Метка: wrc

Relentless Neuville fends off Evans to hold narrow lead

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


The title rivals were locked in a titanic scrap across the day’s eight stages, which saw the lead change hands and the margin between the pair never exceeding five seconds, having started Saturday tied on overall times.

A maximum attack approach, assisted by a beneficial tyre call in unpredictable weather, ultimately resulted in Hyundai driver Neuville ending the day with a 4.9s lead from Evans. The pair picked up 18 and 15 provisional championship points respectively, which can be collected if they finish the rally on Sunday.

Eight-time world champion and part-time Toyota driver Sebastien Ogier kept himself in the victory battle, 11.6s adrift in third, scooping up 13 points. Hyundai’s Ott Tanak held fourth [+1m15.5s] to claim 10 points ahead of M-Sport’s Adrien Fourmaux [+1m35.4s], who snared a provisional eight points.

Threatening skies again put the focus on tyres for Saturday’s afternoon loop as Toyota clearly expected rain, selecting four soft and two wets as the package for its three GR Yaris entries.

Hyundai and M-Sport were more conservative, opting to take hard-, soft- and wet-compound rubber in case the rain didn’t arrive.

Light rain greeted the crews ahead of Stage 13 [Smerovisce-Grdanjci -15.72 km] before the shower became increasingly heavier, which played into Toyota’s hands.

Evans took advantage of the changeable weather and a stage win duly followed as he re-took the overall lead from Neuville in the process by a margin of two seconds. Evans was however unsure if the tyre call would pay off for the remainder of the loop.

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: McKlein / Motorsport Images

Neuville dropped 6.7s to stage winner Evans, who took the stage by a second from team-mate Ogier.

“I pushed very hard and tried to carry on, I knew we were losing time, but we limited the time loss. It’ll be difficult [to bring it back],” said Neuville.

M-Sport’s Fourmaux also bore the brunt of a wrong tyre decision as the Frenchman ceded 15.5s to the lead group.

“I’m not happy. I don’t understand how we can be so bad. We have a lot of data and yet we cannot make a good tyre choice. It’s so disappointing,” said Fourmaux.

Tanak also endured tyre woes, revealing that he had a moment due to the lack of grip on the stage.

However, the tide turned in favour of Hyundai and M-Sport after stage 14 [Stojdraga-Gornja Vas 20.77km]. The early runners encountered a damp start to the stage, but the road surface would become drier by the time the leaders tackled the test.

This benefitted the hard-tyre-shod Neuville, and despite a late shower that threatened to thwart his run, he responded with an impressive stage win to snatch the lead back from Evans.

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: Toyota Racing

A committed Neuville stopped the clocks 3.9s faster than Ogier and 4.3s quicker than Evans. The net result was Neuville leaving the stage with a 2.3s lead over Evans.

“When we found out there could be rain at the end, we just went flat out,” he said.

While Neuville’s risk-filled run paid off, team-mate Andreas Mikkelsen was caught out by a tight left resulting in his i20 N understeering into a bank. Luckily, the low-speed impact didn’t cause any damage, but on the final stage, he suffered a delaminating tyre.

The weather pendulum continued to swing in Hyundai’s favour as the field welcomed a dry road and no sign of rain for the penultimate stage [Vinski Vrh – Duga Resa — 8.78km].

Once again, the hard-tyre-shod Neuville prevailed but the Belgian revealed his run to a stage win was “on the edge”. Neuville pipped Ogier by 1.6s and was a tenth faster than Evans as this relentless scrap for the victory took another twist.

Tanak was the best of the rest, posting the fourth fastest, having conceded that there was nothing to fight for, sitting in a relatively comfortable fourth overall.

Neuville completed Saturday in style by winning stage 16 [Pecurkovo Brdo – Mreznicki Novaki – 9.11km] to claim his ninth fastest time, pipping Ogier by 0.5s after a faultless run. The time was enough to extend his overall lead to 4.9s after Evans reached the stage end 0.9s adrift. 

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: McKlein / Motorsport Images

In WRC2, Nikolay Gryazin maintained his lead of the second-tier class from Citroen team-mate Yohan Rossel.

Four more stages await the crews on Sunday.



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Neuville edges clear of Evans, Ogier in pursuit

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Neuville and Evans started the day tied for the lead after ending Friday on identical times, and the fiercely competitive battle continued across the morning’s four stages.

