WRC 2022: Secto Rally Finland

The WRC 2022 season continues with the Secto Rally Finland as the drivers are surviving through the Scandinavian scorcher by all means necessary.

Kalle Rovanpera edges out Esapekka Lappi in the shakedown test but it was Ott Tanak who is taking the early lead in Finnish dirt during the opening stages. As the weather gets wet, Tanak is still going on strong and stayed all the way to victory lane.

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Tanak wins the Secto Rally Finland at the rate of 2:24:04.6, 6.8 seconds ahead of Kalle Rovanpera, while Lappi finished 3rd.

The next event of the WRC 2022 season will be the Ypres Rally Belgium this August 18-21.

WRC 2022: Rally Estonia

The WRC 22 season continues with the Rally Estonia event as Toyota Gazoo Racing's gunning for another win with their improved GR Yaris Rally1 machines while championship leader Kalle Rovanpera tries to make an impression on Estonia dirt.

The opening stages saw Elfyn Evans blitzing through the lead until Rovanpera caught him by surprise. Maintaining his dominance on Estonian soil, Rovanpera kept trailblazing his way towards victory lane.

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Rovanpera wins the Rally Estonia at the overall time of 2:54:29, 1:00.9 faster than Elfyn Evans. Hometown hero Ott Tanak finished 3rd.

After Estonia, Rovanpera remains in the lead with 175 points while Thierry Neuville remains 2nd with 92 points, and Elfyin Evans in third with 79 points. Toyota is still leading the manufacturers' championship.

The next event will be the Secto Rally Finland this August 4-7.

WRC 2022: Safari Rally Kenya

The Safari Rally Kenya is the next event for the 2022 WRC season and this is the true test for the hybrid-powered Rally1 cars as they're tackling through the African wilderness by all means necessary.

The shakedown saw Kalle Rovanpera showcasing his potential but it was Sebastien Ogier who storm his way through an early lead in the opening stages. As the event progresses, Rovanpera stormed his way through the lead and kept on going until he was named the winner of this year's Safari Rally Kenya.

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Rovanpera won at the rate of 3:40:24.9, which is 52.8 seconds more than Elfyn Evans, while Takamoto Katsuta finished 3rd. It's a podium sweep for Toyota Gazoo Racing for the first time in 12 years.

After Kenya, Rovanpera remains in the lead with 145 points while Thierry Neuville's in 2nd with 80 points while Ott Tanak's in 3rd with 62 points.

The next event will be the Rally Estonia from the 14th to the 17th of July, 2022.

WRC 2022: Rally Italia Sardegna

It may be jubilee week in Britain but it's also race weekend and the Rally Italia Sardegna leg of the 2022 World Rally Championship is no exception as drivers like Dani Sordo and Kalle Rovanpera are going all out while the Toyota Gazoo Racing team bids for back-to-back wins on the tough Mediterranean event.

The opening stages saw Thierry Neuville storming into an early lead until Ott Tanak of Hyundai swoops into the top following Elfyn Evan's surrender due to mechanical failures. Although Esapekka Lappi gained a tiny lead after the Friday stages in Italy, his game is over following a crash into Tempio Pausania during the early phase of the Saturday stages. Despite Neuville getting rolled over, he's still into his fighting form while Ott Tanak stormed into the lead.

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In the end, Ott Tanak scored his first win of the Hybrid era of the WRC at the rate of 3:10:59.1 while Craig Breen of M-Sport Ford finished 2nd and Dani Sordo finished 3rd.

The next event will be the Safari Rally Kenya in Naivasha this June 23-26.

WRC 2022: Vodafone Rally de Portugal

The WRC 2022 season continues with the Vodafone Rally de Portugal.

Although Elfyn Evans shows some promise in the warm-up, Thierry Neuville grabs an early lead in the opening speed test in the streets of Coimbra until the legendary Sebastien Loeb steals the lead. However, Loeb crashed out in Portugal, giving Evans the chance to take the lead, until Kalle Rovanpera takes over as the climax draws near.

