Esapekka Lappi will continue with the team  in a part-time capacity for the 2024 FIA World Rally Championship season as it seeks to secure its third FIA WRC manufacturers’ crown.
 
In just a short time with the team, Lappi has impressed with his ability to get up to speed quickly and challenge for podium places in the Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid. The Finn was on the pace from the very first kilometre of Rally México, announcing himself as a genuine victory contender. Lappi and Ferm finished runners-up at Rally Italia Sardegna as part of a fantastic 1-2 finish for Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team, and claimed a further hat-trick of third-place finishes in Croatia, Portugal and Estonia. The Finn has also been crucial in the development of the Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid throughout 2023, which will continue to be a key element of his role within the team next season.
 
The team is continuing its discussions with its current WRC and WRC2 drivers and is yet to make a final decision on its full 2024 line-up. Dani Sordo is likely to stay while talks about a fourth car for a development team are still to be confirmed.
 
Hyundai Motorsport President Sean Kim said: “When we first signed Esapekka for the 2023 season, our target was to have a strong and experienced combination of drivers to help us achieve our goals. He has demonstrated strong potential this season but there is definitely unfinished business, so we are delighted he will remain with us with the inner drive to put that right. All three of our confirmed crews are incredibly talented and know what it takes to win in WRC, underscoring the strength of our intentions.”
 
Hyundai Motorsport Team Principal Cyril Abiteboul said: “We are pleased to announce the next piece of the 2024 puzzle with Esapekka and Janne remaining with our team for the season ahead. Their role will be to support Thierry and Ott in the championship, as well as to focus on developing the car – something Esapekka has demonstrated he is particularly good at this year. We believe this is a formidable force that can help us achieve our goals and bring home more wins. We are still finalising the full picture for the season ahead, and will announce our plans in due course, but for now we are delighted to have such a strong line-up at the helm of our WRC challengers.”

 
Esapekka Lappi said: “I am very happy and grateful to continue my partnership with Hyundai Motorsport into the 2024 WRC season. I feel very comfortable in the team; we have built a fantastic connection over this past year and we have demonstrated we have the package to be successful. I still have the will to develop and succeed in rallying moving forward, and I would like to win with this team. Next year will certainly be different and interesting in many ways, which will motivate me to be a team player, as well as seek personal success, in a bid for a stronger season in 2024.”

This hasn’t been the year Pierre-Louis Loubet was looking for. It’s been a disaster, frankly, with just two sixth place finishes, in Sweden and Estonia, as his best results and finishing outside the top ten in the final championship standings.

The 26-year-old Frenchman’s season ended a rally short, giving up his seat in the Ford Puma Rally1 to fellow Frenchman Adrien Fourmaux in the season-ending Japanese event.

It’s fair to say it wasn’t all down to Loubet – when he was on song, M-Sport’s reliability woes hit him hardest…when the car was making contented whirring noises, it landed in the scenery.

With an earlier than planned holiday, Loubet needs to make the most of his time off and complete a 2023 Ctrl+Alt+Del, and reboot his hard drive for the year ahead. Last year he set three fastest times and led rallies for two stages. This year it’s one and one.

Rally Central Europe encapsulated Pierre-Louis’ season. 10th place and finishing 12 minutes off the lead after a whole bunch of issues, including a penalty for not having his helmet done up correctly (self-inflicted), stopping to change a wheel, some issues (not his fault) and a couple of excursions (self-inflicted again).

“It was a difficult rally,” he said. “And it’s been a difficult season. Even on Sunday morning there was some transmission, some clutch issues which caused something with the car and that made me make a small mistake.

“Next year I hope we can have some more luck, but, for now, I will go away and do a reset for the mind. This [year] has been tough, but I really want to do it again – I don’t think we have shown our full potential yet. I just need everything to go my way for that to happen.”

Pierre-Louis Loubet’s 2023 World Rally Championship was a disappointment in form after his impressive return the year before – but he knows he’s better than that.

As for handing his car over to a potential rival for his seat next year, that was a decision Loubet revealed was agreed two months ago at Acropolis Rally Greece, when he retired on the road section to Friday’s first stage.