But it was championship points leader Neuville who had the measure of the Welshman to move into a 4.7s lead as the crews headed for service.

Toyota’s Sebastien Ogier ensured the battle for victory remained between three drivers as the eight-time world champion held third 11.3 adrift of Neuville. Hyundai’s Ott Tanak maintained fourth [+52.2s] ahead of M-Sport’s Adrien Fourmaux [+1m06.4s]. Takamoto Katsuta [+1m56.5s], Andreas Mikkelsen [+3m14.0s] and Gregoire Munster [+3m58.0s] rounded out the top eight.      

The expected rain showers stayed away from the stages but there were spots of moisture in the air as the crews tackled stage nine [Smerovisce – Grdanjci — 15.72km].

With the road order reversed, the leaders faced the dirtiest road conditions but it seemingly didn’t affect joint rally leaders Neuville and Evans significantly.

While the pair started the day deadlocked, it was Neuville who edged clear into an 0.8s outright lead.

Despite facing the worst of the road conditions, Neuville delivered an inspired run to post a time 0.5s adrift of M-Sport’s Fourmaux, who claimed his first stage win of the event to date.

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: McKlein / Motorsport Images

Evans admitted he was “a little bit steady” during his pass that was 1.3s slower than Fourmaux. It proved to be a contested stage with Fourmaux, Neuville, Ogier, Tanak, Evans and the improving Mikkelsen covered by 4.2s.

Conditions remained dry by the time the crews reached stage 10, the longest of the loop.

Once again Neuville and Evans couldn’t be split as the duo posted identical times through the 20.77km Stojdraga — Gornja Vas test as Neuville held onto to his 0.8s rally lead.

The stage was won by Ogier, who stepped up his charge to reel in Neuville and Evans. The Toyota driver took 0.3s out of the pair to cut the deficit to 6.8s to remain firmly in the victory hunt.

Katsuta produced his best drive of the event to date to end the stage 0.4s but remained in a distant sixth overall.

There was however a small drama for Tanak who drifted wide at a left hander and clipped his right rear on a kerb. It appeared the incident didn’t cost the Hyundai driver too much time despite ending the stage with the wheel slightly bent. The Estonian was however quicker than Fourmaux to extend the gap in the fight for fourth to 11.6s.    

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

Neuville grabbed the headlines in stage 11 by chalking up his fifth stage win of the event after edging rally rival Evans by 0.9s. Evans admitted it wasn’t an easy task managing his tyre choice of three softs, two wets and one hard given the absence of the forecast rain.

“0.9s is a lot, I’m really happy. I don’t think I could go any faster in there,” said Neuville, who moved into a 1.7s overall lead.

Third-placed Ogier dropped 1.6s to Neuville in the stage that included what he described as a “very close call” over a jump early in the test, that resulted in some damage to the front of the GR Yaris.

Tanak was only a tenth slower than Ogier as the Hyundai driver showed much stronger pace compared to Friday. 

However, Neuville saved his best display until the final stage of the loop outlining the work he had achieved in preserving his rubber.

The Belgian produced a committed effort which was rewarded with a time 2.9s faster than Ogier and 3.0s quicker than Tanak and Evans. Ogier managed to log his time despite being forced to run a wet tyre on the rear of his car to reduce the puncture risk on one worn tyre in his package.

“Quite a decent stage, the onboard must be really cool. We had a better tyre management of the loop and kept good profiles of the tyres,” said Neuville.

Evans added: “It was really slippery and I wasn’t so happy with my run to be honest.”

The battle for fourth took another swing towards Tanak as Fourmaux reported a misfire from his Ford Puma’s engine during the stage.

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In WRC2, Nikolay Gryazin continued to lead the class form Citroen team-mate Yohan Rossel by a margin of 59.9s.  

The crews will repeat the stages this afternoon to conclude Saturday’s leg.



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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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Why tough love has allowed Fourmaux to reach new WRC heights

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Three rounds into the 2024 World Rally Championship season, a compelling case could be made for Adrien Fourmaux to be classed as the driver of the season so far. The Frenchman has turned heads on his full-time Rally1 return, exceeding both his and the M-Sport Ford team’s expectations to sit third in the championship standings.

Fifth in the Monte Carlo opener, he then took a first outright podium in the WRC in Sweden before repeating his third place in Kenya. That made Fourmaux the first driver since Dani Sordo in 2006 to follow up a maiden podium with a top-three in their next event.

