on the stage, 0.1 seconds slower than Katsuta. Esapekka Lappi would set the fourth quickest time on the stage, that time would be 0.1 seconds slower than Neuville’s. Ott Tänak would round out the top five on the stage, with a time 0.6 seconds slower than Lappi. 

Rovanperä Dominates 

Kalle Rovanperä would take 4 of the 6 stage wins on the second day of Vodafone Rally De Portugal. This would give Rovanperä a 57.5-second lead heading into the final day of the event. All Rovanperä has to do now is finish. If Rovanperä manages to take home the win he will take over the Drivers’ Championship lead. 

Vodafone Rally De Portugal Day One Recap

Vodafone Rally De Portugal Preview WRC1

The first day of Vodafone Rally De Portugal has come to an end. Kalle Rovanperä takes a 10.8-second lead into day two. 

SS1, LOUSÃ 1

Pierre Louis Loubet would take the first stage win of Vodafone Rally De Portugal and his first stage win of the season. Loubet would finish the stage 0.3 seconds faster than Dani Sordo. Loubet’s teammate Ott Tänak would finish third on the stage, 2 seconds behind Sordo. Kalle Rovanperä would finish fourth fastest on the stage, 0.3 seconds slower than Tänak. Takamoto Katsuta would round off the top five on the first stage of the rally, finishing 0.8 seconds behind Rovanperä.

SS2, GÓIS 1

Ott Tänak would take the second stage win of the event, finishing the stage 2.5 seconds faster than Dani Sordo. Takamoto Katsuta would finish third fastest on the stage, 2.2 seconds slower than Sordo. Katsuta’s teammate Kalle Rovanperä would finish fourth fastest on the stage, 0.8 seconds slower than him. Pierre-Louis Loubet would finish fifth fastest on the stage, 2 seconds slower than Rovanperä and fall out of the lead. 

SS3, ARGANIL 1

Kalle Rovanperä would take the third stage win of the event and close the gap between himself and leader Ott Tänak to 3 seconds. Tänak would finish second fastest on the stage, 2.8 seconds slower than Rovanperä. Elfyn Evans would finish third fastest on the stage, 1.3 seconds slower than Tänak. Dani Sordo would be fourth fastest on the stage, 1.8 seconds slower than Evans. Sordo’s Hyundai teammate Thierry Neuville would post the fifth fastest time on the stage, 0.7 seconds slower than him. 

SS4, LOUSÃ 2

The fourth stage of the event would see Esapekka Lappi take the stage win, finishing 3 seconds faster than his Hyundai teammate Dani Sordo. Pierre-Louis Loubet would finish third fastest on the stage, 0.5 seconds slower than Sordo. Kalle Rovanperä would be the fourth fastest on the stage, finishing 0.5 seconds slower than Loubet. Rovanperä’s fourth-place finish on the stage would move him from first to second overall, with Dani Sordo taking the rally lead. Thierry Neuville would finish fifth fastest on the stage, finishing 2.2 seconds slower than Rovanperä. 

SS5, GÓIS 2

Stage five would see Kalle Rovanperä take the win to regain the rally lead. Thierry Neuville set the second fastest time on the stage, that time would be 0.4 seconds slower than Rovanperä’s. Dani Sordo set the third fastest time on the stage, finishing 0.8 seconds slower than Neuville. Pierre-Louis Loubet set the fourth fastest time on the stage, finishing with a time 1.3 seconds slower than Sordo. Esapekka Lappi would round out the top five on the stage, setting a time 0.9 seconds slower than Loubet. 

SS6, ARGANIL 2

The sixth stage of day one of Vodafone Rally De Portugal would once again see Kalle Rovanperä on top. With Rovanperä setting a time 2.1 seconds faster than Dani Sordo, who placed second on the stage. Pierre-Louis Loubet set the third fastest time on the stage, 0.3 seconds slower than Sordo’s. Thierry Neuville would finish with the fourth fastest time on the stage, setting a time 1.1 seconds slower than Loubet. Neuville’s Hyundai teammate Esapekka Lappi would set the fifth fastest time on the stage, that time would be 1.9 seconds slower than Neuville’s however. 