“We decided with the team that it was better to stop at this point,” Loubet told DirtFish.

The 26-year-old has made his share of driver errors, most notably in Finland where he ran wide and struck a tree but also in Portugal where a small mistake lost him his rear wheel.

But he has borne the brunt of a lot of unfortunate circumstances such as mechanical misfortune and a change in co-driver with Benjamin Veillas replacing Nicolas Gilsoul for Central European Rally.

If M-Sport can get on top of the Puma’s mechanical issues and they’re generally minor irksome things like fuel pump failure, Loubet is sure he can perform much better in the future.

“Yeah, yeah very difficult [season],” Loubet admitted.

“I hope next year I will have a little bit more luck, that everything will go a bit more on my way.

“[The plan now is to] have a bit of rest, to try to do a reset on the mind-set because it’s been very tough and we will see.

“But I really want to do it again because I think we didn’t show enough in terms of result about our potential, and I’m sure if I have everything in my head and everything around me to do, I can do it.

“I know [I can do it], I just need to have everything on my way.”

With M-Sport losing their star driver, who would bet against a Fourmaux/Loubet partnership next season?

Cyril Abiteboul, Team Principal of Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team is hoping that Ott Tänak can bring some Max Verstappen-style dominance to Hyundai Motorsport when he re-joins the FIA WRC team in 2024.

Not unexpectedly after a season that failed to meet his expectations, thirty-six-year-old Tänak announced his departure from M-Sport Ford at the end of next weekend’s Japanese Rally and has agreed a deal to return to the Korean brand next season having previously departed the team at the end of 2022 to drive an M-Sport Ford Puma Rally1 in this year’s championship.

Abiteboul, who was appointed as Hyundai Motorsport’s team principal in January, has not yet worked directly with Tänak – but the ex-Renault Formula 1 team boss has high hopes for his Estonian signing.

“In my own history in motorsport,” Abiteboul said, “I’ve always been inspired by the organisations that are all about a winning strategy, and everything is driven by the results. I’m thinking about Red Bull and, frankly, if Ott was in Formula 1, I am pretty sure that he would be driving for Red Bull Racing.

“That’s the inspiration that I want to carry for Hyundai – I would like that we can be the Red Bull Racing of the WRC, and Ott could be our Max [Verstappen].”

Tänak achieved nine victories whilst employed by the Korean marque between 2020 and 2022. In 2019 he claimed his sole WRC title so far with rival team Toyota.

Kalle Rovanperä has become a two-time WRC champion, clinching the title on Sunday after finishing second overall at Central European Rally*.

By finishing runner-up to Thierry Neuville at this penultimate round, the 23-year-old ensured he can no longer be caught in the 2023 season.

Just one year ago, Rovanperä made history when he became the youngest WRC champion ever. Today he stands alongside legendary names like Carlos Sainz, Walter Röhrl and Miki Biasion as a double winner.

Entering Central European Rally with a 31-point lead over Toyota Gazoo Racing team-mate Elfyn Evans, Rovanperä simply needed to maintain his advantage to claim the crown. When Evans suffered a dramatic crash on Saturday morning, the path to victory was all but assured.

Following a steady start to the season, Rovanperä and co-driver Jonne Halttunen hit their straps in May by winning Vodafone Rally de Portugal. Since that moment, the pair have only been off the podium twice.

“I am feeling really good,” Rovanperä beamed. “I think this year was, for me personally, more important than last year. The competition was tighter, and we did a really good job. The biggest thank you of course goes to Jonne – he is also the world’s best co-driver. I am going to enjoy this one more than the first one.”

Neuville’s capture of the outright rally victory may have been overshadowed by the champions’ celebrations, but the Belgian’s drive was worthy of high praise.

Driving a Hyundai i20 N, Neuville took control on Saturday morning and headed Rovanperä by 57.6sec to claim his 19th career victory on the slippery asphalt roads across Germany, Austria and Czech Republic.

“Overall, we did a good job,” Neuville said. “We had good consistency which ultimately paid off. It was a team effort this weekend and we did it, so we can be proud of that.”