Fourmaux’s impressive start to 2024 has left him sitting 23 points adrift of championship leader Thierry Neuville. The former doctor in training-turned rally driver is 13 points ahead of Neuville’s Hyundai team-mate Ott Tanak, the man he replaced at M-Sport this year. But the key statistic that outlines Fourmaux’s stark turnaround in form is this: he has already eclipsed his entire 2022 tally by 31 points after three rounds.

This improvement can seemingly be attributed to a strategy of stepping backwards to go forward, employed by M-Sport, renowned cultivators of young rally talent. It’s an approach that three-time WRC runner-up Elfyn Evans and 2019 world champion Tanak know all too well.

«In all honestly, I didn’t expect us to be third in the drivers’ championship,» M-Sport boss Malcolm Wilson tells Motorsport.com. «I probably didn’t expect to get back-to-back podiums, but Adrien has got them by being smart.

«The thing about rally is it is a long process [to be successful]. Sadly, there is no quick route unless you are absolutely exceptional like a Sebastien Loeb or whatever. You have to look at how long it took with Ott and Elfyn and how long it has taken with Adrien. There is no short cut, unfortunately.»

Fourmaux has shown superb form since returning to a Rally1 seat after a year out of the spotlight

Fourmaux has shown superb form since returning to a Rally1 seat after a year out of the spotlight

Photo by: McKlein / McMaster

Fourmaux burst onto the top-flight rally scene with M-Sport in 2021, finishing fifth in Croatia on his first outing in a full WRC car. He went on to score a maiden stage win in Kenya that season, finishing five of eight rallies inside the top seven. Such form created plenty of excitement and growing expectation that M-Sport had found the driver who could be France’s next rallying hero after Sebastien Loeb and Sebastien Ogier, as Motorsport.com discussed at the time here.

But the following season, the first of the hybrid Rally1 era, proved to be a nightmare campaign for Fourmaux, headlined by high-profile crashes and reliability issues. M-Sport kept the faith with its young driver, having seen his abundant potential, but made the difficult call to drop him back to the lower Rally2 tier for 2023. This was combined with an ultimately successful programme in the British Rally Championship that yielded the title that Wilson himself won in 1994 and Evans managed in 2016.

Taking young guns out of the top tier and placing them in Rally2 for a season or two is a tried-and-tested method the team has utilised on more than one occasion. It did so with Tanak and now Toyota star Evans when the pair were at the Cumbria stable, and it appears to be working again with Fourmaux.

«What we did last year has had a big influence on where he is now. He is a very clever boy, and he now understands what he needs to do»
Malcolm Wilson

«Pushing these drivers back into Rally2 seems to work,» smiles Wilson. «It worked with Elfyn, it worked with Ott and now it seems to have worked with Adrien.

«In fairness, Adrien is not doing anything more 1713289450 probably than what I always felt he was capable of. But what we did last year has had a big influence on where he is now. Obviously, as you can imagine I’m delighted, but he is a very clever boy, and he now understands what he needs to do and that is the bit I love to see when working with these guys.

«It is about maturing and understanding what makes the world go round. He is now starting to show the potential that I have always believed he had.»

The similarities with Fourmaux’s growth in ability and confidence to those of Tanak and Evans after their seasons in Rally2 are telling. Tanak’s first top-tier WRC full-time campaign with M-Sport in 2012 was far from being disastrous. The Estonian picked up 52 points and scored a maiden podium in Sardinia. On his return to the WRC top class in 2015 after a spell in Rally2, he picked up 63 points and by 2017 was an established winner capable of pushing Ogier and Neuville in the championship.

Sending drivers back to the less-pressured environment of WRC2 is a tactic M-Sport has employed previously with great success for Tanak (pictured) and Evans

Sending drivers back to the less-pressured environment of WRC2 is a tactic M-Sport has employed previously with great success for Tanak (pictured) and Evans

Photo by: McKlein / Motorsport Images

Likewise, Evans dropped back to Rally2 in 2016 after two seasons in the main class with M-Sport which had yielded two podiums. The 2015 campaign was his best, finishing seventh overall with 89 points. The Welshman then spent 2016 building confidence in WRC2, winning three rounds and only missing out on the title by 10 points to Esapekka Lappi alongside his BRC exploits.

When drafted back into M-Sport’s WRC team for 2017, Evans scored a maiden win and two podiums while amassing 128 points to finish fifth in the standings. Since joining Toyota in 2020, he has become a regular title contender.

