Метка: Rally Croatia

Neuville, Evans tied for WRC Croatia lead «something special»

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Hyundai’s Neuville and Toyota driver Evans incredibly clocked identical overall times to sit tied for the lead on Friday night after 119.74 competitive stage kilometres.

Neuville claimed three of the four morning stages on the way to opening up a 10.1-second lead over Evans until a puncture on stage six cost the Belgian valuable time.

Evans moved into a 1.6s lead before Neuville responded on the final test to match Evans at the top of the leaderboard.

While the top two couldn’t be separated on times, only 6.6s covered the top three following Sebastien Ogier’s stunning victory on stage eight.

The hard-fought battle has arrived while the championship’s future is firmly in the spotlight as discussions continue among the teams and the FIA to resolve next year’s Rally1 technical regulations.

The FIA wishes to remove hybrid power and decrease the performance of the cars through a reduction in aero and the air restrictor, although these proposed changes have been strongly opposed by the teams.

Asked about the battle for the rally victory, Latvala told Autosport: “It is exciting. In the morning it was looking like it was going to be a tough day for us because Thierry was so strong on the first stage, and I thought our chances were not going to be so great.

“But the drivers improved over the day and eventually having exactly the same time with Thierry and Elfyn is something special.”

Thierry Neuville, Martijn Wydaeghe, Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai i20 N Rally1

Thierry Neuville, Martijn Wydaeghe, Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai i20 N Rally1

Photo by: Romain Thuillier / Hyundai Motorsport

Hyundai’s WRC programme manager Christian Loriaux added: “It shows the World Rally Championship is exciting and it is close, and it is worth existing, that is for sure. It [Thierry and Elfyn sharing the lead] is quite amazing.”

Evans is among a group of drivers keen for the current Rally1 regulations to remain in place next year and believes the close battle is proof the technical formula works.

“It is good. We know that the technical formula has worked for many years now and the cars and the battles are always close — like I’ve always said, that side works,” Evans told Autosport.

Reflecting on his own performance across the eight stages, Evans felt he left some time on the table, particularly in the final stage, but ultimately was satisfied with his Friday showing.

“There were quite a few things [we could have done better], but overall, it was still quite a good day,” he said.

“I was disappointed with the last stage as I think there was time left in there.

“I think the third stage I was a bit too careful in a few places, but you have to try and find that balance in those conditions to get to the end and go quickly.”

Although the pacesetter for much of Friday, assisted by a road position advantage, Neuville admitted that he had “to give everything” to recover the lost ground after the puncture, and tame his i20 N.

“I mean it was definitely a good fight out there,” said Neuville. “We had to give everything in every stage.

“We are in the lead equal with Elfyn but we lost important seconds this afternoon with our puncture and I was just generally struggling a bit with the balance of the car.

“It got a bit better toward the end of the day, but the last stage was massive dust, so there was lots of cleaning and there was not much more we could have done.”

The rally continues on Saturday although rain showers are expected to add to the challenge for the crews.

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Neuville, Evans tied for the lead after eight stages

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Hyundai’s Neuville and Toyota’s Evans couldn’t be split after 119.74 competitive stage kilometres, ending the day with identical overall times.

Neuville had been in control of the rally, winning three of the four morning stages that contributed to a 10.1-second lead over Evans, before knocking a tyre off the rim in stage six.

This strife helped Evans close to within 0.1s before the Welshman moved 1.6s in front. However, Neuville fought back on the day’s final stage to claim a share of the lead.

Sebastien Ogier also hauled himself into the victory fight with a stunning final stage effort to close to within 6.6s of the lead pair.

Hyundai’s Ott Tanak, who steadily found improvements after a slow start to the rally held fourth, 41.1s in arrears, while M-Sport’s Adrien Fourmaux rounded out the top five [+52.7s].

Toyota’s Takamoto Katsuta [+1m37.8s], Hyundai’s Andreas Mikkelsen [+2m37.8s] and M-Sport’s Gregoire Munster [+3m07.3s] completed the Rally1 field.