SS7, MORTÁGUA

Esapekka Lappi took the win on the seventh stage of Vodafone Rally De Portugal. Setting a time 0.4 seconds faster than Kalle Rovanperä on the stage. Ott Tänak would finish with the third fastest time on the stage, that time would be 4.2 seconds slower than Rovanperä’s. Tänak’s M-Sport teammate Pierre-Louis Loubet would set the fourth fastest time on the stage, 4 seconds slower than the time set by Tänak. Thierry Neuville would round out the top five on the stage, setting a time 2.8 seconds slower than Loubet. 

SS8, FIGUEIRA DA FOZ (SSS)

The final stage of Day One of Vodafone Rally De Portugal would see Dani Sordo on top. Sordo set a time 0.7 seconds faster than Ott Tänak and Thierry Neuville. Tänak and Neuville would both tie for second on the stage. Pierre-Louis Loubet would set the fourth fastest time on the stage, 1.2 seconds slower than the time set by Tänak and Neuville. Esapekka Lappi set the fifth fastest time on the stage, 0.9 seconds slower than Loubet’s time. 

Loubet Vs Neuville

Pierre-Louis Loubet would spend most of day one battling for third with Thierry Neuville. Loubet would end the day with just 0.9 seconds separating him from Neuville. Neuville will have to try his best to hold Loubet off if he wants to take home critical third-place points this weekend at Vodafone Rally De Portugal.

Trouble For Tänak

Ott Tänak would lead the rally heading into SS4. With just 3 seconds between him and Kalle Rovanperä. Unfortunately, a tire issue on SS4 would cost Tänak over a minute. Forcing him out of the lead and promoting Rovanperä to first. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the only issue for Tänak as he also ran most of stage three with a broken water pump. This could’ve forced Tänak to retire if M-Sport didn’t get the issue fixed at the tire fitting zone between SS3 and SS4. 

Vodafone Rally De Portugal Preview WRC1

The 2023 World Rally Championship season continues this weekend with round five, Vodafone Rally De Portugal. Below I will preview the WRC2 class drivers. 

Championship Rundown

Yohan Rossel currently leads the WRC2 Drivers’ Championship standings. Rossel currently sits 9 points above reigning WRC2 champion Emil Lindholm heading into Vodafone Rally De Portugal. Oliver Solberg sits third in the championship, a single point behind Lindholm. Nikolay Gryazin sits fourth in the championship, 5 points back from Solberg. Gus Greensmith rounds out the top five in the championship standings, sitting one point behind Gryazin heading into Vodafone Rally De Portugal. This weekend should be a fun one for the WRC2 class of drivers. As 4 out of the top 5 drivers will be at the event. There is also a chance Adrien Fourmaux who currently sits sixth could move into a top-five spot. As Fourmaux currently sits just 4 points behind his former M-Sport Ford teammate Gus Greensmith. 

To Honour Breen

Kris Meeke will return to the WRC this weekend. Meeke last competed in the WRC in 2019 with the Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team. Meeke will drive a Hyundai i20 R5 this weekend. Craig Breen’s former co-driver James Fulton will join Meeke this weekend at Vodafone Rally De Portugal. Meeke and Fulton will look to honour their late friend Craig Breen. Since his last WRC appearance, Meeke has competed in Nitro RX, finishing ninth in the championship. Meeke would also help Skoda test the new Skoda Fabia Rally2 car. 

Mikkelsen Returns

Andreas Mikkelsen will make his WRC2 return this weekend at Vodafone Rally De Portugal. Mikkelsen will pilot a new Skoda Fabia R5 run by Toksport WRT 3. Mikkelsen would finish third in the WRC2 championship last season. 

