With the WRC2, WRC3 and JWRC titles already decided, the main titles waiting to be resolved are the Drivers and Manufacturers championships and the WRC Trophy, all of which could be decided in Britain without waiting to go to the final round in Australia three weeks later.
Entries for Wales Rally GB have been released, with 17 World Rally Car entries, 23 WRC2 entries and two WRC3 entries.
There are a total of 79 entries for the international event. Together with competitors in the separate National event, the total for the two events is 160 cars.
There had been hopes the expanded facility for admitting nationally homologated or recognised cars would open up the field to many cars not regularly seen on WRC events.
The only noteworthy cars admitted under the new rules however are two historic Mark 2 Escorts, cars which were prominent WRC competitors in the early ‘eighties. Other Escort Mark 2s have been entered in the National category.
The National event is run over a shortened route on the Saturday and the Sunday and does not qualify for the National rally championship.
Keep fingers crossed for a safe but exciting weekend of sport. It was 50 years ago this autumn that the round-Britain (then called) RAC Rally was cancelled on 14 hours’ notice due to a sudden escalation of a Foot and Mouth epidemic.
And with the decision to move the British round of the WRC next year to early October, this could be the last time the traditional experience of cold, dark and dank British forests will be savoured by fans. Get full value from the event while you can!
Team by Team
Citroen
The team reported no unexpected incidents in their successful Catalunya Rally, but recognise there is still work to do to improve the car on gravel. Special challenge on WRGB are reliable wipers and effective windscreen demisting.
The team has not made any pre-WRGB test in Wales, spending four days testing in Mazamet region near Toulouse preferring to maximise this year’s test allocation in order to concentrate on improving the car for the 2018 season. Cars used on WRGB are chassis 4 for Kris Meeke, a new car 11 for Craig Breen and 8 for Sheikh Khalid Al Qassimi.
Opinions on the Saturday night stages “WRGB is a very demanding and selective rally, but it’s very interesting for the sport and the rally”. Optimal running order? “If it’s dry further back is better, if the ground is just wet it’s better to be at the front.
WRC Trophy contender Jourdan Serderidis drives a DS3 WRC.
Can Kris Meeke take back to back WRC wins?
Sebastien Ogier will be looking to wrap up the drivers title in GB
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