Kalle Rovanperä has become a two-time WRC champion, clinching the title on Sunday after finishing second overall at Central European Rally*.

By finishing runner-up to Thierry Neuville at this penultimate round, the 23-year-old ensured he can no longer be caught in the 2023 season.

Just one year ago, Rovanperä made history when he became the youngest WRC champion ever. Today he stands alongside legendary names like Carlos Sainz, Walter Röhrl and Miki Biasion as a double winner.

Entering Central European Rally with a 31-point lead over Toyota Gazoo Racing team-mate Elfyn Evans, Rovanperä simply needed to maintain his advantage to claim the crown. When Evans suffered a dramatic crash on Saturday morning, the path to victory was all but assured.

Following a steady start to the season, Rovanperä and co-driver Jonne Halttunen hit their straps in May by winning Vodafone Rally de Portugal. Since that moment, the pair have only been off the podium twice.

“I am feeling really good,” Rovanperä beamed. “I think this year was, for me personally, more important than last year. The competition was tighter, and we did a really good job. The biggest thank you of course goes to Jonne – he is also the world’s best co-driver. I am going to enjoy this one more than the first one.”

Neuville’s capture of the outright rally victory may have been overshadowed by the champions’ celebrations, but the Belgian’s drive was worthy of high praise.

Driving a Hyundai i20 N, Neuville took control on Saturday morning and headed Rovanperä by 57.6sec to claim his 19th career victory on the slippery asphalt roads across Germany, Austria and Czech Republic.

“Overall, we did a good job,” Neuville said. “We had good consistency which ultimately paid off. It was a team effort this weekend and we did it, so we can be proud of that.”

Ott Tänak overcame a hydraulic failure on the penultimate day to finish third, almost two minutes back from the frontrunning pace in an M-Sport Ford Puma.

Sébastien Ogier fought back from wheel damage on Friday to claim fourth ahead of his Toyota-driving colleague Takamoto Katsuta. Teemu Suninen, Grégoire Munster and Adrien Fourmaux completed the top 8 ahead of Nicolas Ciamin and Pierre-Louis Loubet,

There were also celebrations for Andreas Mikkelsen, who did just enough to secure the WRC2 title* despite going off the road on Friday.

The championship comes to a close in Asia next month at FORUM8 Rally Japan. The asphalt event is based in Aichi and takes place from 16 – 19 November.

*Subject to confirmation of results by the FIA

Overall classification:
1. T Neuville / M Wydaeghe BEL Hyundai i20 N 2h 52m 39.9s
2. K Rovanperä / J Halttunen FIN Toyota GR Yaris +57.5s
3. O Tänak / M Järveoja EST Ford Puma +1m 52.8s
4. S Ogier / V Landais FRA Toyota GR Yaris +2m 8.6s
5. T Katsuta / A Johnston JPN Toyota GR Yaris +2m 48.3s
6. T Suninen / M Markkula FIN Hyundai i20 N +3m 6.3s

Drivers’ championship standings (after round 12 of 13)
1. K Rovanperä 235pts
2. E Evans 191pts
3. T Neuville 184pts

Unconfirmed at the time of publication, Andreas Mikkelsen/Torstein Eriksen have clinched the WRC2 Championship after winning the Power stage where Gus Greensmith spun, earning no points.

The full warp of Central Rally Europe will be in Motorsport Monday tomorrow morning

Just four stages stand between Kalle Rovanperä and back-to-back FIA World Rally Championship titles after his only title rival Elfyn Evans crashed out of Central European Rally on Saturday.

Having dominated Thursday’s treacherous tests in the Czech Republic to build a commanding rally lead, 23-year-old Rovanperä was already doing more than enough to successfully defend his 2022 WRC drivers’ crown.

A spin on Saturday’s second stage allowed Thierry Neuville to slash the Finn’s advantage by more than half, but the dynamic changed later in the morning when Rovanperä’s Toyota GR Yaris team-mate Evans, who had been sitting third overall, crashed out the rally.

Evans needed to outscore his colleague by at least one point at this penultimate round to keep the fight going, but he came unstuck on a slippery right-hand bend and slid into a barn. The Welshman will restart on Sunday in a desperate bid to salvage bonus points from the Wolf Power Stage.

Sacrificing his chances of the outright rally win to focus on his championship prospects, Rovanperä dialled back his speed. Neuville was left to build a 26.2-second overnight lead in his Hyundai i20 N.