Demoting a driver from a seat in rallying’s top tier to Rally2 can understandably be interpreted as a negative move. But even if they don’t want to admit it, for some drivers it appears exactly the right call for their career. Wilson says the thinking behind the strategy is always centred around creating an environment to allow the driver to rediscover the confidence required to unlock their potential.

«I’m not going to give all my secrets away,» Wilson jokes when asked to elaborate on the tactic. «There is no rocket science to it. Personally, what it does do and if you look at all of them, they all had a difficult season in Rally1 cars, so the confidence is not where it needs to be.

«For me, so much of this job is about confidence and being happy with driving. The opportunity to get back in the Rally1 car and the confidence and success from Rally2 helps. It is all about being in the right frame of mind.»

Fourmaux himself has acknowledged that he learned a huge amount last season competing in Rally2 machinery, despite the initial frustrations of being dropped from the Rally1 line-up. A season away from the spotlight has not only helped Fourmaux find his confidence, but he’s also improved his ability to manage WRC rallies. Learning when to push and back off has reaped rewards in each of 2024’s opening rallies that present unique challenges. But above all of that, Fourmaux is enjoying his driving again, a commodity that shouldn’t be forgotten.

«It was not a bad thing to do [to go back to Rally2],» a reflective Fourmaux tells Motorsport.com. «It was really frustrating at the beginning, but now looking at where I am and what we have done, it is really positive.

Wilson knows that rebuilding confidence can be crucial for allowing drivers to unlock their potential

Wilson knows that rebuilding confidence can be crucial for allowing drivers to unlock their potential

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

«I think it was the right decision to make because I could be myself and put a lot of things away and just focus on getting back to the feeling of driving and enjoying. In 2022, in the end, I wasn’t enjoying it all because the pressure was there, and it was negative pressure at times.

«I prefer to have positive pressure, so in the end, it was just better to be in Rally2. There was much more focus on Ott and Pierre-Louis [Loubet] and I just had to drive and deliver the best result. Now I can accept pressure from the team to deliver because I know I am capable of doing it.

«I have been working on some details, we have gained some reliability [in the team] and also some comfort, but it is all about preparation and how to manage rallies. I think the experience was also a big part. In rallies, you could be leading or fighting for a position, and you still have to manage your tyres, car and you have to be smart. I have been working a lot on that last year and that has helped me transfer that to Rally1 now.

«We have given him the tools to do the job, and the fact that he has matured, we are both seeing the benefits»
Malcolm Wilson

«In 2022 it was not always my fault, the car was breaking down as well, so there were a few rallies where I didn’t score points with a reliability issue. For sure the team has been making some progress, the car has been reliable, which is really positive. It is small details that make the difference.»

Another key aspect in Fourmaux’s arsenal is his ability to act as a team player and endear himself to his colleagues, which will bode well as he aims to continue his upward trajectory. This was perhaps best showcased in 2022 after his frightening Monte Carlo accident when Fourmaux arrived at M-Sport’s Dovenby workshop spanner-in-hand to help his mechanics repair his Ford Puma.

Wilson believes this side of Fourmaux’s character will only add to his growth as a driver and his ability to unlock the most from his M-Sport package.

«I have been saying to him that he has an incredible opportunity, and he can make this his team,» Wilson adds. «He can have everybody working for him and that is what he is doing. This, combined with how he has got his head around finishing events, is the whole package that is coming together.

Following his maiden podium in Sweden, Fourmaux doubled up in Kenya to underline his maturity

Following his maiden podium in Sweden, Fourmaux doubled up in Kenya to underline his maturity

Photo by: M-Sport

«He learned a lot of things last year and we had some good discussions about how to tackle it. He was very clear about what he wanted from the engineers. We have given him the tools to do the job, and the fact that he has matured, we are both seeing the benefits.»

This weekend’s visit to Croatia offers up the next test for Fourmaux 2.0, who is eager to add a podium on asphalt to his gravel and snow successes on an event that after the high of 2021 featured one of the low points of his 2022 season. Caught out on a wet patch, his crash into the garden of a residential property inflicted chassis damage that prevented him from rejoining.

It is no secret that M-Sport and Fourmaux have taken a strategic approach to the first three rallies, which has been executed expertly, but now the WRC enters a series of performance rallies where the focus will turn more to outright speed.

«Let’s not kid ourselves we are now moving into a part of the season where a lot more focus will be on performance,» says Wilson. «But he has been doing a lot of work on that and he has been quick in Croatia before. The next few events are going to be another step for him.