Team Rundowns

Toksport World Rally Teams

Toksport will run three different teams this weekend. With Sam Pajari alone on the first Toksport World Rally Team this weekend. Nikolay Gryazin and Marco Bulacia are on the second Toksport World Rally Team. Andreas Mikkelsen and Gus Greensmith are on the third Toksport World Rally Team. Each team will qualify for WRC2 teams championships under their respective team numbers. Oliver Solberg will also be driving a Toksport run Skoda this weekend, but will not be racing for WRC2 teams points under any team. 

M-Sport Ford WRT

Adrien Fourmaux and Grégoire Munster will drive for M-Sport Ford this weekend. Both drivers will look to move up the WRC2 driver’s championship rankings and M-Sport Ford up the WRC2 teams’ standings or at least close the 5-point gap between them and Toksport WRT 2. 

Hyundai Motorsport N

Teemu Suninen and Fabrizio Zaldivar will both drive for Hyundai Motorsport N this weekend. Much like the M-Sport Ford crew, they will both look to move up the WRC2 drivers’ rankings and move Hyundai up the WRC2 teams standings. 

Vodafone Rally De Portugal Preview WRC1

The 2023 World Rally Championship season continues this weekend with round five, Vodafone Rally De Portugal. Below I will preview the Rally1 class drivers. 

Drivers Championship Rundown

Eight-time world rally champion Sebastien Ogier sits tied with Toyota Gazoo Racing teammate Elfyn Evans for the Drivers’ Championship lead heading into Vodafone Rally De Portugal. Evans and Ogier’s teammate and reigning World Rally Champion Kalle Rovanperä sits third, just 1 point back. Ott Tänak who finished second in the championship last season currently sits fourth, 3 points behind Rovanperä. Thierry Neuville sits fifth in the championship, 7 points back from his former Hyundai teammate Ott Tänak. The championship standings could go any which way at the Vodafone Rally De Portugal. Sebastien Ogier will definitely fall from first this weekend as he will not be at the event. Nonetheless, it is still expected to be a tight battle as every point is critical for a driver’s championship hopes. As just 11 points separate first and fifth in the championship right now.

Drivers’ Championship Standings 

• T1. S. Ogier, 69
• T1. E. Evans, 69
• 3. K. Rovanperä, 68
• 4. O. Tänak, 65
• 5. T. Neuville, 58
• 6. E. Lappi, 31 
• 7. C. Breen, 19 
• 8. T. Katsuta, 18
• 9. D. Sordo, 17
• 10. P-L. Loubet, 14

Team Rundowns

Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team

The Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally team is currently on top of the world as far as the WRC goes heading into Vodafone Rally De Portugal. As the team currently leads the Manufacturers’ championship and holds the top three spots of the drivers’ championship standings. Things couldn’t get much better for Toyota. This doesn’t mean it’ll be an easy event for them, however. As previously mentioned every point matters right now, so there is no room to lay off. Even when you’re sitting at the top. Toyota’s drivers will have to go all out this weekend at Vodafone Rally De Portugal if they want to hold onto the top manufacturer’s championship spot and the top three drivers’ championship spots.
The usual Toyota crew will be at the event, with Elfyn Evans, Kalle Rovanperä and Takamoto Katsuta being at the event. Part-timer Sebastien Ogier will not be at Vodafone Rally De Portugal. This likely won’t squander Ogier’s odds for a top-five or even three finish this season. As Ogier is driving like you’d expect an eight-time World Rally Champion to drive. 

Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team

The Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally team has had a better start to their season than they did last season. Although the team currently doesn’t have a driver in a top three spot in the Drivers’ Championship standings. They still haven’t had a bad start to their season. Hyundai currently sits second in the Manufacturers Championship standings, 29 points behind Toyota. The Hyundai usuals in Thierry Neuville and Esapekka Lappi will be at Vodafone Rally De Portugal. Neuville and Lappi will be joined by Dani Sordo in the third Hyundai i20. 