Ott Tänak overcame a hydraulic failure on the penultimate day to finish third, almost two minutes back from the frontrunning pace in an M-Sport Ford Puma.

Sébastien Ogier fought back from wheel damage on Friday to claim fourth ahead of his Toyota-driving colleague Takamoto Katsuta. Teemu Suninen, Grégoire Munster and Adrien Fourmaux completed the top 8 ahead of Nicolas Ciamin and Pierre-Louis Loubet,

There were also celebrations for Andreas Mikkelsen, who did just enough to secure the WRC2 title* despite going off the road on Friday.

The championship comes to a close in Asia next month at FORUM8 Rally Japan. The asphalt event is based in Aichi and takes place from 16 – 19 November.

*Subject to confirmation of results by the FIA

Overall classification:
1. T Neuville / M Wydaeghe BEL Hyundai i20 N 2h 52m 39.9s
2. K Rovanperä / J Halttunen FIN Toyota GR Yaris +57.5s
3. O Tänak / M Järveoja EST Ford Puma +1m 52.8s
4. S Ogier / V Landais FRA Toyota GR Yaris +2m 8.6s
5. T Katsuta / A Johnston JPN Toyota GR Yaris +2m 48.3s
6. T Suninen / M Markkula FIN Hyundai i20 N +3m 6.3s

Drivers’ championship standings (after round 12 of 13)
1. K Rovanperä 235pts
2. E Evans 191pts
3. T Neuville 184pts

Unconfirmed at the time of publication, Andreas Mikkelsen/Torstein Eriksen have clinched the WRC2 Championship after winning the Power stage where Gus Greensmith spun, earning no points.

The full warp of Central Rally Europe will be in Motorsport Monday tomorrow morning

Just four stages stand between Kalle Rovanperä and back-to-back FIA World Rally Championship titles after his only title rival Elfyn Evans crashed out of Central European Rally on Saturday.

Having dominated Thursday’s treacherous tests in the Czech Republic to build a commanding rally lead, 23-year-old Rovanperä was already doing more than enough to successfully defend his 2022 WRC drivers’ crown.

A spin on Saturday’s second stage allowed Thierry Neuville to slash the Finn’s advantage by more than half, but the dynamic changed later in the morning when Rovanperä’s Toyota GR Yaris team-mate Evans, who had been sitting third overall, crashed out the rally.

Evans needed to outscore his colleague by at least one point at this penultimate round to keep the fight going, but he came unstuck on a slippery right-hand bend and slid into a barn. The Welshman will restart on Sunday in a desperate bid to salvage bonus points from the Wolf Power Stage.

Sacrificing his chances of the outright rally win to focus on his championship prospects, Rovanperä dialled back his speed. Neuville was left to build a 26.2-second overnight lead in his Hyundai i20 N.

“It’s good to be at the finish of the day,” said Rovanperä, who simply needs a drama-free run through the closing stages to clinch the title. “It’s tough out there. I think these are the most tough Tarmac rally conditions I have ever seen.”

Neuville added: “All afternoon we tried to manage the gap and I am happy to finish the day in the lead of the rally. We are following our target.”

Ott Tänak ensured that all three top-line manufacturers ended the day on the podium, bringing his Ford Puma to the end in a lonely third overall. A non-functioning handbrake caused the M-Sport man some frustrations in SS14, and he trailed Rovanperä by over one minute with Sébastien Ogier 31.1sec behind.

The battle for fifth place was raging between Toyota’s Takamoto Katsuta and Hyundai’s Teemu Suninen. Katsuta struggled to feel confident on the greasy asphalt roads in the morning but upped his pace in the afternoon to claim the position by 10.9sec.

Puma hotshot Grégoire Munster was seventh overall ahead of Pierre-Louis Loubet. Adrien Fourmaux and Emil Lindholm, leader of the WRC2 category in a Hyundai i20 N Rally2, completed the leaderboard.

Sunday’s finale boasts two stages, each run twice, across two countries. Böhmerwald in Austria is first up before Passauer Land in Germany, the second pass of which forms the bonus points-paying Wolf Power Stage.