The weather threw a curveball to crews at the start of the afternoon as light snow began to fall at the start of stage five [Platak, 16.63km].

Neuville was first to tackle the conditions that became increasingly wet with every pass, particularly for the Rally1 crews. The Hyundai driver admitted that the surprise weather change made the stage “dangerous” but his run was good enough to claim a fourth stage win.

“It is very dangerous to be honest as we had now information from the route note crew and, at that speed we are going, there are plenty of surprises,” said Neuville.

“You have to trust your feeling and keep you eyes wide open. Nobody told us it was going to snow in there.”

Elfyn Evans, Scott Martin, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1

Elfyn Evans, Scott Martin, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1

Photo by: Toyota Racing

Evans posted the second-fastest time, 1.5s slower than Neuville as the deficit to the rally leader increased to 10.1s.

Starting sixth on the road, Ogier faced the dampest conditions but was still able to post the third-fastest time, 5.4s slower than Neuville.

Fourmaux managed to close the gap to fourth to 3.9s after edging Tanak by 0.4s, despite having a moment in the stage.

In contrast, Tanak’s struggles behind the wheel of his i20 N from the morning continued into the afternoon. The Hyundai driver reported an issue with his rear tyres.

“It snowed so much and I had some issues with the rear tyre,” said Tanak. “Some set-up changes are necessary. I think the tyres don’t really matter at the moment.”

All Rally1 crews made it through the stage unscathed as Mikkelsen, Katsuta and Munster rounded out the top eight.

Dry conditions returned for stage six [Ravna Gora – Skrad, 10.13km], which proved to be the most dramatic of the day.

Rally leader Neuville clipped a rock after the second split, knocking his front-right tyre off the rim, resulting in a 10s time loss to nearest rival Evans.

“There was a stone in the road, which I tried to avoid, but I was so close and it immediately punctured the tyre,” said Neuville.

Evans took the stage win by 1.1s from Ogier, who survived running wide onto the grass at a tight left-hander.

There were signs of a Tanak recovery as the Estonian benefitted from some “small improvements” on the car to clock the third-fastest time, 2.0s slower than Evans. The Hyundai driver was 3.8s faster than Fourmaux to extend his gap over the Frenchman in the fight for fourth to 7.7s.

The battle at the front then took a twist on the penultimate stage of the day as Evans overhauled Neuville.

Evans was able to complete stage seven [Jaskovo — Mali Modrus Potok, 9.48km] with a time 1.7s faster than his Hyundai rival that arrived amid concerns that his left-rear tyre had come off the rim.

“I know I can go faster but I don’t trust, I will make mistake so have to take it slow,” said Neuville.

Ogier claimed stage seven by 0.3s to edge closer to Evans and Neuville as the Frenchman continued to hold third overall. Tanak also pulled further clear of Fourmaux as the former beat the Ford driver, who was fighting his Puma in the stage, by 5.4s.

The final stage of the day belonged to Ogier, who delivered a head-turning effort, 9.2s faster than next best Fourmaux, the latter taking advantage of a set-up tweak.

Ogier was 9.4s faster than Neuville and 11s quicker than Evans to surge into the victory fight. But Evans’ deficit to Neuville in the stage meant the pair ended the day leading the rally on identical times.

Saturday’s leg of the rally features eight stages, comprising 108.7 kilometres.



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Neuville sets the pace to lead title rival Evans

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


The Hyundai driver set the pace by winning three of the four stages to open up an 8.6s lead over nearest title rival Evans.

Eight-time world champion Sebastien Ogier coped admirably as stage conditions worsened after every pass to end the loop in third, 21.5s adrift. Hyundai’s Ott Tanak held fourth (+37.3s) despite struggling with his i20 N.

M-Sport’s Adrien Fourmaux completed the top five (+41.6s) ahead of Takamoto Katsuta (+1m12.2s), Andreas Mikkelsen (1m39.1s) and Gregoire Munster (+1m57.3s).