M-Sport Ford World Rally Team

The M-Sport Ford World Rally team has had a rather chaotic start to their season. Ott Tänak has been performing nearly as expected. Pierre-Louis Loubet hasn’t been to the level expected yet. Nonetheless, the team still sits in a good spot in the Manufacturers Championship standings, as M-Sport Ford currently sits 24 points back from Hyundai. Both Ott Tänak and Pierre-Louis Loubet will be at Vodafone Rally De Portugal representing M-Sport Ford. 

Throwback To Croatia Rally

Day One Recap

Second Day Recap

Day Three Recap

The Croatia Rally has come to an end. Eflyn Evans took the rally win, beating Ott Tänak by 27 seconds overall. This was a commanding performance by Evans as Tänak seemed to have found his form again.

SS17, TRAKOŠCAN – VRBNO 1

Adding some drama to the mix, Stage 17 would see Kalle Rovanperä take the win, beating two time 2023 raqlly winner Sebastien Ogier by 3.7 seconds. Elfyn Evans finished third on the stage, 1.1 seconds back from Ogier. Takamoto Katsuta finished fourth on the stage, 1 second back from Evans. Thierry Neuville rounded out the top five finishing 1.4 seconds back from Katsuta. 

SS18, ZAGORSKA SELA – KUMROVEC 1

On Stage 18 Thierry Neuville beat Kalle Rovanperä by 0.9 seconds. Sebastien Ogier who seemingly was on pace to finish higher settle for third in the stage. Ogier fell 4.5 seconds back from Rovanperä after a few miscues that resulted in lost time. Ott Tänak finished fourth on the stage followed by Esapekka Lappi would round out the top five.

SS19, TRAKOŠCAN – VRBNO 2

Stage 19 saw Kalle Rovanperä take the stage win, beating Sebastien Ogier. Ott Tänak finished third on the stage behind Ogier. Takamoto Katsuta finished a well earned fourth on the stage, 1 second back from Tänak. Elfyn Evans would round out the top five on the stage, finishing 0.1 seconds back from Katsuta. Ultimately improving his overall time for the lead.

SS20, ZAGORSKA SELA – KUMROVEC 2 (WOLF POWER STAGE)

Stage 20 saw Thierry Neuville take the Croatia Rally Powerstage win, beating Kalle Rovanperä. Sebastien Ogier finished third on the stage, 3.3 seconds back from Rovanperä. Takamoto Katsuta would place 2.9 seconds back from Ogier. Esapekka Lappi would round out the top five on the stage.

Neuville Returns

Thierry Neuville returned for day three of the event. This would come after Neuville crashed out of the lead on SS11 of the Croatia Rally. The team was able to turn the car around and get it back up to speed. The crash was caused by him losing rear-end traction; causing him to hit a tree. This would hand Elfyn Evans the event lead and ultimately the round win as a result. The crash proved to be a hole Neuville could not recover from.

Rovanperä Continues To Soar

Kalle Rovanperä would win two stages on day three. Rovanperä also finished all the stages in the top two, much like day two. Unfortunately, for Rovanperä this push wouldn’t help him gain back much of the time he lost due to a puncture on SS2. Rovanperä would’ve likely been in a battle with Sebastien Ogier all weekend for the event win. That is if both drivers didn’t get punctures on the same stage, forcing both drivers out of the race for first as a result.

Day One Recap

Day Two Recap

For more information on WRC check out WRC+.

Day two of the Croatia Rally finished with overall great course conditions and minimal complaints from the drivers. Elfyn Evans would end the day with a 25.4 second lead over Ott Tänak which solidified his lead at this point the round.

SS9, SS9 KOSTANJEVAC – PETRUŠ VRH 1

In Stage, 9 Kalle Rovanperä took the win beating Ott Tänak by 1.2 seconds. Tänak looked racey in the mid sector but it proved to not be enough for the stage win. Sebastien Ogier would finish third on the stage, 0.2 seconds behind Tänak adding more frustration to Ogier’s weekend. Thierry Neuville finish fourth on the stage, 1 second behind Ogier.

