Written by Katie Gregory, Edited by Vyas Ponnuri
For round 11 of the World Rally Championship, the series will head to South America for Rally Chile. This is the last gravel rally of the season and takes place in the port city of Concepción, taking our crews through the picturesque forests close to the Pacific Ocean.
This weekend’s contenders will comprise 306 competitive kilometres, split into sixteen special stages.
Based in the Biobío region, the route consists of loose gravel roads and fast-flowing stages, with some sectors combining the two. Road position will be extremely influential this weekend, as those who start first on the stage have traditionally had an advantage.
Rally Chile returned to the WRC calendar last year, four years after it joined in 2019. This year’s route is similar to 2023, but minor adjustments have been made to the timed tests in legs two and three. With the rally only run twice so far, the playing field is more even than ever.
The only anomaly here is our very own Ott Tänak, the only past winner here, having claimed victory in both 2019 and 2023.
With Tänak on an unlucky streak, this rally comes at the perfect time for the Hyundai driver, and he will certainly utilise his experience here. A change in fortunes and form would also help his late title bid, as he is still 34 points behind his teammate Thierry Neuville.
With his eyes ahead, our Championship leader Thierry Neuville won’t be too preoccupied with the chasing pack led by his teammate.
After all, Neuville has never been in a stronger position to win his first title, and a clean run this weekend is all he needs to get even closer to that glory. If Neuville remains focused on the task at hand, there is no reason that this won’t be the year of his maiden WRC title.
Hyundai’s lineup is strengthened and completed by Esapekka Lappi. After their 1-2-3 finish at the Acropolis Rally, they will be looking to increase their points total and further their lead in the Manufacturer’s championship.
On the other hand, Toyota will be looking to bounce back from a disappointing Rally Greece and reduce their deficit in the Manufacturer’s Championship.
Their World Champions Sébastien Ogier and Kalle Rovanperä have won three rallies each this campaign, showing remarkable form all the way. Toyota’s lineup also includes Elfyn Evans and Sami Pajari, the latter making his second Rally1 appearance.
Mārtinš Sesks will return to M-Sport Ford WRT’s lineup this weekend, accompanying Adrien Fourmaux and Grégoire Munster.
Without their ace, and with a point to prove, M-Sport will settle for nothing less than perfection at this event. After all, Ott Tanak won here with the British outfit, and his Ford was particularly strong around these roads.
After shakedown and a ceremonial start in Concepción on Thursday, the rally will begin on Friday with a loop of three stages to the south-east, which will be repeated following mid-day service. The rally then travels to the Biobío River in the South, overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
Saturday is the longest day, encompassing 139.2 competitive kilometres across another two loops of three stages, including sections not driven previously. Additionally, two stages will be driven twice without a mid-day service on Sunday.
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