This week is set to see the World Rally Championship (WRC) contest the second round of its 2021 season with the Arctic Rally Finland. It being drafted in to replace Rally Sweden which was forced to be cancelled.
Sebastien Ogier enters with the early lead in the Championship for Drivers and has a nine point advantage over teammate Elfyn Evans in second. Despite a late change of co-driver, Thierry Neuville enters the second rally of the season third in the championship. The Belgian is four points behind Evans and 13 behind Ogier. Ogier’s lead in the championship was helped by also winning the Power Stage during the season opening rally.
It means that the gaps in the Championship for Drivers is mirrored in the Championship for Co-Drivers. Julien Ingrassia leads Scott Martin with Martijn Wydaeghe completing the top three.
Toyota enter Arctic Rally Finland with a 22 point advantage over Hyundai with M-Sport Ford 20 points behind the Korean team, in the Championship for Manufacturers. Hyundai are looking to bounce back from a disappointing Monte Carlo Rally showing where their two best finishers, in third and fifth, were surrounded in the final classification by Toyotas.
Two particular drivers also looking to bounce back from a disappointing showing in the season opener are Hyundai’s Ott Tanak and M-Sport’s Teemu Suninen. Both having failed to finish in the season opener.
The Motorsport Critic 