Neuville enjoyed a strong start to the rally, making the most of the cleanest of the conditions, virtue of being first on the road.

Neuville blitzed the first pass of Krasic — Sosice 1 (23.63km) posting a time 6.6s faster than nearest rival and title contender Evans, who was next on the road.

While Neuville’s time proved to be a standout effort, he wasn’t overly happy at the stage end reporting «hell of a lot of understeer» from his i20N, one of three Hyundais carrying a tribute livery to late team-mate Craig Breen.

As every car passed through the stage, more dirt was dragged onto the road surface which contributed to slower times from the chasing pack. Starting sixth on the road, Ogier managed to set the third fastest time, 14.5s adrift, but admitted «it was impossible to match» Neuville’s time.

The Frenchman reached the stage end with a slow puncture.

Tanak ceded 17.8s as he struggled with the worsening conditions and a nervous i20 N, while Fourmaux was fifth quickest (+20.4s) despite battling overheating tyres.

An unhappy Katsuta dropped 36.4s, reporting issues with his stage information, while Mikkelsen overshot a junction which contributed to his 50.7s time loss.

WRC2 runner Nikolay Gryazin grabbed an early class lead after clocking a time quicker than M-Sport Rally1 driver Munster, who was ninth on the timing screen.

Photo by: Romain Thuillier / Hyundai Motorsport

Evans responded to Neuville’s stunning opening stage time by winning stage two — Jaskovo — Mali Modrus Potok 1 (9.48km). The Toyota driver managed to navigate through the narrow roads 1.7s faster than Neuville, decreasing the latter’s overall lead to 4.9s.

Tanak came through the test third fastest (2.4s) despite admitting his i20 N «was not really working» and was «difficult to drive».

Fourmaux dropped 4.2s but was 0.6s quicker than Ogier, who ran wide while battling the increasingly dirty road conditions. The top eight were completed by Katsuta, Munster and Mikkelsen, the latter having continued to battle a nervous car.

By stage three, Neuville restored and extended his lead over Evans to 8.6s after setting the benchmark time on the first pass through Ravna Gora-Skrad (10.13km). Neuville took the stage win by 3.5s from Evans, with Ogier only a tenth further back despite facing a much dirtier road surface.

Fourmaux continued to grow in confidence to post the fourth best time, 4.9s faster than Tanak.

Crews encountered snow on the side of the road in the final stage of the loop (Platak 1 — 16.63 km), but crucially the road was dry.

Neuville once again topped the timing screen by 0.2s from the chasing Evans, but the Belgian admitted he was unable to push behind the wheel.

«It’s probably the cleanest stage. I can’t attack,» said Neuville, who took one hard and five soft tyres for the loop compared to Evans, three hard and three soft.

«I have to be so smooth and clean. There is no way for me to push, otherwise it doesn’t work. I would like to go faster!»

The stage proved to be the closest fought of the loop as Ogier clocked a time 0.3s slower than Neuville.

«It’s been a good run, we can be happy with our loop. We lost some ground, but hopefully better in the afternoon. Soft was definitely the wrong choice, I’m happy with my mixed choice,» said Ogier.

Tanak was again the best of the rest but was clearly struggling for confidence behind the wheel stating that «somehow we struggled more than in Monte Carlo» during his pass that was 7.2s slower than his pacesetting team-mate. He wasn’t the only Hyundai driver struggling as Mikkelsen was forced to fight his car through to the finish.

In WRC2, Citroen driver Gryazin opened up a 12.4s lead over team-mate Yohan Rossel.

The crews will take in a tyre fitting zone ahead of a second pass through the stages this afternoon, before returning to the Zagreb service park.

Watch: Croatia Rally Shakedown highlights



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Hyundai enacts contingency plan after WRC Kenya fuel issue

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Neuville’s i20 N was struck by a fuel system issue at Safari Rally Kenya that ended any hopes of a podium finish.

