An FIA World Rally Championship occasion that broke new floor in 2023 returns subsequent week when the second operating of Central European Rally takes place from October 17-20.
With a wide range of sealed-surface levels in three international locations – Austria, Czech Republic and Germany – Central European Rally is exclusive. It’s additionally eagerly anticipated as Thierry Neuville and Martin Wydaeghe put together to begin the all-Tarmac contest in touching distance of the FIA WRC Drivers’ and Co-drivers’ titles.
Certainly, the Hyundai-powered crew can change into Belgium’s first FIA WRC champions offering they rating two extra factors than team-mates Ott Tänak and Martin Järveoja, drop not more than 10 factors to Sébastien Ogier and Vincent Landais, or drop not more than 16 factors to Elfyn Evans and Scott Martin if Evans/Martin don’t win the rally or 15 factors if Evans/Martin do win.
However this doubtlessly important second is only one of a number of notable highlights in retailer when Central European Rally varieties the third sealed-surface occasion of the FIA WRC season and the penultimate spherical of one other action-packed marketing campaign.
Feminine participation within the highlight as Junior WRC prize drive awaits
Central European Rally supplies a possibility for 3 feminine drivers to stake their respective claims for an FIA Junior WRC Championship prize drive in 2025.
Lyssia Baudet, a 21-year-old from Belgium, 24-year-old Finn Suvi Jyrkiäinen and Germany’s Claire Schönborn, 25, are contesting the occasion in Pirelli-equipped Ford Fiesta Rally3s run by M-Sport Poland.
They out-performed 12 rivals in WRC Promoter’s Past Rally Girls’s Driver Improvement Programme shootout in Poland final month the place Chair of the FIA Girls in Motorsport Fee Burcu Çetinkaya and WRC Fee President Pernilla Solberg have been a part of the judging panel.
Whoever produces the most effective efficiency on Central European Rally will safe a fully-funded drive in subsequent season’s FIA Junior WRC.
FIA Member Golf equipment unite to ship WRC occasion
As soon as once more, Central European Rally has been made doable via an in depth collaboration between three FIA Member Golf equipment.
the Allgemeiner Deutsche Automobil-Membership (ADAC), the Autoklub České Republiky (ACCR) and the Austrian Motorsport Federation (AMF) have joined forces to organise the penultimate spherical of the FIA WRC season for the second time.
The rally additionally depends on the assist of some 5000 individuals who have volunteered their time to assist make sure the secure and profitable operating of the occasion.
Central European Rally achieves three-star FIA Environmental Accreditation
Forward of the second operating of Central European Rally, occasion organisers have been awarded three-star FIA Environmental Accreditation for his or her dedication to environmental sustainability. It follows a via audit right into a a number of actions, resembling waste administration, useful resource conservation and CO₂ discount. Noise safety in addition to efforts in direction of biodiversity and air high quality have been additionally assessed.
CENTRAL EUROPEAN RALLY ROUTE IN SHORT
Beginning within the Czech capital Prague and ending within the historic German metropolis of Passau, the second Central European Rally totals 18 levels throughout a difficult all-asphalt route in Austria, Czech Republic and Germany.
The timed motion begins on Thursday October 17 with two levels in Czech Republic, the Velká Chuchle racecourse superspecial near central Prague – the one stage utilizing an unchanged structure from 2023 – and the Klatovy check, which runs at evening.
Leg one resumes on Friday from the in a single day halt in Klatovy and contains two additional visits to Klatovy, plus two passes of the Strašin and Šumavské Hošticestage levels. At 26.69 kilometres, Strašin is the rally’s longest stage.
With the rally leaving Czech Republic for Germany on Friday afternoon, leg two, the longest of the rally at 123,46 kilometres, begins on Saturday morning from the Karpfhamer Volksfestplatz service park near Dangerous Griesbach within the Passau area. The day’s itinerary contains three levels run twice, the brand new Granit und Wald check, the Past Borders run, which, for the primary time, options aggressive kilometres in Germany and Austria, plus Schärdinger Innviertel, which is held fully in Austria.
