Preview: the WRC is back! Can anyone beat the young rally king Kalle Rovanpera?

Even though 2023 hasn’t even started yet, the motoring season is already in full swing! Right after the Dakar, in which the Czech teams did not disappoint with their performances, the famous Monte Carlo Rally will kick off the new edition of the World Rally Championship. Last year, the 22-year-old Finn Kalle Rovanperä was unbeatable and, thanks to his triumphs in six events, became the youngest WRC winner in its 50-year history. Will he convince all rally fans this year that his success last year was no mere fluke? Or will he be replaced on the throne by one of his success-hungry rivals?

Teams

A trio of factories – Hyundai, Ford and championship-winning Toyota – will once again take part in the WRC series this year. At least one of the first two events of the season will feature a total of 12 driver pairings, including champions Kalle Rovanpera and Jonne Halttunen.

Hyundai has had 2019 world champion Ott Tänak leave before the season. The South Korean team has found a replacement in Lappi, who after his commitment to Toyota will fight for the position of the best driver in the stable with seasoned greaser Thierry Neuville. The third car will be shared by Spaniard Dani Sordo and Irishman Craig Breen.

Ford’s biggest transfer bombshell ahead of the start of the season. The British stable acquired Tänak, who left Hyundai a year before his contract with the team expired. The Estonian is thus returning to the stable with which he started his WRC career.

His teammate will be Frenchman Pierre-Louis Loubet, who has been gifted a place in the factory team by Ford. As for private M-Sport, Ford has not abandoned its regular driver, 58-year-old Jourdan Serderidis. The now 58-year-old Greek has been given the opportunity to participate in four events this year.

Toyota hasn’t changed its driver line-up much. Reigning World Champion Rovanperä, Briton Elfyn Evans, WRC legend Sébastian Ogier and Japan’s Takamoto Katsura will continue to drive for the Japanese marque. The departure of Finland’s Esapekka Lappi to Hyundai means the promotion of Kacuta as driver of the third car, which he will alternate with Ogier. That will leave the fourth Toyota to Italian Lorenzo Bertelli, but only in races that Ogier will not enter.

Rovanpera’s title chances

Rovanperä certainly has all the cards up his sleeve. However, the necessary motivation will not be lacking, for example, in Neuville, who is still eluding the world championship title, or Tänak, who has a wealth of experience from direct championship battles.

However, the 22-year-old Finn cannot be expected to experience a sudden drop in form or pace. Moreover, the fact that there was no major change in the technical rules between last season and this one plays into his hands.

Not to be underestimated is stablemate Rovanpery Evans. However, here the Brit faces a huge problem. As Evans is the teammate of the reigning world champion, the Brit will be under a lot of pressure to give his best.

Abiteboul is the new boss of Hyundai

Former Caterham and Renault F1 stable boss Cyril Abiteboul is starting a new chapter in his WRC motorsport career. Hyundai has chosen the 45-year-old Frenchman to replace its former boss Julien Moncet. Abiteboul will be in charge of the entire WRC team along with the stable’s other racing programmes.

Abiteboul is aiming for the highest standards in his first season as Hyundai boss. “It will come as no surprise that we are aiming for both championships in the WRC. The team won five events last year and we aim to increase that number.”

He also commented to motorsport.com on his new position. “I can’t say how many events we will win this year because I am still new to the world of rallying. First I have to understand how things work in the team and then determine how I can contribute to the stable.”

Abiteboul left Renault two years ago during the overall structural transformation of the F1 team and the name change to the current Alpine. The Frenchman left his job to Marcin Budkowski, who was replaced by Otmar Szafnauer last year.

Rule changes and a big debut

Starting this season, the WRC has taken a very significant step towards increasing the sustainability of the series. Teams will see the number of testing days reduced from 28 to 21.

Alongside this, the championship has also decided on a restriction that conditions drivers in the most prestigious category, Rally1, to use a maximum of 28 sets of tyres per rally. On top of this, the 15-minute service before the start of each day will be a thing of the past.

“By removing the morning service on gravel events we can reduce the working day by up to three hours, which will benefit not only team members but also volunteers and marshals in the service parks,” explained FIA Director of Rally Andrew Wheatley.

For Czech motorsport fans, it must have been overwhelming to hear the news of the new 2023 season calendar As part of this event, the best rally drivers will visit Germany and Austria in addition to the Czech Republic. However, the Central European Rally will replace the traditional event in Catalonia, where the asphalt has been used since 1991.

You can see the full calendar for 2023 in the attached Twitter post below. At the same time, don’t forget to keep an eye on this weekend’s 91st Monte Carlo Rally, which will also feature Czech driver Erik Cais in a Skoda Fabia RS in the WRC2 category.

Source: Motorsport.com