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In the end, Rovanpera wins the Vodafone Rally de Portugal at the rate of 3:44.19.2, 15.2 seconds faster than Evans. Dani Sordo finished 3rd.

After Portugal, Rovanpera's in the lead with 106 points while Neuville's in 2nd with 60 points, and Katsuta's in 3rd with 38 points.

The next event will be the Rally Italia Sardegna this June 2-5.

WRC 2022: WRC Croatia Rally

The 2022 World Rally Championship continues in Zagreb for the Croatia Rally. Out with the cold, into the wet for the rally drivers.

The Friday stages saw a disastrous start for Esapekka Lappi while Adrien Fourmaux's hopes nosedived when his Ford Puma ended up in the front garden of someone's house. As Kalle Rovanpera managed to nail through the wet Friday stages, the Saturday stages saw Thierry Neuville get slapped with penalties while Rovanpera and Ott Tanak are in a heated clash that lasted until the end of the event.

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In the end, Rovanpera wins the WRC Croatia Rally at the rate of 2:48:21.5, 4.3 seconds quicker than Ott Tanak. Theirry finished 3rd.

After Croatia, Rovanpera leads with 76 points, 29 points ahead of Neuville.

The next event is the Vodafone Rally de Portugal, held at Matosinhos from the 19th to the 22nd of May, 2022.

WRC 2022: Rally Sweden

The 2022 World Rally Championship continues with the Rally Sweden event and in the midst of freezing conditions, the wielders of the new-generation rally cars are just getting pumped up, fighting their way to survive until the end of the second outing of this season.

The opening stages saw Kalle Rovanpera snatched Oliver Solberg's lead by surprise and kept going after hours. As Rovanpera's busy dominating the remainder of the event, Elfyn Evans got slapped with a 10-second penalty following his dramatic crash into a snowbank. The rest is history.

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Kalle Rovanpera nailed his third career win at the rate of 2:10:44.9, 22 seconds ahead of Hyundai driver Thierry Neuville. Esapekka Lappi finished 3rd.

The next event is at Zagreb for the Croatia Rally from the 21st to the 24th of April, 2022.

WRC 2022: Rallye Monte-Carlo

The 2022 World Rally Championship marked the beginning of the new era of rallying as the top-class rally cars are now complying with the new Rally1 class regulations, meaning the new generation of rally cars are now armed with a hybrid powertrain, which is similar to the tech used in Formula 1. It also marks the debut of the new-look rally cars such as the Toyota GR Yaris hot hatchback and the Ford Puma compact crossover SUV.

The new era of WRC kicked off in Monte Carlo for the first event of the 2022 season and the opener sparked the rivalry of the two Sebs; Ogier and Loeb. Although the 2022 season has started, it generated a lot of buzz about it.

The opening stages saw early dominance for Sebastien Ogier in the new Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 car and got engulfed in a duel with Sebastien Loeb in the new Ford Puma Rally1 car. As the Friday stages cleared, Loeb snatched Ogier's lead and then the weekend saw the two trade punches at each other until one claimed the first win of the season.

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In the end, the veteran rally driver in the new Ford Puma, Sebastien Loeb emerged as the winner of the Rallye Monte-Carlo with an overall time of 3:00:32.8, 10.5 seconds ahead of Ogier. Craig Breen finished 3rd.

The next event of the WRC 2022 season will be the Rally Sweden from the 24th to the 27th of February, 2022.

WRC 2021: FORUM8 ACI Rally Monza

Monza is the final stop of the 2021 World Rally Championship as the first-ever ACI Rally Monza will decide whether or not Sebastien Ogier will take home his eighth title.

The opening stages saw Adrien Fourmaux's final race weekend end in shambles when he rolled into retirement while Ogier is still fending off his title rival Elfyn Evans. Come Saturday, behind Thierry Neuville's disappointing crash, Ogier remains unstoppable in his tracks. And on the final day of the final event of the season, Elfyn Evans, Gus Greensmith, and Oliver Solberg performed costly mistakes while Takamoto Katsuta ended his season with a disappointing crash, Ogier made his final moves.