Sunday’s deciding leg is made up of dual visits to the untried Knaus Tabbert Am Hochwald stage, plus the Passauer Land check, which has been revamped for 2024. The second run of the 14.87-kilometre check varieties the Wolf Energy Stage from 13h15 native time.
CENTRAL EUROPEAN RALLY DATA
Stage distance: 302.51 km
Whole distance: 1584.44 km
Variety of levels: 18
RALLY1 CONTENDERS
Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Group
Thierry Neuville begins Central European Rally, which he gained in 2023, focusing on his first FIA World Rally Championship crown with one spherical to spare. He’s 29 factors forward of team-mate Ott Tänak, the driving force with probably the most practical prospect of denying Neuville the game’s greatest prize. Andreas Mikkelsen makes his first begin in Hyundai colors since ORLEN eightieth Rally Poland and his first on asphalt since April’s Croatia Rally. Central European Rally is a cheerful searching floor for Mikkelsen, who secured the FIA WRC2 title on the occasion in 2023.
M-Sport Ford World Rally Group
Adrien Fourmaux and Grégoire Munster will fly the M-Sport Ford World Rally Group flag on Central European Rally. Jourdan Serderidis competes in a 3rd Ford Puma Rally1 Hybrid, though the Greek driver gained’t be eligible for Producer Championship factors. Whereas Munster has earlier expertise of the occasion in a Rally1 automotive, Fourmaux took half in a Ford Fiesta Rally2 12 months in the past, successful his class no much less.
Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT
Sébastien Ogier and Elfyn Evans head the Toyota problem on an occasion it should win to keep up its push for the FIA World Rally Championship for Producers. After lacking final month’s Rally Chile Biobío, Takamoto Katsuta returns to the Toyota fold with Sami Pajari making his third begin in a Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Hybrid and his first on Tarmac.
SUPPORTING CATEGORIES
Central European Rally is a must-win occasion for Yohan Rossel if the Citroën C3 Rally2 driver is to stay in competition for the FIA WR2 Championship on Forum8 Rally Japan subsequent month.
Rossel’s DG Sport Competitors team-mate Nikolay Gryazin wants a top-two end within the FIA WRC2 Challenger class to stop Sami Pajari from successful the title. But when Gryazin is third or decrease and Kajetan Kajetanowicz (Škoda Fabia RS) doesn’t win, then the title goes to Pajari such has been the energy of his performances earlier this season.
Oliver Solberg, in the meantime, heads the WRC2 standings however is simply eligible to attain factors for his group, Tokspot WRT 2, alongside team-mate Josh McErlean, who’s supported by the Motorsport Eire Rally Academy.
Czech Filip Mareš (Toyota GR Yaris) is stepping up from the FIA European Rally Championship for his ‘house’ occasion, together with Miko Marczyk (Škoda Fabia RS) who will contest the ERC season-deciding Rally Silesia in his native Poland from October 11-13.
Armin Kremer, who claimed the WRC Masters Cup laurels on the Acropolis Rally Greece in September, is at first of his house occasion in his Škoda Fabia RS, whereas his protégé, Marijan Griebel, a a number of German champion, will likely be competing within the WRC2 Challenger class in an analogous automotive.
All WRC2 crews will participate in a compulsory FIA First-on-Scene briefing session in Dangerous Griesbach on Monday as a part of the governing physique’s ongoing work to enhance security throughout the sport.
Along with the WRC Past Rally trio of Lyssia Baudet, Suvi Jyrkiäinen and Claire Schönborn, the FIA WRC3 entry contains Prague-based Czech Filip Kohn, who’s competing as a part of his prize for successful the FIA European Rally Championship-based ERC Fiesta Rally3 Trophy.
Jan Černý is one other Czech driver contesting the Rally3-based class with Renault Clio Rally3 Matteo Chatillon is the highest seed.
TALKING TYRES
For Central European Rally, Pirelli, the official FIA World Rally Championship tyre provider, will present its PZero RA tyres in onerous and tender compounds, plus its Cinturato RWB tyre within the occasion of heavy rain. The tender compound is the primary selection to be used in cool and damp situations. The onerous compound will likely be chosen if it’s heat and dry. Rally1 groups can use a most of 28 tyres for the occasion together with 4 for Thursday’s Shakedown.