“It’s good to be at the finish of the day,” said Rovanperä, who simply needs a drama-free run through the closing stages to clinch the title. “It’s tough out there. I think these are the most tough Tarmac rally conditions I have ever seen.”

Neuville added: “All afternoon we tried to manage the gap and I am happy to finish the day in the lead of the rally. We are following our target.”

Ott Tänak ensured that all three top-line manufacturers ended the day on the podium, bringing his Ford Puma to the end in a lonely third overall. A non-functioning handbrake caused the M-Sport man some frustrations in SS14, and he trailed Rovanperä by over one minute with Sébastien Ogier 31.1sec behind.

The battle for fifth place was raging between Toyota’s Takamoto Katsuta and Hyundai’s Teemu Suninen. Katsuta struggled to feel confident on the greasy asphalt roads in the morning but upped his pace in the afternoon to claim the position by 10.9sec.

Puma hotshot Grégoire Munster was seventh overall ahead of Pierre-Louis Loubet. Adrien Fourmaux and Emil Lindholm, leader of the WRC2 category in a Hyundai i20 N Rally2, completed the leaderboard.

Sunday’s finale boasts two stages, each run twice, across two countries. Böhmerwald in Austria is first up before Passauer Land in Germany, the second pass of which forms the bonus points-paying Wolf Power Stage.

Leading positions after Saturday:
1. T Neuville / M Wydaeghe                        Hyundai i20 N                    2h 18m 34.5s
2. K Rovanperä / J Halttunen                       Toyota GR Yaris                 +26.2s
3. O Tänak / M Järveoja                                                 Ford Puma                          +1m 49.1s
4. S Ogier / V Landais                                      Toyota GR Yaris                 +2m 20.2s
5. T Katsuta / A Johnston                              Toyota GR Yaris                 +2m 47.9s
6. T Suninen / M Markkula                           Hyundai i20 N                    +2m 58.8s

Elfyn Evans’ challenge for the WRC Championship all but evaporated this morning after crashing into a barn door in stage 11.

Rovanpera spun in stage 10 and lost half his lead to third placed Thierry Neuville which became second after Evans’ exit. In the final stage before the mid-day service, Rovanpera eased up on his relentless pace, which allowed the Belgian crew into the lead with an 11.1 second lead.

Ott Tanak is in a lonely third, followed by Sebastian Ogier

Kalle Rovanperä brushed aside Friday’s punishing conditions at Central European Rally as he stormed – literally and figuratively –  to a commanding 36.4-second lead over Thierry Neuville.

Heavy rain and perilous mud greeted the FIA World Rally Championship crews as they tackled the rally’s first full day, which featured six asphalt stages in the Czech Republic.

Opening the road, points leader Rovanperä took full advantage of the less muddied road and reached the mid-day tyre fitting zone 29.2sec clear of the chasing pack after winning all three of the morning’s super-stages.

The Toyota GR Yaris champion-elect demonstrated it was no fluke, dominating the afternoon loop of repeated stages widening his gap yet further.

As it stands, Rovanperä is in the pound seats to claim his second-consecutive WRC title unless team-mate Elfyn Evans – who languishes 47.2sec behind him in third overall – can stage a spectacular comeback.

“It has been super tricky today,” Rovanperä said. “Luckily, the weather was on our side for once with the starting position – it was good to be the first car on the road. We can be happy with our day.”

Neuville initially led after Thursday’s opening pair of super special stages but fell to third on Friday morning in stage four after struggling with his car’s set-up and a misted-up windscreen. The Belgian felt his i20 N Rally1 would have benefitted from softer suspension springs but, with no service halt between loops, changes were not possible.

Nevertheless, he maintained the pressure on Evans and, after overtaking the Welshman to claim the runner-up spot in the final stage, ended 10.8sec in front.

Also feeling at odds with his car’s handling was M-Sport Ford Puma man Ott Tänak who ended a lonely fourth overall – 43.2sec adrift of Evans, describing his Puma as undriveable, but with 56.4sec in hand over fifth-placed Toyota driver Takamoto Katsuta.

Sébastien Ogier’s hopes of winning his ‘home’ rally disintegrated early in the day when the Frenchman limped through the opening stage with tyre damage caused by a broken wheel. He fought back to claim sixth, just 3.2sec ahead of Teemu Suninen.

Aside from Neuville, Suninen was the only other Hyundai driver remaining after his compatriot Esapekka Lappi crashed heavily from third overall on SS5. The Finn, starting his first asphalt rally in the i20, placed seventh overall ahead of Puma youngster Grégoire Munster.

