Estonia WRC: Tanak leads home event after shakedown
Rally Estonia, the fourth round of this year’s FIA World Rally Championship, has got underway following the Covid hiatus with a 6.23 km pre-event shakedown stage at Abissaare.
Reigning world champion Ott Tanak got off to a flying start to the event as the fastest man through the stage, stopping the clocks late in the session with a time of 2m56.8s in his Hyundai i20 WRC.
The home-grown hero for this weekend’s action, at an event put together in just two months as part of the much-altered WRC calendar for this year, made only three of a maximum five passes through the stage.
Clearly the work that was being done by his team in the interim had the car dialled in nicely for the rally proper, which opens with a ceremonial start at 18:00 this evening, and the opening stage an hour later.
In Tanak’s wake came the rest of the WRC field headed by the M-Sport Ford Fiesta WRC of Finland’s Esapekka Lappi, who clocked a 2.58.3 on his fifth and final run.
Just 0.1 seconds behind the Finn came Toyota’s teenage sensation Kalle Rovanpera, who is keen to pick up his debut season with the same pace and confidence that he showed when the season paused almost six months ago.
Rovanpera was just 0.1s in front of seven-time world champion Sebastien Ogier in the sister Toyota with Thierry Neuville fifth, another 0.1s behind for Hyundai.
Britain’s Elfyn Evans, who led the championship prior to the previous round in Mexico, set the sixth fastest time in his Toyota Yaris, just 0.2s faster than Irishman Craig Breen, who is at the wheel of the third works Hyundai this weekend.
In the WRC2 class, Norwegian veteran Mads Ostberg set the pace, clocking the 12th-fastest time at the wheel of his Citroen C3, almost a second clear of the Hyundai pedalled by Ole Christian Veiby.
WRC cancels Rally Germany, moves Italy date to avoid F1 clash
Estonia WRC: M-Sport’s Esapekka Lappi takes early lead
The former WRC star playing the unsung hero role for Rovanpera
Kalle Rovanpera’s 2022 World Rally Championship displays have been spectacular, with the Toyota driver benefitting from a secret weapon in his crew to win two of the opening three rallies. But while the former challenger to Sebastien Loeb won’t take credit for his fellow Finn's performances, a key bond has been formed which could prove key to Rovanpera’s title charge
How Rovanpera's Croatia turnaround sent a message to his WRC rivals
After a dominating Rally Croatia, a wrong tyre choice on the final day looked to have undone all Kalle Rovanpera's hard work and left him with a mountain to climb heading into the power stage. That he emerged the winner all the same has surely quelled any lingering doubts that the Finn is the man to beat in the 2022 WRC
How M-Sport's faith in Loubet led to a WRC reprieve after a dismal 2021
It's fair to say 2021 was a year to forget for Pierre-Louis Loubet. A maiden full World Rally Championship season offered hope but soon turned into a nightmare that ended in hospital, after being hit by a car in a road traffic accident. Now handed a lifeline by M-Sport, the Frenchman is desperate to rebuild his career
Why WRC mechanics deserve more respect
The drivers get the glare of attention, but it’s the mechanics who are key to the operation of any World Rally Championship car. Motorsport.com donned a set of overalls and joined M-Sport on a Belgian national rally event to get an inside look into the life of a rally mechanic.
The African McRae aiming to become a WRC pioneer
Taking his first step into the Junior World Rally Championship category, McRae Kimathi - named after 1995 world champion Colin - found himself in the unfamiliar climes of Sweden's snow and ice. Having impressed, Kimathi hopes to blaze a trail to the top level of WRC and help other African drivers to step onto the ladder
How Rovanpera grabbed the Rally Sweden spotlight
After a blockbuster opening act to the new era of the World Rally Championship with the battle of the Sebastiens at Monte Carlo, Rally Sweden would be the first chance to assess the next superstar of rallying. While teething issues with the new hybrid power thwarted some of the cast, Kalle Rovanpera’s display gave him headline billing
The "painful" journey behind the WRC's generational tech innovation
As the company selected to provide the hybrid kits for the 2022 World Rally Championship, the pressure was on Compact Dynamics at the Monte Carlo season opener. Needing to treat all three manufacturers equally, it wasn't a straightforward process, but its first big test was a resounding success that bodes well for the future.
The mentality shift key to Lappi’s shot at WRC redemption
He appeared poised to become the World Rally Championship’s new bright young star five years ago, but Esapekka Lappi's fortunes since his 2017 breakthrough win offer a cautionary tale of how the tables can turn. Now having rebuilt his career, the Finn is determined to make the most of his second shot at the big time with Toyota.