MEDIA INFORMATION
Media accreditation
Media accreditation for Central European Rally should be collected in particular person by accredited move holders from one in all two Accreditation Desks positioned as follows:
Media Centre, Kursaal, Am Brunnenplatl 1, D-94086 Dangerous Griesbach, Germany (GPS: 48.429843, 13.187017)
Or Chuchle Enviornment Praha, Room Windsor, Radotínská 69/34, CZ 159 00 Praha 5, Czech Republic (GPS: 50.009444171, 14.389684893)
Dangerous Griesbach media accreditation opening hours:
Tuesday 15 October: 10:00 – 18:00 hrs
Wednesday 16 October: 08:00 – 18:00 hrs
Thursday 17 October: 09:00 – 18:00 hrs
Friday 18 October: 08:00 – 20:00 hrs
Saturday 19 October: 07:00 – 12:00 hrs
Prague media accreditation opening hours:
Wednesday 16 October: 12:00 – 20:00 hrs
Thursday 17 October 26: 07:00 – 20:00 hrs
Media Centre location and opening hours
The Media Centre is positioned as follows: Kursaal, Am Brunnenplatl 1, D-94086 Dangerous Griesbach, Germany (GPS: 48.429843, 13.187017). The next opening hours apply:
Tuesday 15 October: 10:00 – 18:00 hrs
Wednesday 16 October: 08:00 – 18:00 hrs
Thursday 17 October: 09:00 – 22:00 hrs
Friday 18 October: 08:00 – 21:00 hrs
Saturday 19 October: 07:00 – 21:00 hrs
Sunday 20 October: 08:00 – 20:00 hrs
Prague satellite tv for pc Media Centre location and opening hours
A satellite tv for pc Media Centre will likely be positioned on the Chuchle Enviornment Praha, Room Windsor, Radotínská 69/34, CZ 159 00 Praha 5, Czech Republic (GPS: 50.009444171, 14.389684893). The next opening hours apply:
Wednesday 16 October: 12:00 – 20:00 hrs
Thursday 17 October: 07:00 – 20:00 hrs
Media actions and alternatives
| Monday 14 October | |
| 16:00 | Media Pen for native and nationwide media following Past Borders Golf Problem, Beckenbauer Golf Course, Dangerous Griesbach with Thierry Neuville, Kaj Lindström and Richard Millener |
| Wednesday 16 October | |
| 17:30 | Tabard Media Security Briefing, necessary for all tabard media as a bodily assembly within the Media Centre and on-line through Zoom (dial-in particulars will likely be issued individually) |
| Thursday 17 October | |
| 09:31 – 11:00 | Shakedown for P1 drivers and invited drivers (Conuco, 6.79km) |
| 11:01 – 12:00 | Shakedown for P2 drivers ( |
| 11:00 – 12:00 | FIA WRC Media Pen for P1 and P2 drivers and P1 Group Principals (Velká Chuchle, Shakedown Distant Service) |
| 13:00 – 13:30 | Autograph Session for all P1 crews and crew of automotive 30 (Mareš/Bucha) |
| 13:20 – 14:00 | FIA WRC Meet the Crews (Begin Ramp, Prague Fort) |
| 14:00 | Ceremonial Begin (Begin Ramp, Prague Fort) |
| 14:47 | Begin of Part 1 |
| Friday 18 October | |
| 06:45 | Begin of Part 3 (Parc fermé, Klatovy) |
| 20:30 (approx) | FIA WRC Meet the Crews with P1 TPs and high 3 drivers (Service Park, Karpfham) |
| Saturday 19 October | |
| 06:05 | Begin of Part 5 (Parc fermé, Karpfham) |
| 18:30 (approx) | FIA WRC Meet the Crews with P1 TPs and high 3 drivers (Service Park, Karpfham) |
| Sunday 20 October | |
| 07:05 | Begin of Part 7 (Parc fermé, Karpfham) |
| 15:30 | Remaining Ceremony, Prize-Giving and Publish-event FIA Press Convention (Podium, Passau) |
(All occasions native, approximate and topic to alter)
Media zones
Media Zones attended by all drivers and chosen group representatives will function as follows:
TC 2A, TC 6A, TC 8A, TC 11A, TC 14A and TC 18A.
