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Browsing: WRC News
In a surprise move, Toyota has altered its driver line-up for upcoming World Rally Championship (WRC) events, with rising star Sami Pajari set to make his Rally1 debut in Finland instead of Latvia. The Finnish driver will pilot a fourth GR Yaris Rally1 at the Rally Finland event, allowing Toyota to field its strongest available line-up in Latvia.
Two-time WRC champion Kalle Rovanpera has made a surprise circuit racing debut, finishing an impressive fourth and fifth in a pair of Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux races at Zandvoort. Now, the 23-year-old Finnish driver is eyeing Le Mans and Nürburgring 24-hour races, as well as a potential test of Toyota’s WEC Hypercar, as he looks to expand his motorsport horizons beyond the WRC.
Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team is providing 22-year-old Finnish driver Sami Pajari the chance to make his WRC debut at Rally Latvia, as the team looks to support young talent in rallying’s top level. Pajari, the youngest ever Junior WRC champion, has impressed in the WRC2 category and now gets his shot at the Rally1 class in the GR YARIS.
In a stunning announcement, Toyota Gazoo Racing team principal Jari-Matti Latvala will put his leadership duties on hold to compete in the 2023 Rally Finland, marking his first-ever outing in a Rally1 machine. This one-off appearance will provide the Finnish rally legend an opportunity to experience the latest WRC cars in competition, a desire he has expressed for some time.
In a surprise move, Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT has announced that Finnish rally driver Teemu Suninen will join their team to drive the third Hyundai i20 N Rally1 car at the upcoming Rally Estonia and Rally Finland events. Suninen, accompanied by co-driver Mikko Markkula, will be part of Hyundai’s Driver Development Programme as they look to contribute to the car’s development alongside the Hyundai i20 N Rally2.
In a significant move, WRC2 world champion Emil Lindholm has announced his switch to Hyundai Motorsport, leaving Toksport WRT after their successful partnership. Lindholm and co-driver Reeta Hämäläinen have been recruited for the re-launched Hyundai Motorsport Driver Development Programme, marking a new chapter in their WRC journey.
In a move to elevate the World Rally Championship’s (WRC) television coverage, Italian helmet supplier Stilo has created a helmet camera system, similar to those used in Formula 1, to provide a raw driver’s-eye view of the action. This innovative technology aims to deliver an immersive experience for WRC fans worldwide.
Hyundai’s WRC title-leading crew of Thierry Neuville and Martijn Wydaeghe took on the notorious Nürburgring Nordschleife circuit, navigating the 73-turn track as if it were a WRC rally stage, driven by pacenotes. This unprecedented move offered a unique insight into the art of pacenote making and the preparation of a top-level WRC crew.
As the WRC and FIA strive to introduce more varied event formats, this weekend’s Sardinia rally will trial a new compact sprint format, marking a significant departure from the traditional four-day events. This innovative approach is part of the FIA’s vision for the future of rallying and could become an option for other organisers in the near future.