«This will be another step on the ladder for Adrien and I’d be very happy if he can finish in the top five in Croatia.»

Can Fourmaux continue his strong start to 2024 as the WRC returns to Tarmac?

Can Fourmaux continue his strong start to 2024 as the WRC returns to Tarmac?

Photo by: M-Sport



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Ireland’s bid to rejoin the WRC in 2025 halted

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Ireland had tabled a bid to secure a three-year contract to host the WRC, beginning from 2025, which planned to bring the championship back to the country for the first time since 2009.

Motorsport Ireland announced in January a plan to rotate the rally through three locations; Waterford, Kerry and Limerick, across the three-year deal, should it secure the contract.

While the concept was approved by WRC Promoter, which met with Motorsport Ireland President Aidan Harper in February to discuss Ireland’s WRC’s plans, the bid hinged on the event securing €15 million from the Irish government in funding to spread across the three-year contract. Motorsport Ireland estimated that the rally would generate €300 million for the local economy.

There was hope that the funding grant would be given the green light, but the application has not been successful within the timeframe required.

“It is with deep regret that Motorsport Ireland today confirms that Ireland is no longer being considered to host a round of the FIA World Rally Championship in 2025,” read a statement from Motorsport Ireland.

“On Monday, 15 April, Motorsport Ireland finally received confirmation from Minister Byrne, Minister of State for Sport, Physical Education and the Gaeltacht, that his Department would need “at least six months” to undertake further independent economic assessments and analysis of our proposal.

“The closing date for the bidding process with WRC Promoter GmbH was the end of Q1 this year, a date that Motorsport Ireland made both Minister Byrne and the Major Sports Events Unit aware of from the outset. Due to having received no update from the Department by the Q1 deadline, Motorsport Ireland requested, and was granted, an extension of a fortnight from the promoter.

Photo by: Sutton Images

“Motorsport Ireland first approached the Government back in early 2023 and in June of that year had a fruitful meeting with Minister Thomas Byrne and his colleagues where we presented how we can showcase Ireland on the world stage by bringing the World Rally Championship to Ireland for a three-year period.

«In the meeting, Motorsport Ireland were complimented by Minister Byrne that we were doing the right thing by coming good and early with respect to a funding request for a 2025 event. After the meeting, we were referred to the Major Sports Events Unit whom we engaged with and submitted a full event screening application on 6 October 2023.

“To date, Motorsport Ireland have received no questions or feedback on any of the documents we submitted, despite multiple communications to the Department asking if additional information was required. To learn on the last day of our extension from the promoter that Minister Byrne’s Department now require another six months to undertake further independent assessments and analysis is very frustrating. 

“From the beginning, Motorsport Ireland has been very clear that March 2024 was the cutoff for receiving acknowledgment if we were successful or not in our request for funding. This deadline wasn’t chosen by Motorsport Ireland, this was an operational deadline set by the World Rally Championship promoter. The demand for the limited number of slots in the WRC calendar is running at an all-time high and the promoter is in a position to choose host countries that are able to commit and thus benefit from a multi-year major event strategy.

“The promoter cutoff date must be respected so that they can plan their 2025-2027 calendar strategy. This Q1 deadline was flagged in Motorsport Ireland’s event screening application and in all subsequent communications to the Department. We are extremely thankful to WRC Promoter GmbH for granting us an extension to try and make inclusion for 2025 possible but yesterday’s response from Minister Byrne confirms it cannot happen.

“Motorsport Ireland notes and appreciates Minister Byrne’s commitment to undertaking the necessary assessments and analysis required and will continue to communicate with him, his Department and WRC Promoter GmbH to see if alternative hosting years are possible beyond 2025.”

The WRC is planning to submit an expanded 14-round calendar for next year. While Ireland’s bid to join the series has been unsuccessful for next year, there will be at least one new event on the bill.

Last month it was announced that Spain will rejoin the WRC following confirmation that Rally Islas Canarias will be promoted from the European Rally Championship schedule to make its WRC debut.

Paraguay and Argentina are understood to be in the mix to earn a spot for next year. WRC event director Simon Larkin travelled to Paraguay to meet the nation’s president Santiago Pena to discuss the country’s WRC bid.    

It is likely the championship will include a return to the Middle East with a round in Saudi Arabia an option, with an announcement expected in the near future. 

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