Also having his patience tested was Pierre-Louis Loubet, who dropped more than five minutes on SS8 when he went off the road and picked up wheel damage.

Saturday begins with two stages in Austria before a quick hop across the border to the Knaus Tabbert Bayerischer Wald blast in Germany. After service in Passau, the loop is repeated once more.

In WRC2, Yohan Rossel, one of three title contenders, crashed out in Friday morning’s first stage, while points leader Andreas Mikkelsen lost ten minutes after going off the road in stage four

Leading positions after Friday:

1. K Rovanperä / J Halttunen FIN Toyota GR Yaris 1h 13m 5.1s

2. T Neuville / M Wydaeghe BEL Hyundai i20 N +36.4s

3. E Evans / S Martin GBR Toyota GR Yaris +47.2s

4. O Tänak / M Järveoja EST Ford Puma +1m 30.4s

5. T Katsuta / A Johnston JPN Toyota GR Yaris +2m 26.8s

6. S Ogier / V Landais FRA Toyota GR Yaris +2m 35.9s

Thierry Neuville grabbed a slender overnight lead as the first-ever Central European Rally got under way on Thursday.

Thousands of spectators descended on Czech capital Prague earlier today to witness the FIA World Rally Championship’s cars and stars flagged away by Czech President Petr Pavel. Two quickfire super special tests followed as the rally journeyed back into south-eastern Germany where the Passau service park is located.

Neuville, driving a Hyundai i20 N, was third-fastest through the opening stage at Cluchle’s horseracing arena but a benchmark time for Circuit of Klatovy saw the Belgian leapfrog M-Sport Ford Puma driver Ott Tänak to lead by 1.2sec overnight.

“It was not the greatest stage,” Neuville said of his run over the damp roads of SS2. “I think it was in between the wet and the soft [tyres], and I decided to go to the soft at the very last moment. The anti-cut [devices] were reflecting from the light so we couldn’t see very well, but we had a clean run through.”

Eight-time world champion Sébastien Ogier reported that he “did not have a good feeling” aboard his Toyota GR Yaris but did enough to secure the final podium spot. He trailed Tänak by 4.6sec with team-mate Kalle Rovanperä, the championship leader, a single tenth behind.

Rovanperä could clinch his second consecutive WRC title this week, depending on how he fares against colleague Elfyn Evans. An overshoot for Evans left the Welshman 4.8sec behind the Finn in eighth overall.

Teemu Suninen, Takamoto Katsuta and Pierre-Louis Loubet were blanketed by 2.1sec in fifth, sixth and seventh overall, with Esapekka Lappi and Grégoire Munster completing the top 10.

Five-time Dakar Rally winner Nasser Al-Attiyah will tackle the 2024 version of the world’s toughest off-road rally in a Prodrive Hunter when the race gets underway in Saudi Arabia next January.

During the past two decades, the Qatari driver has become one of the most recognisable and well-liked personalities with his 20th Dakar appearance next year.

His first Dakar win came in 2011 and he followed that up with two more victories in South America (2015 & 2019) as well as winning in 2022 and 2023 driving for Toyota Gazoo Racing.

Not only is Al-Attiyah chasing his third consecutive victory, but he’s also hoping to make the Prodrive Hunter the fourth different car that he has driven to victory at the rally.

“The Prodrive Hunter is a sensational car. I think after three trips already to the Dakar and two second place finishes, now it’s time for this car to win the Dakar. I want to make myself part of Dakar history and the best way to do that is to win with four different brands,” said the Qatari.

Riding shotgun with Al-Attiyah at his four most recent wins has been co-driver Mathieu Baumel with the duo’s understanding of each other seeming telepathic at times as the Frenchman reads the roadbook and Al-Attiyah steers them over the dunes.

The duo has also won the 2022 and 2023 FIA World Rally-Raid Championship driver and co-driver titles.

Al-Attiyah’s move to Prodrive continues the team’s philosophy of bringing together the world’s greatest drivers with one of the most advanced cross-country rally cars ever created.

The Prodrive Hunter has been designed to cross any terrain at high speed from rocky roads to open desert, sand dunes and mountain passes while it is also powered by a new sustainable fuel – Prodrive EcoPower – which reduces its carbon emissions by 80 percent to help fight climate change.

Sharing the Prodrive paddock with Al-Attiyah in the bivouacs of the 2024 Dakar will be his new team-mate Sébastien Loeb, who has finished as runner-up to Al-Attiyah at the last two editions.