SS10, VINSKI VRH – DUGA RESA 1

Kalle Rovanperä took his second consecutive stage win of the weekend, beating Sebastien Ogier by 0.1 seconds this time. Ott Tänak would finish third on the stage, 0.5 seconds behind Ogier. Thierry Neuville would finish fourth on the stage, 1.9 seconds behind Tänak. Elfyn Evans would once again round out the top five on the stage, finishing 0.3 seconds behind Neuville. 

SS11, RAVNA GORA – SKRAD 1

Stage 11 of the Croatia Rally would see Kalle Rovanperä take his third consecutive stage win, beating Sebastien Ogier by 2.5 seconds. Elfyn Evans would finish third on the stage, 6.1 seconds behind Ogier. Evans improved from the last two stages where he finished 5th. Ott Tänak would finish fourth on the stage, 3 seconds behind Evans. Takamoto Katsuta would round out the top five on the stage, finishing 2.3 seconds behind Tänak. Stage 11 was the turning point where Evans took the overall lead of the round.

Thierry Neuville crashed out of SS11. Neuville held a 10.8-second lead over Elfyn Evans. However, with Neuville out Evans had a clear path to overtake him in time and assumed the lead. Neuville stated in an interview after the accident, “I want to apologize to the team. We were all dreaming about the victory this weekend for the reasons we know. We were close but it hasn’t been an easy rally and we were fighting hard to keep believing but unfortunately, it ended up too early.”

SS12, PLATAK 1

Stage 12 would see Sebastien Ogier take the stage win, beating Kale Rovanperä by 0.7 seconds. Elfyn Evans was 4.4 seconds behind Rovanperä to take third place. Esapekka Lappi would finish fourth on the stage, 2 seconds behind Evans. Ott Tänak would round out the top five on the stage, finishing 1.5 seconds behind Lappi. 

SS13, KOSTANJEVAC – PETRUŠ VRH 2

Stage 13 Sebastien Ogier continued his dominance to take another stage win, beating Ott Tänak by 0.4 seconds this time. This would be his 6th stage win of the weekend for Toyota Gazoo Racing. Kalle Rovanperä would finish third on the stage, 1.2 seconds behind Tänak. Pierre-Louis Loubet would finish fourth on the stage, 4.5 seconds behind Rovanperä. Elfyn Evans would round out the top five on the stage, finishing 1 second behind Loubet. 

SS14, VINSKI VRH – DUGA RESA 2

At Stage 14 Ott Tänak fought back to take the stage win from Kalle Rovanperä by close 0.9 second margin. Tänak was 12.5s behind overall and would need to make up time over the next 6 rounds if he was to have any chance at winning the overall round. Sebastien Ogier was third on the stage, 1.2 seconds behind Rovanperä leaving him just under 2 minutes behind the leader. Ogier was effectively out of contention for winning the overall round at this point of the weekend. Elfyn Evans would finish fourth on the stage 1.3 seconds behind Ogier. Despite this finish Evans only lost 3 seconds to Tänak overall and maintain his lead into the next round. Esapekka Lappi rounded out the top five on the stage, finishing 0.3 seconds behind Evans. 

SS15, RAVNA GORA – SKRAD 2

In Stage 15 of the Croatia Rally Kalle Rovanperä took the stage win, by 2.4 second margin over Ogier. Elfyn Evans would finish third on the stage, 4.7 seconds behind Ogier. Evans continue to hold the overall lead in the round. He extended his overall delta by 4.3 seconds to Tänak. Esapekka Lappi would finish fourth on the stage, 2.7 seconds behind Evans. Ott Tänak would round out the top five on the stage, finishing 1.6 seconds behind Lappi. 

