The Monte Carlo Rally kicks off the 51st edition of the World Championships from Thursday to Sunday Finland’s Kalle Rovanpera and his brand Toyota of Japan defend the drivers’ and manufacturers’ titles respectively.

Rovanpera, 22, has given up wearing number 1 (he always wears 69) After becoming the youngest-ever World Rally Champion in 2022, he is leading the entry list for the 2023 World Championship and the Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Team, which will also include Great Britain’s Elfyn Evans as a full-time driver.

At the wheel of the Toyota GR Yaris Rally 1 is Japanese Takamoto Katsuta. Frenchman Sébastien Ogier is an eight-time world champion and multiple winner of the Monte Carlo Rally.

If Ogier does not race, there will be a fourth car from his Japanese home for a private driver. Katsuta will compete in all rallies, but will only qualify for the Constructors’ Championship if Ogier is not participating.

The main novelty for the drivers of the 2023 World Rally Championship is the transfer of Estonian Ott Tänak from Hyundai to Ford M-Sport., the 2019 champion, returned to a team owned by Malcolm Wilson, who ended his contract with the South Korean brand and gave him his first opportunity as an official driver in 2012. Puma Rally 1 goes to France’s Pierre-Louis Roubet.

The third and final official team is Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT.led by former Renault Formula One team manager Cyril Abitebourg, continued to use Belgian Thierry Neuville as the first driver in the i20 N Rally 1, finishing runner-up five times in the world and finishing third on the last two occasions. Now is the season.

The second i20 will be left to Finn Esapekka Lappi full-time, while the third i20 will be replaced by Irishman Craig Breen, who has returned to the team after spending time with M-Sport Ford last year. Spaniard Dani Sordo, who postponed his intention to retire after 2022, will face an eight-race program this year.

Mexico is back.catalan leaves

The 2023 World Cup will consist of 13 rallies, one less than originally planned, as they were canceled as one scoring race in Saudi Arabia.

One of the main novelties is the return of the Rally of Mexico, which was absent in 2021 and 2022. .

Additionally, the Central Europe Rally (one day each) featuring three nations – Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic – will appear in the World Cup, replacing the Spain-Catalonia Rally, which is no longer part of the event. .

In 2023, the New Zealand and Ypres-Belgium rallies will not be held as World Cup events. The event will conclude with the Japan Rally in mid-November.

Monte Carlo Rally kicks off

The oldest (held since 1911) and prestigious Monte Carlo Rally starts the championship between Thursday and Sunday.

Despite the unpredictable weather conditions on the stage, such as ice and snow, the tests are mainly conducted on asphalt. In the same section pilots can find all conditions: dry, frozen and snowy sectors.

All of this makes tire choice important in a race where no mechanical assistance is provided in the middle of each stage at any stage of the rally’s four days.

The race kicks off on Thursday with a ‘shakedown’ (previous test) and two timed specials. La Cabanet/Col de Castillon, 24.90.

Six stages will be held on Friday. There are his two paths of his 18.33 km through Roure/Roubion/Beuil. Puget-Taignier/Saint-Antonin, 19.79; and Briançonnet/Entrevaux, 14.55.

On Saturday there will be another loop of 6 more 3 sections. Marijay/Pumichel, 17.31; and Ubraye/Entrevaux, 21.78.

The race ends on Sunday with the final four specials. The other is La Bollène-Vésubie/Col de Turini at 15.12, which will be the final ‘power stage’ that gives extra points (5, 4, 3, 2, 1) to the best of the five.

There are 1,534.79 kilometers in total, of which 325.02 kilometers correspond to 18 sections.