The problem resulted in the Belgian losing more than 10 minutes, dropping from second to fifth overall. At the time Neuville, who leads Toyota’s Elfyn Evans by six points in the championship, felt the problem wasn’t related to the rally’s unique set of conditions.

Hyundai team principal Cyril Abiteboul says the team has addressed and understood the problem which has resulted in changes ahead of this weekend’s visit to Croatia’s asphalt stages.

“We will try to make sure he [Thierry] has the right car,” Abiteboul told Motorsport.com. “He had lots of issue in Kenya and most of them have been well addressed and understood.

“There is no particular reason to see them happen here again, but we also saw that it was a bit of a snowball effect from Friday. The first thing we need is to have a clean Friday.

“We still have quite a few explanations [as to what happened in Kenya]. It is one of those things that is difficult to completely reproduce once you are not in Kenya anymore with the conditions we had there.

“We think it [the fuel system issues] was related to the conditions and we have made some changes and we have made a contingency plan to make sure it doesn’t happen again, but let’s see.”

Thierry Neuville, Hyundai World Rally Team

Thierry Neuville, Hyundai World Rally Team

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

After winning the only previous WRC round on asphalt this year in Monte Carlo, Neuville believes his i20 N has improved since his last year’s outing in Croatia, where he crashed out of the lead.

However, he is aware that Toyota boasts an undefeated record on Croatia’s challenging stages since the event joined the WRC schedule in 2021.

Neuville will pilot one of three i20 Ns carrying a special livery this weekend in honour of team-mate Craig Breen, who lost his life a year ago.

“We were strong last year but not that strong,” said Neuville, who was third fastest in Thursday’s shakedown behind Toyota’s Sebastien Ogier and Evans. “We were pushing hard but the car was not that great, and we were complaining a lot.

“This year we will be better, but we have to see how strong Toyota is, they have always been strong on tricky demanding tarmac stages, they have won every year.

“I feel good in the car, and I think we have improved it but is it going to be good enough, we will find out.”

While Neuville is looking to extend his championship lead, team-mate Ott Tanak says it is “critical” to deliver a “solid weekend” to ignite his championship hopes.

Ott Tänak, Martin Järveoja, Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai i20 N Rally1

Ott Tänak, Martin Järveoja, Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai i20 N Rally1

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

The 2019 world champion has been absent from the podium in the opening three rounds, while mistakes in Monte Carlo, Sweden and Kenya have placed the Estonian 34 points adrift of Neuville.

“It is always important to get a strong result. It has not been great and somehow it has affected the confidence, but it is critical to put a good, solid weekend together,” Tanak told Motorsport.com.

“Some pressure is there but the feeling in the car is not too bad. I’m pretty sure if we can do the right decisions we will be on the pace.”

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WRC 2025 rules limbo creating “critical” situation for teams

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Toyota, Hyundai and M-Sport-Ford collectively wrote to the FIA opposing the governing body’s recommendations for next year, that include the removal of hybrid power from Rally1 cars alongside a reduction in aero and power.

The thinking behind the FIA’s vision is to bring the Rally1 car more into line with the performance of Rally2 cars, which will be given a boost in power through an upgrade kit to effectively increase the entry list of outright rally contenders for 2025 and 2026, before new Rally1 regulations are introduced for 2027 and beyond.

The current Rally1 teams have expressed a wish for the current Rally1 rules to remain place given the extra costs and short time frame to enact changes to the cars for next year.

The FIA issued a statement following a WRC Commission meeting earlier this month addressing the team’s fears stating that it is “confident that we will find collaborative solutions to the issues that have been raised.»        

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While a decision is yet to be officially communicated, Motorsport.com understands the consensus in the service park is that a compromise will be found regarding the technical rules, which could see the current regulations continue.

M-Sport team principal Richard Millener told Motorsport.com that the current situation is “critical” and that teams are yet to receive an official response from the FIA. But Millener is hopeful a decision will be made before June with more meetings with the FIA planned in the near future.