Leading positions after Saturday:
1. T Neuville / M Wydaeghe                        Hyundai i20 N                    2h 18m 34.5s
2. K Rovanperä / J Halttunen                       Toyota GR Yaris                 +26.2s
3. O Tänak / M Järveoja                                                 Ford Puma                          +1m 49.1s
4. S Ogier / V Landais                                      Toyota GR Yaris                 +2m 20.2s
5. T Katsuta / A Johnston                              Toyota GR Yaris                 +2m 47.9s
6. T Suninen / M Markkula                           Hyundai i20 N                    +2m 58.8s

Elfyn Evans’ challenge for the WRC Championship all but evaporated this morning after crashing into a barn door in stage 11.

Rovanpera spun in stage 10 and lost half his lead to third placed Thierry Neuville which became second after Evans’ exit. In the final stage before the mid-day service, Rovanpera eased up on his relentless pace, which allowed the Belgian crew into the lead with an 11.1 second lead.

Ott Tanak is in a lonely third, followed by Sebastian Ogier

Kalle Rovanperä brushed aside Friday’s punishing conditions at Central European Rally as he stormed – literally and figuratively –  to a commanding 36.4-second lead over Thierry Neuville.

Heavy rain and perilous mud greeted the FIA World Rally Championship crews as they tackled the rally’s first full day, which featured six asphalt stages in the Czech Republic.

Opening the road, points leader Rovanperä took full advantage of the less muddied road and reached the mid-day tyre fitting zone 29.2sec clear of the chasing pack after winning all three of the morning’s super-stages.

The Toyota GR Yaris champion-elect demonstrated it was no fluke, dominating the afternoon loop of repeated stages widening his gap yet further.

As it stands, Rovanperä is in the pound seats to claim his second-consecutive WRC title unless team-mate Elfyn Evans – who languishes 47.2sec behind him in third overall – can stage a spectacular comeback.

“It has been super tricky today,” Rovanperä said. “Luckily, the weather was on our side for once with the starting position – it was good to be the first car on the road. We can be happy with our day.”

Neuville initially led after Thursday’s opening pair of super special stages but fell to third on Friday morning in stage four after struggling with his car’s set-up and a misted-up windscreen. The Belgian felt his i20 N Rally1 would have benefitted from softer suspension springs but, with no service halt between loops, changes were not possible.

Nevertheless, he maintained the pressure on Evans and, after overtaking the Welshman to claim the runner-up spot in the final stage, ended 10.8sec in front.

Also feeling at odds with his car’s handling was M-Sport Ford Puma man Ott Tänak who ended a lonely fourth overall – 43.2sec adrift of Evans, describing his Puma as undriveable, but with 56.4sec in hand over fifth-placed Toyota driver Takamoto Katsuta.

Sébastien Ogier’s hopes of winning his ‘home’ rally disintegrated early in the day when the Frenchman limped through the opening stage with tyre damage caused by a broken wheel. He fought back to claim sixth, just 3.2sec ahead of Teemu Suninen.

Aside from Neuville, Suninen was the only other Hyundai driver remaining after his compatriot Esapekka Lappi crashed heavily from third overall on SS5. The Finn, starting his first asphalt rally in the i20, placed seventh overall ahead of Puma youngster Grégoire Munster.

Also having his patience tested was Pierre-Louis Loubet, who dropped more than five minutes on SS8 when he went off the road and picked up wheel damage.

Saturday begins with two stages in Austria before a quick hop across the border to the Knaus Tabbert Bayerischer Wald blast in Germany. After service in Passau, the loop is repeated once more.

In WRC2, Yohan Rossel, one of three title contenders, crashed out in Friday morning’s first stage, while points leader Andreas Mikkelsen lost ten minutes after going off the road in stage four

Leading positions after Friday:

1. K Rovanperä / J Halttunen FIN Toyota GR Yaris 1h 13m 5.1s

2. T Neuville / M Wydaeghe BEL Hyundai i20 N +36.4s

3. E Evans / S Martin GBR Toyota GR Yaris +47.2s

4. O Tänak / M Järveoja EST Ford Puma +1m 30.4s

5. T Katsuta / A Johnston JPN Toyota GR Yaris +2m 26.8s

6. S Ogier / V Landais FRA Toyota GR Yaris +2m 35.9s

Thierry Neuville grabbed a slender overnight lead as the first-ever Central European Rally got under way on Thursday.