SS16, PLATAK 2

Sebastien Ogier took another stage win, beating Kalle Rovanperä by 0.7 seconds but remained 25.6 seconds behind Evans in what seems like a scenario where he did not have enough drive time left in the weekend to catch Evans. Esapekka Lappi would finish third on the stage, 3.2 seconds behind Rovanperä. Elfyn Evans would finish fourth on the stage, 1.9 seconds behind Lappi. Takamoto Katsuta would round out the top five on the stage, finishing 5 seconds behind Evans. 

Rovanperä Shows Up

Kalle Rovanperä had a slow start to the Croatia Rally this year. As he would end day one in eighth, 47.4 seconds behind Pierre-Louis Loubet. Mind you Rovanperä did suffer a puncture on SS2. Rovanperä would come into day two like a man on a mission. Winning 4 out of the 8 stages on the day, and placing top three on all 8. Unfortunately, Rovanperä is too far back to achieve a top-three spot. The highest Rovanperä could realistically finish is fourth. That is unless somebody in the top three crashes out. We will continue to watch the development of tomorrow’s stages.

Day One Recap

For more information on WRC check out WRC+

The first day of the Croatia Rally kicked off round 4 of the WRC championship. Sebastien Ogier took an early lead in stage 1 but was quickly overtaken in the following stages on the day. Below we out like the stage position finishes. Thierry Neuville finished the day with a 5.7-second lead over Elfyn Evans.

SS1, MALI LIPOVEC – GRDANJCI 1

Sebastien Ogier started off the day in good form taking the stage win, beating Thierry Neuville by 2.6 seconds. WRC Sweden winner Ott Tänak would place third on the stage, 7.9 seconds behind Neuville. Kalle Rovanperä finished ahead of Tänak by a small margin of 0.8 seconds. Elfyn Evans would round out the top five on the stage, finishing 1 second behind Rovanperä.

SS2, STOJDRAGA – HARTJE 1

Stage two would see Thierry Neuville take his first stage win of the event, beating Elfyn Evans by 4.2 seconds. Esapekka Lappi would place third on the stage, 1.4 seconds behind Evans. Ott Tänak would place fourth on the stage, 6.5 seconds behind Lappi. Takamoto Katsuta would round out the top five on the stage, finishing 5 seconds behind Tänak. 

SS3, KRAŠIC – VRŠKOVAC 1

Stage three would see Sebastien Ogier take his second stage win of the event, beating Thierry Neuville by 0.8 seconds. Elfyn Evans would place third on the stage, 2.5 seconds behind Neuville. Ott Tänak would place fourth on the stage, 0.5 seconds behind Evans. Takamoto Katsuta would round out the top five on the stage, finishing 0.7 seconds behind Tänak.

SS4, PECURKOVO BRDO – MREŽNICKI NOVAKI 1

Stage four would see Sebastien Ogier take yet another stage win at the event, beating Ott Tänak by 1.3 seconds. Elfyn Evans would place third on the stage 0.5 seconds behind Tänak. Thierry Neuville would place fourth on the stage, 2.1 seconds behind Evans. Esapekka Lappi would round out the top five on the stage, finishing 2.4 seconds behind Neuville.

SS5, MALI LIPOVEC – GRDANJCI 2

Stage five would see Sebastien Ogier take yet another stage win, beating Elfyn Evans by 4.8 seconds to take that stage win. Ott Tänak and Kalle Rovanperä would tie for third on the stage, both drivers would finish 1 second behind Evans. Thierry Neuville would round out the top five on the stage, finishing 1.4 seconds behind Tänak and Rovanperä. 

SS6, STOJDRAGA – HARTJE 2

Stage six would see Esapekka Lappi take the stage win, beating Elfyn Evans by 0.7 seconds. Sebastien Ogier would place third on the stage, 1.2 seconds behind Evans. Thierry Neuville would place fourth on the stage, 4.5 seconds behind Ogier. Kalle Rovanperä would round out the top five on the stage, finishing 5.9 seconds behind Neuville. 