Al-Attiyah added, “This is the first time I will be a team-mate of Seb (Loeb) at the Dakar, but I already know him very well. He really is a great driver and the speed he has shown at the Dakar for these last two years has been incredible. I hope that one of us can win the Dakar in 2024.”

Secto Rally Finland has been included in the FIA Junior WRC 2024 calendar after the one-make series’ season was announced.

Open to drivers aged up to 30 and driving Ford Fiesta Rally3 Evos prepared by M-Sport Poland, the Junior WRC calendar for 2024 boasts five iconic rallies spread across a variety of surfaces.

A major change for the new campaign is the return of the legendary Secto Rally Finland with its lightning-fast roads and stomach-churning jumps. Not used in Junior WRC since 2019, the gravel event forms round four and takes place from 1 – 4 August.

The season starts slightly further north in the snowy countryside of Rally Sweden. Based in the university town of Umeå, the 15 – 18 February fixture will likely witness several crews’ ice-driving debuts but, thanks to Pirelli’s studded Sottozero tyres, traction will not be a worry.

A completely different challenge awaits at Croatia Rally (18 – 21 April), which hosts the only all-asphalt test of the year. Blind crests, fast corners and a surface which varies from smooth to badly broken will demand ultimate pace note precision.

Rally Italia Sardegna (30 May – 2 June) requires a unique approach with its soft and sandy gravel surface that becomes rougher as each car passes. The Mediterranean counter has served up endless Junior WRC drama in recent years and requires a tactical approach.

EKO Acropolis Rally Greece (5 – 8 September), taking in famous stages such as Tarzan and Bauxites, again forms the season decider and boasts the additional allure of double classification points.

The eventual champion will not only join a roll of honour which includes the likes of Sébastien Loeb and Thierry Neuville, but they will also receive a career-defining prize package featuring four fully-funded WRC2 drives in an M-Sport Fiesta Rally2 in 2025, plus 200 Pirelli tyres and full pre-event test day before each event.

M-Sport Ford has confirmed Adrien Fourmaux’s return to the FIA World Rally Championship’s top-flight, with the Frenchman set to replace Pierre-Louis Loubet at FORUM8 Rally Japan next month.

Fourmaux piloted a Ford Puma Rally1 on several rounds last season but has focused his efforts on WRC2 competition in 2023, steering a Fiesta Rally2 to several stage victories plus a podium at Secto Rally Finland. The 28-year-old has, in addition, clinched this year’s British Rally Championship title.

A statement published by M-Sport on social media channels last Friday confirmed that Fourmaux will replace Loubet in a Puma at the season-ending FORUM8 Rally Japan, which takes place from 20 – 23 November.

It said: “After clinching the 2023 British title and helping to drive Fiesta Rally2 development, we will be rewarding Adrien Fourmaux with an entry to Rally Japan in a Puma Hybrid Rally1.

The 2024 WRC calendar will take in 13 countries across four continents with the traditional Monte Carlo opener getting the season underway on 25 – 28 January.

Staying in the cold climes, Rally Sweden follows three weeks later followed by a climate swing by heading to the heat and dust of Africa for Rally Kenya from 28 – 31 March. It’s off to the tarmac of Croatia on 18 – 21 April before turning to gravel for Vodafone Rally Portugal from 9 – 12 May.

Rally Sardegna follows before the welcome return of ORLEN 80^th Rally Poland, which features furiously fast gravel roads.

Having been a successful round of the FIA European Rally Championship, Tet Rally Latvia joins the calendar as a full-blown WRC event in mid-July followed by the Grand Prix of Rallying, Secto Rally Finland at the beginning of August. From smooth fast gravel roads to rough and rocky EKO Acropolis Rally Greece stages at the beginning of September.

The long-haul Rally Chile Bio Bió rounds out September with the second running of the Central European Rally at the end of October the penultimate round before heading to Japan for the FORUM8 Rally Japan in the third week of November.

M-Sport Ford driver Pierre-Louis Loubet is avoiding any predictions of a result at next week’s Central European Rally as he searches for a confidence-boosting finish alongside new co-driver Benjamin Veillas.

Veilas previously navigated for Sebastian Ogier.

Speaking to WRC.com after a pre-event test, Loubet said “The test was good,” he said. “The weather was sunny, it was nice – the feeling was good. For next week, I don’t want to think too much to the result. With a new co-driver I just want to make a good rally. It’s the first rally with Benjamin, so I try to build the confidence and do a normal rally.”