Photo Credit: M-Sport Round 11 of the 2016 World Rally Championship sees the series head to the Costa Daurada, Spain for the only mixed surface event of the year. After three days on the gruelling tarmac roads of Corsica, the drivers face the first day of Rally Catalunya on gravel roads, before the cars are lowered and stiffened for the two days of tarmac that conclude the action.
The French encounter marked Ogier's first mathematical shot at the 2016 drivers title, but Spain the most realistic. If the French ace bags his third consecutive win and fifth of the season then he cannot be caught in the title race. It really is a question of if and not when Ogier will take his fourth consecutive title. But despite his return to form, he faces road sweeping duties this weekend for one day, so winning will be more of a challenge for Ogier. And Jari-Matti Latvala will hope to be the man to stop him. The Finn is without a win since Mexico in March, with five other drivers having won a round of the championship since he has. Latvala has never won in Spain, and confidence wise he really could do with it. Spain was the scene of Andreas Mikkelsen's maiden WRC win last year when Ogier sensationally crashed on the Power Stage whilst leading, handing the Norwegian the win. Mikkelsen's tarmac pace has dramatically improved this year, so he will definitely be in the mix for the win. His best mate Thierry Neuville will almost certainly be in the hunt too. The Belgian's form is reaching the impressive levels it did in 2013, and much like back then he has signed himself a new deal with Hyundai, ending that particular rumour mill. Thierry is one to watch as has finished on the podium the last two events. In Germany he was third, in Corsica he was second, could he go all the way in Spain? Another tipped to stop him is home hero Dani Sordo, whose seventh place finish on the Mediterranean island was not a reflection of his pace and performance. The Spaniard is a renowned tarmac expert of this crop of WRC stars, and has come mightily close to winning his home event before. Count him out at your peril. Hayden Paddon wasn't happy with his driving on the Corsican asphalt, but he will be relishing the prospect of a day on his much proffered gravel in Catalunya. If Hayden goes well on the gravel, he may well have increased confidence to keep hold of a potentially good position on the tarmac. Over at M-Sport, things are looking rather uncertain. Eric Camilli has a 2017 contract in his back pocket, and will be looking for another clean run like Corsica, but potentially a little more pace in Spain. However, the supposed team leader Mads Ostberg is in a big spot of bother. He hasn't finished in the top 5 since round 4 in Argentina, and has no deal as of yet for 2017. If I were Mads I would be very worried, and if I were Malcolm Wilson I would not be giving him a drive if he has another lacklustre rally in Spain. In the DMACK corner, Ott Tanak will be another who will be grateful to feel the loose beneath the tyres of his World Rally Car. After the searing speed of Poland and Finland, Tanak and his DMACK tyres have struggled a little on the tar, but we could see a return to form on the gravel roads before hopefully seeing some improvement on the asphalt. The Abu Dhabi Total World Rally Team are back again for what looks to be their penultimate outing of 2016. Kris Meeke and Craig Breen both return, with the former looking for a solid result to build experience and further strike fear into his rivals with his blistering speed, while the latter can relax a little having netted a drive in the new C3 WRC next season. So prediction time. Ogier to seal the drivers title in style with a win, but pushed all the way by Meeke and Neuville among others. What do you think? Be sure to let me know.
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January 2018
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