“We had good meetings in Geneva, and it was a good opportunity to get everyone round the table and give our thoughts, viewpoints, frustrations, positives, negatives, but there is a hell of a lot of work to do in a short period of time to make sure we are all aligned going forward,” said Millener.

Rich Millener, Team principal M-Sport Ford Rally

Rich Millener, Team principal M-Sport Ford Rally

Photo by: M-Sport

“The manufacturers have been clear on what we wanted, and we want stability for the next couple of years in order to concentrate fully on 2027, when we all agree we need more cars and more manufacturers.

“I think more than one manufacturer needs to report back to their boards [before June], so we are talking weeks here. We haven’t got long to make some high-level vision points of where we are going. It is definitely a critical situation at the moment, and I really hope [the FIA] find a way to get it sorted because I don’t think any of us want to lose our jobs, and we have got to be careful that we don’t, as it is a realistic possibility at the moment with what is going on for more than one team.

“I think everybody thinks Toyota will be here regardless, but I don’t think that is the case at all. We have to be cautious that anybody could leave at any point, and we need to get stability. Rally will never die, don’t get me wrong, we have always got Rally2 to fall back on, but why throw away something we already have to start again?”

Toyota team principal Jari-Matti Latvala echoed Millener’s thoughts, and when asked if he thought the current Rally1 rules would continue next year, he said:  “I think all the manufacturers at the moment want to stay with the Rally1 as they are, but maybe with removing the hybrid, that is enough.

“Then we don’t need to do the development work and commit big investments into the cars and all the manufacturers would stay in the championship.

Jari-Matti Latvala, Team principal Toyota Gazoo Racing

Jari-Matti Latvala, Team principal Toyota Gazoo Racing

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

“There is a good communication with the FIA, and I think they are now considering what the manufacturers are thinking at this point. It is a crucial time and it is critical as to what the future of rally is going to be.”

Hyundai has been most vocal against the proposed changes which have already forced the team to cancel its planned significant upgrades to its i20 N for next year.

“We will have some discussions [about the future] this weekend,” Hyundai team principal Cyril Abiteboul told Motorsport.com. 

“We are very lucky that we have a new WRC Commission dynamic with a new president – with Pernilla Solberg – who wants to make it work. We are very lucky to have her experience and wisdom and I hope strength in the FIA to find a reasonable way forward for all parties.”  



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Hyundai to mark Breen anniversary with tribute livery, charity auction support

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The popular Irishman lost his life on 13 April last year after succumbing to injuries sustained in a testing crash, driving for Hyundai ahead of the Croatia round last year.

To mark the one-year anniversary of the tragic loss, Hyundai has set up an online auction of special items with all the proceeds going to the Craig Breen Foundation.

The foundation was set up to help aspiring young drivers through the rallying ranks, a cause Breen was particularly passionate about. It currently provides financial support to young drivers competing in Ireland’s J1000 Forestry Series.

The auction is set to go live from 9am [CEST] on 16 April before concluding at 9pm [CEST] on 23 April.

Items currently listed in the action range from Thierry Neuville and Ott Tanak crash helmets from last year and a pair of Dani Sordo’s Hyundai WRC overalls. To take part in the auction, click here.

Hyundai has also announced that its i20 N Rally1 cars, driven by Neuville, Tanak and Andreas Mikkelsen, will be adorned with an Irish flag on the roof and bumper to pay tribute to Breen at next week’s WRC round in Croatia.

This follows a stunning tribute livery the team ran on its two cars at last year’s event.

Looking ahead to what will be an emotional rally, Hyundai team principal Cyril Abiteboul said: “Croatia Rally is the first full tarmac event of the year, but after a milder Rallye Monte-Carlo, we have already had a taste of how the Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid can perform on this surface.

Craig Breen, Hyundai World Rally Team

Craig Breen, Hyundai World Rally Team

Photo by: Fabien Dufour / Hyundai Motorsport

“We have seen success here in the past; we know both Thierry and Ott can put a car on the podium in Croatia, and with Andreas’ capabilities on tarmac, we believe he can also score good points next week.

