Croatia Rally confirms absence from 2025 WRC schedule
Croatia will be absent from the 2025 World Rally Championship calendar, rally organisers have confirmed. As previously reported, Croatia was tipped to fall off the expected 14-round WRC schedule for next year following the addition of three new events namely the Canary Islands, Paraguay and Saudi Arabia. The WRC Promoter was in discussions to renew […]
Neuville ignites debate on “pain in the ass” WRC road order rules
A frustrated Thierry Neuville has ignited a debate on the World Rally Championship road position rules, saying “there is no reward” for doing a “great job” to lead the championship. The Hyundai driver’s frustration came to the surface at the end of stage eight at Rally Latvia after a day sweeping the gravel roads at […]
Rovanpera extends lead over rising star Sesks
World rally champion Kalle Rovanpera claimed four of Friday’s seven stages to take control of Latvia’s maiden World Rally Championship round from impressive home hero Martins Sesks. The Toyota driver delivered blistering pace and made a smart tyre decision to capitalise on a strong road position to lead the high-speed gravel rally by 15.7s. Rovanpera’s […]
Rovanpera leads stage-winning home hero Sesks
Kalle Rovanpera has extended his Rally Latvia lead while home hero Martins Sesks stole the show to claim his maiden World Rally Championship stage wins on Friday morning. Toyota’s reigning world champion ended the morning’s loop of three high- speed stages with a 3.2s margin over Sesks, who once again turned heads, winning two of […]
Rovanpera stars on tricky super special to lead in Latvia
Kalle Rovanpera kicked off the World Rally Championship’s first visit to Latvia in style by claiming an early lead after winning Thursday night’s super special stage with a blistering time. The reigning world champion, who started his rally career in the Baltic nation, mastered a challenging 11.13km two-lap run through an asphalt and gravel test […]
Why Neuville believes WRC Rally Latvia could be his “most challenging”
The World Rally Championship’s inaugural visit to Latvia is poised to be the most challenging of the season to date for points leader Thierry Neuville. The Hyundai driver heads to Latvia’s high-speed gravel stages with a 15-point lead over Toyota’s Elfyn Evans, but believes he’ll have a battle on his hands to maintain his advantage […]
Fully recovered Ogier relishing “pure rally” WRC return in Latvia
Sebastien Ogier has no concerns over his fitness ahead of a return to World Rally Championship competition this weekend after a recce crash ruled him out of Poland. The eight-time world champion has made a full recovery from whiplash-related injuries to his neck following a head-on collision with another vehicle while preparing for Rally Poland […]
WRC to test new 2025 live data system in Latvia
The World Rally Championship will conduct a “real world” test of a new live data system in Latvia this weekend that is part of plans to improve its broadcast coverage next year. Dubbed the ‘Command Centre’, the concept is a part of the WRC Promoter’s plan to improve the championship’s ability to communicate unfolding stories […]
From open-heart surgery to rally stages – how Kovalainen overcame his «biggest challenge»
For many, undergoing open-heart surgery would usually spell an end to any extreme activities like tearing through a Finnish forest or navigating through a twisty Japanese mountain road in a rally car. Not for Heikki Kovalainen. The Formula 1 race winner and childhood rally fan has overcome the “biggest challenge of [his] life” to recover […]