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Sebastien Ogier clinched his 8th WRC title! Not only that, his latest title victory gave Toyota Gazoo Racing another Manufacturers' Championship title!

Congratulations to Sebastien Ogier and the whole Toyota Gazoo Racing team for their victories this season!

And that is the end of the 2021 FIA World Rally Championship. See you next year!

WRC 2021: RallyRACC Rally de Espana

Spain is the penultimate spot for the 2021 World Rally Championship for the RallyRACC Rally de Espana, and the title fight is too close to call as drivers Sebastien Ogier, Elfyn Evans, and Thierry Neuville are butting heads at each other.

The opening stages saw disaster for Takamoto Katsuta when he slammed his Yaris into a roadside barrier in the speed test. Behind Katsuta's disaster, Thierry Neuville charges into the lead from title rival Elfyn Evans and he kept going until the very end of the event.

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Thierry Neuville wins the RallyRACC Rally de Espana at an overall rate of 2:34:11.8, 24.1 seconds ahead of Evans while Dani Sordo finished 3rd.

After Spain, Ogier remains in the lead at 204 points, 17 points ahead of Elfyn Evans, while Neuville's in third place with 159 points. It's too close to call.

Who will be crowned the 2021 WRC Champion? Find out as the 2021 WRC ends at FORUM8 ACI Rally Monza this November 18 to 21. Don't miss it!

WRC 2021: Secto Automotive Rally Finland

The autumn season has begun, and the 2021 World Rally Championship continues at Kalle Rovanpera for the Secto Automotive Rally Finland. Although the fall season means cooler temperatures, the drivers are pumped to take on the event where history is made many times.

The opening stages saw Craig Breen surged through the lead from Ott Tanak during nighttime. In Saturday stages meanwhile, Kalle Rovanpera's hopes to win in his home turf is in pieces following a morning crash while Sebastien Ogier is slapped with a one-minute time penalty for not fastening his helmet strap correctly during SS12. Behind the mishaps, Elfyn Evans clawed through the lead until the Sunday stages where the winner is decided.

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Elfyn Evans wins the Secto Automotive Rally Finland with an overall time of 2:19:13.7, 14.1 seconds ahead of Hyundai's Ott Tanak. Craig Breen, also a Hyundai driver, finished in third place.

Highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsNw1jJ2lv4&list=PLODyu6T9_emzmsRX7mMrrW9CHcrR-Z4rO

After Finland, Sebastien Ogier is still in the lead of the driver's championship with 190 points, 24 points ahead of Evans, while Thierry Neuville remains in third with 130 points.

The next event of the WRC 2021 will be the RallyRACC Rally de Espana from the 14th to the 17th of October, 2021.

WRC 2021: Acropolis Rally Greece

The return of the Acropolis Rally Grecce in the 2021 World Rally Championship gave the current drivers the challenge they've truly deserved as they are going to tackle the most challenging road conditions by all means necessary.

As Kalle Rovanpera topped the Shakedown, the opening stages showed signs of dominance for Sebastien Ogier until Rovanpera stole his spotlight in the Friday stages, where numerous incidents occurred on rugged gravel roads near Athens, mostly Ogier's title rivals.

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Kalle Rovanpera soldiered on until he emerged as the winner of this season's Acropolis Rally Greece with an overall time of 3:28.24.6, 42.1 seconds ahead of Hyundai driver Ott Tanak. Ogier, meanwhile, finished 3rd.

After Greece, Ogier remains at the top of the leaderboard with 180 points while Elfyin Evans remains 2nd with 136 points, and Thierry Neuville's in 3rd with 130 points.

The next event will be the Secto Automotive Rally Finland from the 1st to the 3rd of October, 2021.

WRC 2021: Renties Ypres Rally Belgium

Cancelled last year due to the pandemic, the first-ever Renties Ypres Rally Belgium has arrived in the WRC 2021 season and because it's an all-new event, drivers are pulling all the stops in order to survive and thrive in this new rally battleground where the endgame awaits at Spa.