“It is of course emotional coming to this event following the loss of Craig one year ago, but we want to honour him on our return and have tried to do so through both our charitable efforts and the addition of the Irish flag on our car.

“For both championships, and for Craig, we want to finish as close to the top step as possible – a win would be a fitting end to the weekend.”



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M-Sport set to debut WRC Puma upgrade in Croatia

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The British squad has been working on the aerodynamic performance upgrade since last year, before opting to delay its rollout until the 2024 season.

Following a successful test last week, the team has confirmed that it plans to fit the new component to its cars for next week’s asphalt rally. Drivers Adrien Fourmaux and Gregoire Munster each chalked up more than 250km of running during their pre-event test days.

«Our plan is to introduce it in Croatia. Everything has gone okay with that, to be honest, and that was always the kind of date we were trying to aim for,» M-Sport team principal Richard Millener told Motorsport.com.

«It [the rear wing] is not suddenly going to make us 10 seconds a kilometre faster. There are only small things you can do, and it is small tweaks that we are looking for at the moment.

«This should help us in the higher speed stuff and combined with a couple of other set-up changes, it can make a difference to the car. It is constant development, we are a little bit later than the other teams on the rear wing, but we are trying to stay as close as we can to the opposition.»

Adrien Fourmaux, Alexandre Coria, M-Sport Ford World Rally Team Ford Puma Rally1

Adrien Fourmaux, Alexandre Coria, M-Sport Ford World Rally Team Ford Puma Rally1

Photo by: M-Sport

M-Sport has enjoyed a strong start to the 2024 campaign highlighted by back-to-back podium finishes in Sweden and Kenya for Fourmaux, who is sitting third in the championship after three rounds.

Team-mate Munster has picked up three points after a difficult start to the season that included a minor off in Monte Carlo, a puncture in Sweden and a broken suspension in Kenya.

Reflecting on the start of the season, Millener is proud of the team’s efforts thus far which have outlined the strength of the Puma Rally1.

«I think it is just underlining what we have said last year about the car being okay is being shown here,» Millener added.

«We have had a slightly different approach this year we have less expectation. We have Adrien in a strong place mentally and physically and approach the rallies as he needs to with the goal of collecting as many points as possible. Consistency is going to be key for us to do well and I think that has been shown.

«We have had very good reliability touch wood up until now and we have to try and continue that in Croatia. We can be very happy.»

Watch: Safari Rally Kenya Sunday afternoon highlights



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Toyota selects Ogier for WRC’s visit to Croatia

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Toyota has announced that the eight-time world champion will pilot one of its three factory GR Yaris Rally 1 cars at the asphalt event, which hosts the fourth round of the WRC season, from 18-21 April.

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Ogier and co-driver Vincent Landais will join Toyota’s full-time drivers Elfyn Evans and Takamoto Katsuta for the rally.

Following on from 2022 and 2023, the Frenchman is undertaking a part-time season that began in Monte Carlo in January, where he finished second behind Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville.

Sébastien Ogier, Vincent Landais, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1

Sébastien Ogier, Vincent Landais, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

Ogier sat out the trip to Sweden last month and will be absent from next week’s visit to Safari Rally Kenya, with the third GR Yaris set to be driven by reigning two-time world champion Kalle Rovanpera, who is also contesting a partial WRC campaign this year.

Last year the pair went head to head for the Safari win, with Ogier coming out on top to claim his second victory one of the WRC’s most gruelling rallies. 

Ogier has previously started two of the three WRC rounds in Croatia, famously winning the event’s debut on the WRC calendar in 2021 by margin of 0.6s over Toyota team-mate Evans.

Last year, the 40-year-old finished fifth on the event after suffering a puncture on the Friday.       

Ogier’s 2024 schedule beyond Croatia is yet to be announced.

Toyota’s rival Hyundai is also yet to officially announce its driver roster for Croatia, although it is likely that Andreas Mikkelsen will take over the third i20 N from Sweden winner Esapekka Lappi, who will be in action in Kenya next week.



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