Rally

Ogier successfully navigated a tricky opening 2.75km asphalt test held in darkness as Rally Japan returned to the WRC schedule for the first time since 2010. The reverse pass through Thursday's morning's shakedown stage provided plenty of challenges, most notably the deep drainage gullies on either side of the twisty tarmac road. Eight-time world champion Ogier emerged the quickest ...Keep readingView the full article

The German, who has mostly competed in sportscars and Formula E since his last grand prix start with Lotus in 2011, appeared in the World Rallycross Championship's secondary RX2e class in Catalunya last month. The 45-year-old placed 10th in the overall results, but his performance showed an improvement throughout the event, by the end of which he was close to some of the fastest drivers over a ...Keep readingView the full article

Japan finally returns to the WRC schedule for the first time since 2010 with an all-new event following cancellations due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021. Previous WRC rounds in Japan have been held on narrow gravel roads, while this year's rally features 19 all-new stages taking in twisty asphalt roads around the Aichi region. The new location and route are expected to offer a severe ...Keep readingView the full article

A return to Japan had initially been planned in 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic forced organisers to cancel the anticipated rounds in both 2020 and 2021. This weekend’s rally is set to provide a challenge with crews set to tackle 19 brand new stages as Rally Japan moves away from its traditional gravel stages to become an all-asphalt rally, in a new location of Toyota City, 40 kilometres ...Keep readingView the full article

The 2019 world champion is set to contest his last rally with the South Korean marque after announcing plans to exercise a clause in his deal to end his contract a year early. Tanak is yet to comment further on his future plans after stating in an announcement shortly after Rally Spain that he feels “the need to embark on a new challenge”. The Estonian has been linked with moves to ...Keep readingView the full article

Sources have indicated to the Italian edition of Motorsport.com that the Finn will leave Toyota to join the Alzenau-based operation for next season. After losing a drive at M-Sport in 2020, Lappi returned to the WRC's top tier this season when he secured a partial season sharing Toyota's third GR Yaris with nine-time world champion Sebastien Ogier. The 31-year-old impressed many by scoring ...Keep readingView the full article

Fourmaux was originally entered to pilot one of three M-Sport Ford Pumas at the asphalt event, alongside regulars Craig Breen and Gus Greensmith. However, a week before the trip to Japan, it has been confirmed that the Frenchman and co-driver Alexandre Coria now won’t be competing. It is not the first time the team has chosen to withdraw Fourmaux’s car from WRC events after a difficult ...Keep readingView the full article

The world motorsport governing body stated a desire in January to map out the regulations that will form the WRC’s future pathway from 2025 onwards by the end of this year. This season the WRC introduced new Rally1 hybrid regulations representing a significant shift from the previous ruleset and a first step towards a more sustainable future. The regulation cycle is set to run until the end ...Keep readingView the full article

The change comes just days after Ogier scored his first WRC win of the season in Rally Spain alongside Benjamin Veillas, who took over the co-driver seat this year following the retirement of long-time navigator Julien Ingrassia at the end of 2021. In a decision taken with the team after securing the manufacturers' title, eight-time world champion Ogier has decided to offer an opportunity to ...Keep readingView the full article

A matter of hours after finishing fourth at Rally Spain, Ott Tanak announced that he'd exercised an option in his deal to end his contract with Hyundai a year early. It is a bold move from the 2019 world champion and one that is set to trigger a number of potential driver line-up changes in the service park. The background to Tanak's bombshell announcement Before assessing the make up of the ...Keep readingView the full article

The eight-time and outgoing world champion sealed his first WRC victory since securing the 2021 title at Rally Monza last November with a faultless drive on Spain’s asphalt roads. After securing the rally lead last Friday, the 38-year-old reeled off eight stage wins to take a relatively comfortable victory by 16.4s from Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville, while new world champion Rovanpera was ...Keep readingView the full article

The 2019 world champion was contracted with the South Korean marque for next season, although the Estonian’s future at the team has long been uncertain. The 17-time WRC rally winner raised eyebrows earlier this month when he revealed that he could sit out the 2023 WRC season for personal reasons. In a release issued following Tanak’s run to fourth at Rally Spain, it was confirmed that ...Keep readingView the full article

The eight-time world champion scored his first WRC win since Rally Monza last November after beating Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville by 16.4s on the Spanish asphalt roads. The victory helped Toyota secure a sixth WRC manufacturers’ title. However, WRC stewards have issued the 38-year-old with a reprimand and a 1500 euro fine for breach of the regulations for “exhibition driving” prior to ...Keep readingView the full article

Toyota completed a clean sweep of WRC titles this year by wrapping up the manufacturers' crown in style, and with a round to spare, after Sebastien Ogier clinched victory at Rally Spain, with Kalle Rovanpera finishing third. The coveted manufacturers' title followed one round after Toyota pairing Rovanpera and Jonne Halttunen secured the drivers' and co-drivers' world titles in New Zealand ...Keep readingView the full article

Ogier and co-driver Benjamin Veillas managed to stave off a challenge from Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville and Martijn Wydaeghe on Sunday to seal victory on Spain’s asphalt roads by 16.4s. The eight-time world champion, competing in a partial season this year, took the rally lead from new world champion teammate Kalle Rovanpera on Stage 3 during a rain-affected Friday morning. However, he ...Keep readingView the full article

Ogier lost six seconds to Neuville across Sunday morning’s two stages, but the eight-time world champion headed to the mid-morning service armed with a 14.1s lead. Kalle Rovanpera was lucky to end the loop in third overall, 28.8s adrift, after the world champion was one of three drivers to suffer a puncture from a protruding drain cover on Stage 17. Ott Tanak avoided the drama to hold onto ...Keep readingView the full article

The eight-time world champion, competing in a partial campaign with Toyota this year, won three of the day’s six completed stages to open up a 20.7s lead over Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville heading into the final day on the Spanish asphalt. Neuville managed to snatch second position from Ogier's teammate Kalle Rovanpera on the day’s final stage as the world champion ended Saturday 22.1s shy ...Keep readingView the full article

Ogier seemed to have the measure of new world champion Rovanpera but did have to stave off a challenge from the third-placed Hyundai of Thierry Neuville. However, a heavy crash for M-Sport’s Greensmith cancelled the final stage of the loop, leaving Ogier to return to service early with a 9.7s lead over Rovanpera, while Neuville trailed the Frenchman by 14.2s. Hyundai’s Ott Tanak remained ...Keep readingView the full article

Tanak was without the use of his 100kW control Compact Dynamics hybrid unit during the day's two opening stages, which necessitated a unit change on his i20 N during midday service. The 2019 world champion then lost hybrid power again during the afternoon loop of stages, which cost him valuable time, as the Estonian ended the day in fourth, 20 seconds adrift of the leading Toyota of Sebastien ...Keep readingView the full article

The eight-time world champion ended the quartet of asphalt afternoon stages with 4.8s advantage over Rovanpera, as the pair shared the stage win spoils with two apiece. Ogier had briefly led the rally after Stage 3 on Friday morning, only to lose the lead to Hyundai's Thierry Neuville on the next test, before reclaiming the advantage on Stage 5, which marked the fourth lead change of the ...Keep readingView the full article