Thousands of spectators descended on Czech capital Prague earlier today to witness the FIA World Rally Championship’s cars and stars flagged away by Czech President Petr Pavel. Two quickfire super special tests followed as the rally journeyed back into south-eastern Germany where the Passau service park is located.

Neuville, driving a Hyundai i20 N, was third-fastest through the opening stage at Cluchle’s horseracing arena but a benchmark time for Circuit of Klatovy saw the Belgian leapfrog M-Sport Ford Puma driver Ott Tänak to lead by 1.2sec overnight.

“It was not the greatest stage,” Neuville said of his run over the damp roads of SS2. “I think it was in between the wet and the soft [tyres], and I decided to go to the soft at the very last moment. The anti-cut [devices] were reflecting from the light so we couldn’t see very well, but we had a clean run through.”

Eight-time world champion Sébastien Ogier reported that he “did not have a good feeling” aboard his Toyota GR Yaris but did enough to secure the final podium spot. He trailed Tänak by 4.6sec with team-mate Kalle Rovanperä, the championship leader, a single tenth behind.

Rovanperä could clinch his second consecutive WRC title this week, depending on how he fares against colleague Elfyn Evans. An overshoot for Evans left the Welshman 4.8sec behind the Finn in eighth overall.

Teemu Suninen, Takamoto Katsuta and Pierre-Louis Loubet were blanketed by 2.1sec in fifth, sixth and seventh overall, with Esapekka Lappi and Grégoire Munster completing the top 10.

This week’s edition begins with Formula 1 heading back Stateside. The Austin event was mixed up by the addition of the Sprint, but Max Verstappen ensured one constant remained at the Circuit of the Americas as he claimed another victory. Taylor Powling, Graham Harris and Phillip Horton report while James Moy snapped the images.

Next up, MotoGP went Down Under to Phillip Island for the Australian Grand Prix, where a Sunday forecast of extreme weather conditions brought the grand prix forward to Saturday at the expense of the Sprint. Kyle Francis reviews the four-wheeled action.

Elsewhere, the DTM campaign concluded at the Hockenheimring on Sunday as a new champion was crowned. Phil Oakley and Mo Rehman document the season finale.

On the feature side of things, this week’s Start Your Engines post sees Dan Lawrence look at why F1’s Sprint format failed to make the anticipated buzz on American soil.

Meanwhile, Taylor Powling looks back at Charles Leclerc’s most memorable moments in red as the Monegasque driver hit the century mark for F1 starts with Ferrari.

Finally, Nick Golding looks ahead to the upcoming Formula E season and the driver line-ups selected by the teams for 2023-24.

You can read our magazine below, or for a better reading experience, click here for a full screen version.

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The 2024 WRC calendar will take in 13 countries across four continents with the traditional Monte Carlo opener getting the season underway on 25 – 28 January.

Staying in the cold climes, Rally Sweden follows three weeks later followed by a climate swing by heading to the heat and dust of Africa for Rally Kenya from 28 – 31 March. It’s off to the tarmac of Croatia on 18 – 21 April before turning to gravel for Vodafone Rally Portugal from 9 – 12 May.

Rally Sardegna follows before the welcome return of ORLEN 80^th Rally Poland, which features furiously fast gravel roads.

Having been a successful round of the FIA European Rally Championship, Tet Rally Latvia joins the calendar as a full-blown WRC event in mid-July followed by the Grand Prix of Rallying, Secto Rally Finland at the beginning of August. From smooth fast gravel roads to rough and rocky EKO Acropolis Rally Greece stages at the beginning of September.

The long-haul Rally Chile Bio Bió rounds out September with the second running of the Central European Rally at the end of October the penultimate round before heading to Japan for the FORUM8 Rally Japan in the third week of November.