Written by Katie Gregory, Edited by Vyas Ponnuri
As we reach the halfway point of the 2024 WRC season, the series heads to Poland for the first high-speed gravel rally of the year. The route will comprise 19 stages around Mikołajki, and the crews will cover 304 km over the rally weekend.
This event is not one to be missed, with it promising fast passes, quick changes, deep ruts, and a generous serving of jumps.
Although the soft and sandy surface may seem harmless, the unpredictable Polish weather could be a true deciding factor this weekend - as any rain would turn the terrain into a mudslide.
In order to cement their names in the history books of Rally Poland, the drivers must showcase immense precision alongwith the high speeds that the terrain demands. A mistake at any point in the weekend would be costly, and could give one of our contenders a weekend to forget.
Hyundai continue to top our Manufacturer’s Championship, and will hope to extend this lead this coming weekend. Their lineup puts them in pole position to do just that and consists of Thierry Neuville, Ott Tänak and Andreas Mikkelsen.
Neuville currently sits at the top of the Driver’s Championship with a comfortable 18-point lead, but knows all too well how quickly the gears can shift at this point of the season. His experience should come in handy, as the Belgian has already tasted victory here before — having won in 2017.
Still sitting second in the Driver’s Championship, Elfyn Evans will be looking to mount a challenge towards Neuville this weekend and close the gap. He will also have his manufacturers motivations in mind, as Hyundai seek a massive victory to threaten Toyota.
Sébastien Ogier is another past winner here, but has withdrawn from the rally following a road traffic incident with co-driver Vincent Landais. The series has confirmed the pair have no serious injuries, but are being kept in hospital for observation.
FIA stewards have granted permission for Kalle Rovanperä to join Toyota this weekend as a temporary replacement for Ogier. Competing in his first ever Rally Poland, Takamoto Katsuta will complete the Toyota lineup.
This weekend’s action will begin on Thursday evening with a super special stage in Mikołajki, totaling 2.5km. Friday will feature two loops of Stańczyki, Wieliczki and Olecko, before ending on another run Mikołajki - meaning the crews will cover 58km.
Saturday will showcase 124 km of competitive action across seven stages., while Sunday will see four stages, including the Power Stage.
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