Photo Credit: Hyundai Motorsport The 2017 FIA World Rally Championship crosses its half way point this weekend as the series heads to the Italian island of Sardinia for Rally d'Italia Sardegna.
After six rallies on tarmac, snow and gravel we have seen four different winners in four different cars, with that number almost rising to five, with the championship looking to be the closest it has been in six years. A man involved on the periphery of that fight in 2011 with Sebastien Loeb and Mikko Hirvonen was Sebastien Ogier, and somewhat predictably he is at the centre of the 2017 title fight. Switching from the departed Volkswagen, Ogier has taken two wins for Malcolm Wilson's M-Sport team, including the last round in Portugal. A podium will be the minimum target, but ultimately Ogier's primary aim will be to get the better of Thierry Neuville. But that will be easier said than done. After a fourth consecutive podium finish in Portugal, the Belgian leap-frogged Jari-Matti Latvala into second place in the championship and is looking like a tasty bet for a first World Rally Championship title. The Hyundai driver has had the pace to win at least 66% of the rallies this season, and won Sardinia last year in the old specification of World Rally Car. Would you bet against a second consecutive win? I don't think I would, but Neuville along with Ogier is, for me, one of six potential winners on round seven. Let's start in the Ford corner. Ott Tanak has constantly been touted as a future WRC winner, and has had a very strong start to 2017 as team mate to a quadruple World Champion, while DMACK runner Elfyn Evans came within 0.7 seconds of that elusive first win in Argentina. Both could and probably will do well in Sardinia but it's privateer Mads Ostberg who enters the ring along with Ogier in a Fiesta RS WRC as a potential winner. The Norwegian has been rejuvenated since leaving the factory M-Sport team and joining the Jipocar One Bet World Rally Team, and is looking far more relaxed and competitive behind the wheel. Sardinia is a rally that suits Mads and he went well last year before a small misjudgment curtailed his rally, but he will be aided by a low start position and is ready for a fight. Hyundai's Hayden Paddon is another the competition need to be wary of. Sebastian Marshall joined the Kiwi in the car in Portugal due to an aggravated hip injury for John Kennard, with that move now becoming permanent after Kennard and Paddon decided with the ongoing injury it would be better for Hayden's long standing co-driver to step back. This is a sad day for Kennard and the WRC, but could actually be a good thing for Paddon, as it marks a fresh start and that's exactly what he needs right now. Sardinia is the scene of his maiden podium, and he is arguably the hungriest driver to get back on the top step of the podium. However it is Citroen Racing that for me hold the strongest hands in the fight for victory in Italy. Kris Meeke and Paul Nagle are in desperate need of a strong result after a lacklustre start to life in a C3 WRC. Sardinia hasn't always been the best stomping ground for the Brit, but nor was Mexico and Meeke was dominant over there. If he keeps it clean Meeke will be a strong shout. But the one they are all talking about is Andreas Mikkelsen. We are finally going to see the Norwegian in a 2017 World Rally Car , with Citroen handing Mikkelsen the keys to Stephane Lefebvre's C3 WRC for at the time being, one event only. And there's nothing stopping Andreas fighting at the front in this, his first rally since Australia last year. The Norwegian will get plenty of seat time before the event and will benefit from a lower start position, and will undoubtedly be ultra determined to prove his worth to Citroen and the rest of the WRC. This is his chance to shine. And that's why I think he will win. There's a good chance I'll be wrong of course. It would be too comical if either Latvala, Hanninen, Lappi or Sordo who haven't got a mention in this piece take the spoils, but either way this unpredictable and exciting season in the World Rally Championship promises to continue.
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January 2018
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