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The opening stages saw Thierry Neuville snatched a small 0.4-second lead ahead of Craig Breen and as the event progresses, apart from Adrien Formaux's crash that ended his day in Belgium, the two Hyundai drivers went neck-and-neck all the way to the very end where Neuville won the event with the overall time of 2:30:24.2, 30.7 seconds ahead of Breen. Kalle Rovanpera finished 3rd with 12.4 seconds behind Breen.

After Belgium, Sebastien Ogier remains in the lead with 164 points while Elfyn Evans and Neuville tied with 124 points.

The next event of the WRC 2021 season will be the Acropolis Rally Greece from the 9th to the 12th of September, 2021.

WRC 2021: Rally Estonia

The 2021 World Rally Championship continues with the Rally Estonia event and this is the rally weekend where one driver made spectacular headlines in the end.

The shakedown saw Kalle Rovanpera trumped homegrown hero Ott Tanak with the fastest time set and with Tanak's heartbreak after sudden trouble, the unsung hero surges through the lead with Craig Breen trailing behind him. 

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From the beginning to the end of the event, Kalle Rovanpera made spectacular headlines to become the youngest winner of the World Rally Championship round with an overall time of 2:51:29.1, 59.9 ahead of Irishman Craig Breen. Thierry Neuville, meanwhile, finished 3rd.

After Estonia, Sebastien Ogier is still in the lead with 148 points, 37 points ahead of Elfyn Evans, while Neuville's in third with 96 points.

The next event is the Renties Ypres Rally Belgium happening this August 13 to 15, 2021.

WRC 2021: Safari Rally Kenya

After over two decades, the World Rally Championship has returned in Africa for the return of the Safari Rally Kenya and while rallying in Kenya is nothing new, today's generation of rally drivers got their first taste of rallying in Africa while finding out who will be the first to win the Safari Rally after over two decades.

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In the opening stages, Sebastien Ogier made an early pace while Dani Sordo didn't bother by a monkey sitting on the top of his rally car, and Elfyn Evan's day is done after his car crashed 300 meters from the end of the 3rd stage. As Thierry Neuville leads, a sudden downpour and mechanical issues caused his day at Kenya to come to a premature end.

In the end, with Neuville out of the game, Sebastien Ogier emerged as the winner of the Safari Rally Kenya at a rate of 3:18:11.3, 21.8 behind Takamoto Katsuta, a first for a Japanese WRC driver to have a podium finish, and Ott Tanak finished 3rd.

Post-Safari Rally, Ogier's back on top and he's now 34 ahead of Evans, 133 vs 99, while Thierry Neuville remains 3rd with 77 points.

The next event will be the Rally Estonia from the 15th to the 18th of July, 2021.

WRC 2021: Rally Italia Sardegna

The 2021 World Rally Championship continues on the pristine but challenging Sardinia, Italy, for the Rally Italia Sardegna where drivers are pushing themselves to the limit to survive Sardinia's harshest road conditions.

The early stages saw some dominance for Ott Tanak as well as Friday's stages. We thought this Hyundai driver's got a shot of winning Rally Italia but sadly, he's out of the running after swiping a rock in Saturday's final speed test, leaving an opening for Sebastien Ogier to go all out. Also, another bad day for Hyundai as Dani Sordo rolled his car out of second place during the Saturday speed test.

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In the end, Sebastien Ogier wins the Rally Italia Sardegna with an overall time of 3:19:26.4, 46 seconds ahead of Elfyn Evans. A 1-2 finish for Toyota Gazoo Racing! Thierry Neuville finished 3rd.

Post-Italy, Ogier's lead is now 9 points ahead of Evans, 106 vs. 95, while Neuville's in 3td place with 77 points.

The next event will be the Safari Rally Kenya from the 24th to the 27th of June, 2021.