FIA WRC Meet the Crews stay interviews, Begin Ramp, Prague Fort, Thursday 17 October
13:20 – 13:30 – Past Rally Girls’s Driver Improvement Programme (WRC3)
Lyssia Baudet (BEL), Ford Fiesta Rally3
Suvi Jyrkiäinen (FIN), Ford Fiesta Rally3
Claire Schönborn (DEU), Ford Fiesta Rally3
13:30 – 13:40 – FIA WRC Assist Championships
WRC2 – Yohan Rossel (FRA), DG Sport Competitors, Citroën C3 Rally2
WRC2 Challenger – Nikolay Gryazin (BGR), DG Sport Competitors, Citroën C3 Rally2
WRC2 Challenger – Filip Mareš (CZE), Toyota GR Yaris Rally2
WRC3 – Filip Kohn (CZE), Ford Fiesta Rally3
13:40 – 13:50 – FIA WRC Championship Producer Group Principals
Cyril Abiteboul (FRA), Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Group
Jari-Matti Latvala (FIN), Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT
Richard Millener (GBR), M-Sport Ford World Rally Group
13:50 – 14:00 – FIA WRC Championship Drivers/Co-drivers
Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT – Thierry Neuville (BEL) and Martijn Wydaeghe (BEL)
Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT – Sébastien Ogier (FRA)
M-Sport Ford WRT – Adrien Fourmaux (FRA)
FIA Publish-event Press Convention, Passau Podium, Sunday 20 October, 15:30
– 2024 champion drivers/codrivers if titles are awarded within the totally different courses
– Prime 3 drivers in total occasion classification, successful co-driver, rep. of successful producer
– Profitable FIA WRC2, WRC2 Challenger, WRC3 driver, WRC Masters Cup driver
FIA WRC Meet the Crews stay interviews and FIA Publish-event Press Convention broadcast on FIA and WRC social media channels.
CENTRAL EUROPEAN RALLY MANUFACTURER ENTRIES
Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT
Sébastien Ogier (FRA)/Vincent Landais (FRA) – #17
Elfyn Evans (GBR)/Scott Martin (GBR) – #33
Takamoto Katsuta (JPN)/Aaron Johnston (IRL) – #18
Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT
Thierry Neuville (BEL)/Martijn Wydaeghe (BEL) – #11
Ott Tänak (EST)/Martin Järveoja (EST) – #8
Andreas Mikkelsen (NOR)/Torstein Eriksen (NOR) – #9
M-Sport Ford WRT
Adrien Fourmaux (FRA)/Alexandre Coria (FRA) – #16
Grégoire Munster (LUX)/Louis Louka (BEL) – #13
ADDITIONAL CENTRAL EUROPEAN RALLY P1 ENTRIES
Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT – Sami Pajari (FIN)/Enni Mälkönen (FIN) – #5
M-Sport Ford WRT – Jourdan Serderidis/Frédéric Miclotte – #19
FIA WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP 2024 CLASSIFICATION
The provisional classifications following spherical 11 of the 2024 FIA World Rally Championship can be found right here: https://www.fia.com/occasions/world-rally-championship/season-2024/standings
CENTRAL EUROPEAN RALLY 2023 RESULTS
1. T. Neuville (BEL)/M. Wydaeghe (BEL), Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid, 2h52m39.9s
2. Ok. Rovanperä (FIN)/J. Halttunen (FIN), Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Hybrid, +57.6S
3. O. Tänak (EST)/M. Järveoja (EST), Ford Puma Rally1 Hybrid, +1m52.8s
CENTRAL EUROPEAN RALLY WINNERS
2023 Thierry Neuville/Martijn Wydaeghe Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid
