Photo Credit: Hyundai Motorsport The month of September has been a long one for fans of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC). The last time we were treated to the world's best drivers battling each other in the world's best cars was in Germany in the middle of August which now feels like an eternity ago. All that changes next weekend as the WRC returns with its only mixed surface event: Rally de Espana.
One rally, two personalities. The Spanish round of the World Championship is like no other. Day one is contested on gravel roads before a total switch in car set-up and driver mind-set with two hard charging days on tarmac often likened to as a racing circuit by the drivers. This year this tricky event is yet another battleground for the most exciting championship battle in years. Sebastien Ogier took a potentially decisive leap ahead in Germany with a third place finish in his M-Sport Fiesta RS WRC. The suspension broke on Thierry Neuville's Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC which left him stranded early on Saturday but crucially no points were to be added to his tally. Ott Tanak reminded us and the two title protagonists that this may yet be a three horse race with a stunning victory on the German asphalt, that both closed him to within 16 points of Neuville but more importantly gave M-Sport some breathing space in its manufacturers squabble with Hyundai Motorsport. Hyundai has responded however with the addition of Neuville's good friend and Ogier's former team mate Andreas Mikkelsen. The Norwegian has been drafted in to pilot an i20 on each of the final three rounds of the 2017 season, with it later being confirmed that the three-time winner will drive for the Alzenau based squad in 2018 and '19, putting an end to his relationship with Citroen Racing and the scandal that surrounded him after he was left without a permanent drive in the wake of Volkswagen's shock departure 11 months ago. Mikkelsen's presence in the WRC's most impressive service structure can't be underestimated with his sublime pace and consistent nature. Neuville now has his wingman, who has a far superior road position than Ogier's, Ott Tanak, on Friday. That is if the rain stays away. Dani Sordo is Hyundai's hidden gem. Who can forget the Spaniard's scintillating performance on his home event last year? As for Hayden Paddon, he'll be back later in the year. The noise from the red corner of the service park has all been about the two most successful drivers in the sport's history. It's no secret that Citroen team principal Yves Matton's number one priority is securing Sebastien Ogier's signature for 2018 and beyond, which appears to hinge on how involved Ford become in M-Sport's operation. But arguably the bigger news surrounds Sebastien Loeb, who is edging closer to a semi-return next year at the wheel of a C3 WRC on selected rounds. Emerging from those shadows: Kris Meeke. The Ulsterman is beginning to slip under the radar which could actually do him the world of good, and with Mikkelsen no longer in the team, Meeke's place is now all but secure both for this year and next. Stephane Lefebvre and Khalid Al-Qassimi join him in Spain as Craig Breen misses out. Toyota Gazoo Racing hold the wildcards. Jari-Matti Latvala is a strong contender for victory, and by rights should still be in the title equation. As it is, two devastating mechanical retirements have damaged his championship bid for another year at least, but the Finn is driving better than ever. As a serial second placed finisher in Spain, don't bet against him going one better in 2017. Esapekka Lappi, the WRC's newest winner, could also spring a surprise, while Juho Hanninen will be looking to continue his sudden upward trajectory of form in his fight to keep his drive next season. Spain has witnessed some brilliant battles down the year and played its part in the way championships have swung. Carlos Sainz vs Colin McRae in 1995 anyone? A Sebastien Ogier win this time next week could be the penultimate nail in Thierry Neuville's coffin.
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Photo Credit: Hyundai Motorsport The FIA World Rally Championship has exploded after news and speculation broke on Tuesday in the gap between Rallye Deutschland and Rally de Espana next month, with the "silly-season" merry-go-round gathering more pace with every passing day. So what do we know? And what we can expect to hear in the coming months in the lead up to Rallye Monte-Carlo 2018?
The big news surrounds the man that has been the source of the majority of all driver speculation this year: Andreas Mikkelsen. Following Volkswagen's departure from the WRC, the Norwegian was left without a drive for 2017 despite dominating the closing round of the 2016 season. He was therefore forced to drop a category and compete in WRC2 at the beginning of the year, driving a Fabia R5 for Skoda Motorsport. After speculation that Skoda may be building a WRC car and that one of the 2017 spec Polo R's would be wheeled out with Andreas' name on the door was rubbished, Mikkelsen was brought into the Citroen Racing fold for Rally Sardinia, and would compete in Poland and Germany afterwards to help out the struggling outfit. After a fine second place in Germany, Mikkelsen seemed upbeat about both his immediate future this year and his long-term plans for next year where he is aiming to become World Rally Champion. It has now been revealed why, with Andreas joining his good friend Thierry Neuville at Hyundai Motorsport for the remainder of the season. All we know in concrete is that both Mikkelsen and Neuville will compete in Spain, GB and Australia, with the third car being driven by either Dani Sordo or Hayden Paddon on those three rallies. It is widely expected that Sordo will pilot the i20 on his home event next month. Hyundai's press release did not mention anything about 2018 however. The 2018 season itself is a source of speculation, with the World Motorsport Council expecting to hear a proposal for teams to up their car tally to four and thus have three point scoring cars per event. If that is the case, are Hyundai simply striking early in order to put themselves in the best possible situation for next season, or are either Sordo or Paddon under pressure to perform? That we don't know, but what is clear is this news is a big coup for not just Mikkelsen himself and Hyundai Motorsport but also Thierry Neuville. The Belgian has been the team's main point scorer this season, which has meant whenever he has struggled he hasn't had the same support network, for one reason or another, that rivals M-Sport have had. Bringing Mikkelsen in means Thierry now has a wingman who can take points off M-Sport and Sebastien Ogier, and for the team it means they are bagging a wealth of experience with Andreas' knowledge of the defunct Polo R and the C3 WRC - two cars he has spent time developing. You would expect EVEN Management to be trying hard to make Mikkelsen's Hyundai switch a permanent one if they haven't done so already, but for the team to bring in him now is a no-brainer for their championship aspirations. It has also done Kris Meeke the favour of all favours. Shortly after Hyundai's news, Citroen revealed who would be behind the wheel of their C3 WRC's for Rally Spain. Mikkelsen was, on paper, an obvious bet after his development work and podium place on the German asphalt, but with the Norwegian changing into blue the somewhat outcast Kris Meeke has been handed a lifeline. Meeke's season has been one of massive disappointment, particularly when you think back to the pre-2017 hype where the Northern Irishman was tipped by many as a shoo-in for the drivers title. Citroen scaled back their WRC involvement in 2016 in order to focus ahead on 2017 and develop the C3, with Meeke subsequently making sporadic and sublime appearances in a PH Sport run DS3 WRC. But the expectation never materialised; partly because the C3 WRC turned out to be a rather nervous and unstable beast to tame, and partly because Meeke was struggling to keep the car on the road. Even when he won in Mexico, he flew off a left hander on the final stage, nearly ruining his weekend. Clipping a bollard on Thursday night's superspecial in Germany after being benched in Poland was the tip of a disastrous iceberg for Meeke, with the Brit nervously awaiting his fate before Citroen's announcement this week. Only the Spanish entries have been revealed thus far, with Stephane Lefebvre and Khalid Al-Qassimi partnering Meeke in red with Craig Breen returning for Wales Rally GB and Rally Australia. Has Andreas Mikkelsen's move across the service park saved Meeke's bacon? I certainly think so. He should be safe for the rest of the year and for 2018 now; a little more on that below. And that leads us on to the second part of this article. What news can we expect over the coming weeks and months? Mikkelsen to Hyundai has certainly got the ball rolling, prompting a rather intriguing tweet from Citroen Racing team principal Yves Matton. The Belgian wished Mikkelsen good luck with his move to Alzenau, before saying that Citroen "were chasing other priorities." Who could that be in reference to I wonder? The obvious and most logical answer is former Citroen man Sebastien Ogier. The multiple World Champion is having a stellar debut year with Malcolm Wilson's M-Sport division, powering his Ford Fiesta WRC into a 17 point championship lead with just three rallies left. But a bug-bear of the Frenchman's is M-Sport's lack of manufacturer support. Yes, Ford supply M-Sport with parts and technical support, but the blue oval is not fully backing M-Sport's push and with the team's ongoing success it appears unlikely that they will. When either Ogier, Tanak or Evans do well it is a Ford they are driving and a Ford that is being lauded in the public eye. This means great exposure is coming for free for those in Detroit, and as they say, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." If Ford don't swoop in fairly soon however they are in serious risk of losing the best rally driver in the world. Ogier is happy at M-Sport, but has made it clear he wants to be in a manufacturer backed team going forward. Citroen would appear the most logical option. Many believe that Hyundai were never really in the running, but Mikkelsen's semi-permanent move waters down any wild suggestions. Toyota are a promising and improving team, but is Tommi Makinen going to risk upsetting team leader Jari-Matti Latvala who is relishing his current working environment? You would think not. Ogier famously fell out with Citroen during his final year with the team in 2011, feeling the Versailles outfit were favouring illustrious team mate Sebastien Loeb. Ogier left for VW, and the rest is history. Could he go back to Paris? Absolutely. Many of the key members in the relationship breakdown six years ago have left, and crucially Ogier would unquestionably get whatever he desired. He has earned that right. Kris Meeke has perhaps struggled as team leader, so could flourish as a more than capable number two, with the improving and solid Craig Breen piloting a third C3. That sounds like championships to me, and Citroen will be keen to make this happen. The other big rumours are surrounding Ott Tanak and Elfyn Evans. Tanak has hit the form of his life this year for M-Sport, with a move to Toyota being murmured around the service park. Realistically, this is another that depends on M-Sport's ability to keep up with the manufacturer supported Hyundai Motorsport, Citroen Racing and Toyota Gazoo Racing. The Estonian driver looks serenely comfortable in a Fiesta, so would maybe be taking a risk to leave. Evans has also been linked with a drive behind the wheel of a Yaris, but he is expected to stay at M-Sport. It's all a little bit up in the air, but what we do know is Andreas Mikkelsen will be in a Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC for the rest of the 2017 season. This year is continuing to deliver and we haven't got any cars out there on the stages! |
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January 2018
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