For Bates, though, whose stellar run of perfect weekends came to an end at the recent Forest Rally, the goal is a simple one – to win and extend his championship lead.
His relentless pursuit of stage wins will keep him aiming high regardless of the competition around him, as will the challenge he faces with stand-in co-driver Coral Taylor.
Taylor is a four-time Australian Rally Champion in her own right and her CV far outweighs that of her driver for this event. She will get the chance to experience the Toyota GR Yaris AP4 for the first time, while also calling notes in the ARC yet another time.
Don't expect the leader's change to hamper his performance, though.
The glaring omission from the entry list is Eli Evans. His pace in Western Australia had rally fans salivating at a big fight at the front, but he and his team are re-grouping as they look to improve the reliability of the Mini Cooper AP4.
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