SS7, KRAŠIC – VRŠKOVAC 2

Stage seven would see Ott Tänak take the stage win, beating Thierry Neuville by 0.3 seconds. Elfyn Evans would place third on the stage, 0.4 seconds behind Neuville. Kalle Rovanperä and Sebastien Ogier would tie for fourth on the stage, with both drivers finishing 1.3 seconds behind Evans. 

SS8, PECURKOVO BRDO – MREŽNICKI NOVAKI 2

Stage eight would see Elfyn Evans take the stage win, beating Kalle Rovanperä by 0.9 seconds. Ott Tänak would place third on the stage, 1.6 seconds behind Rovanperä. Takamoto Katsuta would place fourth on the stage, 0.8 seconds behind Tänak. Thierry Neuville would round out the top five on the stage, finishing 0.3 seconds behind Katsuta. 

Toyota Troubles

The Toyota Gazoo World Rally Team has been off to a decent start. With the team winning five out of eight stages on day one. Unfortunately, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows for Toyota. As both Ogier and Rovanperä would suffer punctures on SS2. This pushed both drivers back substantially. Ogier has pushed to gain time back but still sits in fifth, 50.3 seconds back from Esapekka Lappi who sits in fourth. Rovanperä sits eighth, 47.4 seconds back from Pierre-Louis Loubet who sits seventh. It couldn’t get much worse for Toyota, right? Wrong. Toyota only selected two drivers to score Manufacturers points in Croatia. This came as a sportsmanship move after Hyundai’s third driver Craig Breen would pass away during pre-event testing. Toyota would ultimately select Rovanperä and Ogier to score points. This as a result would leave Evans ineligible to score manufacturers’ points this weekend.

The 2023 World Rally Championship Season continues this weekend with round four, Croatia Rally. 

WRC1 Championship Standings

Eight time World Rally Champion Sebastien Ogier sits in the championship lead early on this season. As Ogier is one of only two drivers to win an event this season. With Ogier taking wins at both Rallye Monte-Carlo and Rally Guanajuato Mexico. Ott Tänak is the only other driver with a win so far this season. Thierry Neuville sits second in the championship, just three points back from Ogier. Reigning World Rally Champion Kalle Rovanperä sits third in the championship, a mere point behind Neuville. Ott Tänak sits fourth, five points back from Rovanperä. Elfyn Evans rounds out the championship top five, sitting three points back from Tänak. The championship race can still go in any direction. As just 21 points separate first and fifth. Although that gap will likely change after the Croatia Rally. As Sebastien Ogier has won one of the two runnings of Croatia Rally at the WRC level. With Ogier taking the win in the event’s WRC debut in 2021. It is also an event Toyota has done good at. With the Japanese manufacturer taking both event wins. 

Team Previews 

Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team

The Toyota Gazoo World Rally Team has been off to a good start, on paper. As Sebastien Ogier has been the only Toyota driver to break the top two this season. Reigning Champion Kalle Rovanperä has gotten off to a slow start compared to last season. For reference heading into Croatia Rally last season Rovanperä had won both Rallye-Monte Carlo and Rally Sweden. Rovanperä would also take the win at Rally Croatia last year, exiting the event with a 50 point championship lead. Takamoto Katsuta has also gotten off to a rocky start this year. As the freshly promoted driver has only taken six points so far this season. All of those points came at Rallye-Monte Carlo. Katsuta would retire from Rally Sweden twice, and once from Rally Guanajuato Mexico. Elfyn Evans has been consistent to start the season. That doesn’t mean he’s been great however. As Evans’ highest finish came during Rallye-Monte Carlo where he placed third. Evans’ would place fourth at both Rally Sweden and Rally Guanajuato Mexico. 

Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team

The Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team has been off to a rough start to their 2023 season. As their the only team without a rally win so far this season. Craig Breen and Thierry Neuville have both placed second. Esapekka Lappi was on track to win Rally Guanajuato Mexico, that was until a crash and subsequent retirement ended his chances of winning. Hyundai will only run two cars at the Rally Croatia. This comes after the passing of Craig Breen during pre-event testing for Rally Croatia. 