WRC 2021: Vodafone Rally de Portugal

The 2021 World Rally Championship continues at the gravel roads of Portugal for the Vodafone Rally de Portugal event where drivers spent the whole weekend surviving through the most unforgiving gravel courses this venue throws at them.

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The early stages saw Elfyn Evans emerged as the quickest in the shakedown but Dani Sordo saw signs of early dominance. Friday stages saw Ott Tanak gaining ahead of the competition but suspension issues in the Saturday stages cost his lead, giving the chance for Evans to gain the upper hand. In the end, Evans emerged as the winner of the Vodafone Rally de Portugal with an overall time of 3:38:26.2, 28.3 ahead of Sordo, while Sebastien Ogier finished 3rd.

Post-Portugal, the gap between Ogier and Evans is at two points, 79 vs. 77, while Thierry Neuville's at 3rd with 57 points.

The next event of the 2021 WRC will be the Rally Italia Sardegna from the 3rd to the 6th of June, 2021.

WRC 2021: WRC Croatia Rally

For the first time, the World Rally Championship arrives in Croatia for the first-ever WRC Croatia Rally, where drivers are taking on this harsh new battlefield where mud, sweat, and tears are poured in the process of conquering this new challenge.

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At the start of the Croatia Rally, Elfyn Evans claimed the fastest time through the event's shakedown while Kalle Rovanpera's lead ended in a crash at the first stage. As Thierry Neuville leads the opening stages, Sebastien Ogier storms into the lead on Saturday stages with results too close to call. In the end, Sebastien Ogier wins the first-ever Croatia Rally at the rate of 2:51.22.9, 0.6 ahead of Elfyn Evans. Thierry Neuville finished 3rd.

Highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yA2AwzIMGX0&list=PLODyu6T9_emyCy1yMx1g0S4keVJzdQw79

After Croatia, Sebastien Ogier leads the standings with 61 points, eight points ahead of Thierry Neuville, while Elfyn Evans sits in third place with 51 points.

The next event of the 2021 World Rally Championship will be the Vodafone Rally de Portugal from the 20th to the 23rd of May, 2021.

WRC 2021: Arctic Rally Finland

The 2021 World Rally Championship continues in the first-ever Arctic Rally Finland where drivers are going all-out to brave through extreme icy Arctic conditions, any way they can to stay on top of the game.

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In the opening stages, Ott Tanak showcased his impressive records in the frozen rally battleground from his fastest shakedown time towards his firm grip to the lead. Saturday stages saw Sebastien Ogier caught in a frozen pinch when his Yaris WRC got crashed. In the final day of the event, Ott Tanak is named the winner of the Arctic Rally Finland at the total time of 2:03:49.6. Homegrown hero Kalle Rovanpera, who is now on the top of the leaderboard with four points behind this event's third placer Thierry Neuville, finished 2nd with 17.5 seconds behind Tanak.

HIGHLIGHTS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNqxDluedtA&list=PLODyu6T9_emzUraA0zvPfSKPXfW8ZclNw

The next event of the WRC 2021 will be the Croatia Rally on the 22nd to the 25th of April.

WRC 2021: Rallye Monte-Carlo

The pandemic still lingers on for this year but the World Rally Championship kicked off their 2021 season with the Rallye Monte-Carlo where the best rally drivers of the world have been gathered once again to see who will kickstart their rough and dirty road towards the championship in freezing conditions.

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The opening leg of the Rallye Monte-Carlo saw M-Sport Ford driver Teemu Suninen rolled into a bank while Hyundai driver Ott Tanak spearheads into the lead while Friday stages saw Sebastien Ogier, driving for Toyota, dominated all three speed tests to push himself into the lead. As the weekend passed by, Sebastien Ogier claws his way towards his first win of the season at the rate of 2:56.33.7, while Evans is 32.6 seconds behind Ogier, and Thierry Neuville's in 3rd place.

Highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqyubwtCjS8&list=PLODyu6T9_emz-3qn6UUDoBRNOtoY2cv7k

The 2021 WRC continues in the all-new Arctic Rally Finland on the 26th to 28th of February.