The World Rally Championship is set for a return to asphalt stages at the Croatia Rally after a gruelling weekend on gravel in Kenya last time out.
Kalle Rovanpera delivered a dominant drive in East Africa to claim victory by 1m37.8s at the Safari Rally, which is known to be the toughest event on WRC’s calendar.
The reigning, two-time world champion will not be present in Croatia though as he is only competing part-time in 2024.
And as he has competed in only two of this season’s three rounds so far, it is two other drivers who are neck and neck at the top of the championship.
Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville leads Elfyn Evans by six points with the Toyota driver then 15 ahead of third-placed M-Sport-Ford pilot Adrien Fourmaux, who has scored back-to-back podiums.
The two title protagonists finished off the podium in Kenya though, so will be keen to bounce back in Croatia which is an event Evans won last year.
Sebastien Ogier is another previous winner of the Croatia Rally and this weekend he will be back in the WRC service park for the first time since the Monaco season-opener.
The eight-time world champion is sharing Toyota’s third entry with Rovanpera, as Ogier is also competing part-time in 2024. Despite that, Ogier could still be a big threat in Croatia as he finished second at the Monte Carlo Rally.
Source: Autosport