WRC – 2021 Rally de España – Event preview

For ten seasons between 2010 and 2019, the match based fully mostly in Salou, south of Barcelona, used to be the WRC’s most fantastic mixed-ground round. Now, as the rally returns to the calendar after 300 and sixty five days out as a consequence of the COVID pandemic, the level of curiosity switches to the quick asphalt levels in the hills above the Costa Daurada, which the match is simplest identified for.

Spain presents Toyota with a first probability to clinch this year’s manufacturers’ championship, with Hyundai needing to lop into its rival’s 61-level advantage to get of enterprise to settle the fight down to the wire. The drivers’ title might maybe well maybe be settled early, but most fantastic if Sébastien Ogier can add to the lead of 24 functions he has over Elfyn Evans after his crew-mate’s victory in Finland. Toyota can even depend upon Kalle Rovanperä to push for producer functions, whereas Takamoto Katsuta as soon as extra drives a fourth Yaris WRC.

Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville can now no longer derive the drivers’ title after his retirement in Finland, but the Belgian, who received in Spain in 2019, heads a terminate fight for locations on the championship podium, with honest one level in hand over Rovanperä and two over his crew-mate Ott Tänak.

Dwelling hero Dani Sordo returns to Hyundai’s third vehicle, whereas Oliver Solberg, who will section that entry with the Spaniard in 2022, will develop a third initiate of the year in a 2C Compétition-entered i20 Coupé in Catalunya. One other local wide name, Nils Solans, navigated by Marc Marti, joins the 2C squad in the second Hyundai WRC as as a final-minute change of Pierre-Louis Loubet.

Lining up for M-Sport in its pair of Ford Fiesta WRCs are Gus Greensmith and Adrien Fourmaux.

In FIA WRC2, TRT WRT driver Mads Østberg in his Citroën C3 has an additional probability to terminate on the championship chief Andreas Mikkelsen as the Norwegian is never any longer going to be competing in Spain, whereas third-placed Marco Bulacia is entered for Catalunya in a Toksport Škoda Fabia Evo but no longer registered to rating championship functions. Jari Huttunen is joined in the Hyundai Motorsport N line-up by Finland class winner Teemu Suninen. Movisport’s Nikolay Gryazin and ALM Motorsport’s Georg Linnamäe as soon as extra compete in Volkswagen Polo GTI automobiles – the former without scoring functions as he already had his seven counting occasions – with Sean Johnston (Saintéloc Junior Team) and Eric Camilli (Sports & You) driving Citroën C3s. There’s also a WRC debut for young Czech driver Erik Cais – one in every of the shiny stars of the FIA European Rally Championship this season – in a Movisport-entered Ford Fiesta Rally2.

Kajetan Kajetanowicz heads an FIA WRC3 entry of 14 automobiles with the aim of closing the 15-level gap to chief Yohan Rossel, who received’t be in Spain. Spaniards Pepe López and Jan Solans will be among the many favourites on local roads. Finland winner Emil Lindholm will be level to but no longer eligible so that you just can add to his have functions tally, whereas Mikko Heikkilä will assemble a first asphalt day out.

Spain will be the fifth and decisive match in the FIA Junior WRC season. Finland’s Sami Pajari leads the manner by honest three functions over Sizable Britain’s Jon Armstrong, with third-placed Mārtiņš Sesks from Latvia an additional 11 functions abet.

Alpine trio Emmanuel Guigou, Pierre Ragues and Philippe Baffoun will also fight it out in the fifth and final round of the FIA R-GT Cup.

THE 2021 ROUTE

Seventeen levels and a total of 280.46 aggressive kilometres develop up this year’s RallyRACC Catalunya Rally de España. The exchange from gravel to asphalt for the opening day brings a varied survey to Friday, including one recent stage: La Granadella. Vilaplana used to be final ragged in this route in 2014 as La Mussara (which used to be reversed for the 2019 Energy Stage), whereas Riba-roja returns for the first time since 2012 – having featured in a mixed-ground stage over most standard years. All three levels will be repeated after mid-day carrier in Salou. Saturday is same to old editions, with a trio of levels to the north-east, all bustle twice before a avenue stage in Salou will round out the day. Santa Marina returns to begin Sunday’s action before crack of dawn, paired with the Riudecanyes stage and its in fashion roundabouts. Each are bustle twice, with the second stagger of Riudecanyes as the rally-ending Wolf Energy Stage.

RALLY DATA

Total distance: 1’129.83 km
Stage distance: 280.46 km (19.89%)
Option of levels: 17

MEDIA ACCREDITATION

Media accreditation and attendance is exactly managed with modified phrases below COVID-19 guidelines. All attendees are required to conform with the COVID protocol as defined by the match organisers (please refer in converse to the COVID page on the match websites.

Media accreditation might maybe well maybe get to be aloof personally by accredited Drag Holders at the Media Accreditation Desk, positioned at PortAventura World – Convention Centre, Av. Alcalde Pere Molas Km. 2, 43480 Vila-seca – Salou.

Opening hours:
Tuesday, 12 October: 14: 00 – 20: 00h
Wednesday, 13 October: 08: 00 – 20: 00h
Thursday, 14 October: 08: 00 – 20: 00h
Friday, 15 October: 08: 00 – 14: 00h

2021 RALLYRACC CATALUNYA TIMETABLE & MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES
 

FIA PRESS CONFERENCE ATTENDANCE 

2021 RALLYRACC CATALUNYA MANUFACTURER ENTRIES