M-Sport Ford World Rally Team

The M-Sport World Rally Team has been off to a respectable start this season. As they’ve been the only team to beat Toyota this season. As Ott Tänak would take the win at Rally Sweden last month. Tänak has adapted to the Ford Puma Rally1 seemingly well. With Tänak finishing top five at two of the three events so far this season, and likely would’ve taken another at Rally Mexico if he didn’t have a turbo failure on day two. Pierre-Louis Loubet has been off to a slow start. With Loubet only finishing one rally without a retirement or crash out. 

To Honour A Fallen Driver

This weekend won’t just be about who wins or who loses. This weekend will be to honour the late Craig Breen. Craig Breen’s life would tragically end in a crash during the pre-event test for Rally Croatia. Breen was only 33 years old and had yet to hit the prime of his Rally career. Breen’s energy will be dearly missed within the paddocks this weekend and beyond. Hyundai will honour Craig with an Irish-flag livery. Toyota and M-Sport will honour Craig with stickers on their cars. 

This morning Hyundai Motorsports delivered some very unfortunate news. WRC rally Championship driver Craig Breen passed away today in a pre testing accident in Croatia. Hyundai released the following statement via twitter:

The 33 year old driver was scheduled to race part time this season after a second place finish at WRC Sweden. His journey to WRC was a legacy of hard work and dedication having come up through the WRC Academy, Junior an dWRC2 ranks staring in 2011. FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem expressed the FIA’s condolences by stating, “Our thoughts and prayers are with his loved ones and the Rally community at this difficult time.’ Not further comment from Hyundai will be made at this time. Our prayers and condolences go out to Craig Breen’s family, friends and fans during this unfortunate time.

WRC Mexico returns to the 2023 calendar after taking a 2 year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Spirits were high from the WRC fans as the Guanajuato Rally kicked off on Friday for what would be an event filled weekend filled with highs and lows for the competitors. In general the driver reception was very high. Round winner Sébastien Ogier driver for Toyota Gazoo Racing stated, “It’s always a special place to come and compete. The fans and the people really give this one a really nice atmosphere and Thursday night is always amazing.” This win marks his 7th in Mexico setting the record alongside 2023 co-driver Vincent Landais. Ogier and Landais secured the win after 23 stages finishing 27.5s seconds ahead of rival Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team driver Thierry Neuville and co-driver Martijn Wydaeghe.

Ogier and Landais won 5 stages at the WRC Mexico round. Neuville and Wydaeghe also won 5 stages but lost time towards the end of the weekend. However, Ogier displayed superior tire management and minimize unnecessary risks in the mid stages to carve out a comfortable lead that the Toyota Gazoo front man was able to hold on to from stage 11 until the end of the round.

Lappi Crash

Stage 15 was cancelled due to an accident involving Esapekka Lappi. Lappi lost rear grip of his Hyundai, sending him into a spin into a telephone pole. The back half of the car was completely destroyed and eventually lead to a fire that was quickly contained. An even more painful realization for Lappi is that the crash occurred when he was leading the stage. Lappi said, “It was very very unfortunate. It is hard to swallow but on the other hand when you fight for the win you still need to push and maybe I was not pushing hard enough actually.” Other drivers also complained about a lack of grip Saturday as the stages progressed into the afternoon. Despite the stage 15 cancellation the rest of the field was able to push through without major incident.

M-Sort Ford driver Ott Tänak was not able to repeat his success from WRC Sweden after falling substantially behind after a turbo unit failure on Friday. Tänak was able to secure 4 stage wins to climb back to 9th to finish off the weekend. Next up is WRC Croatia, which is primarily an asphalt round that will take place starting April 20th 2023. Be sure to tune in to WRC+ to catch the next round here.