The list of starters at the second staging of the Central European Rally, from 17th to 20th October, is now official, adding to the anticipation ahead of round 12 of 13 in this season’s FIA World Rally Championship (WRC).
The field will be led by Belgians Thierry Neuville and Martijn Wydaeghe in a Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid, who currently hold a comfortable lead in the WRC class over their team-mates Ott Tänak and Martin Järveoja (EST). The best-placed Toyota pairings of Sébastien Ogier / Vincent Landais (FRA) and Elvyn Evans / Scott Martin (GBR) will also be in action, as will Ford spearheads Adrien Fourmaux and Alexandre Coria (FRA). The entry lists in the WRC2 and WRC3 categories also promise to produce some exciting racing, particularly for local fans, as strong German and Czech teams will be looking to have a say in the international field. As well as reigning German rally champion Marijan Griebel (Skoda Fabia RS), Armin Kremer (Skoda Fabia RS) also starts having already been crowned FIA Masters Cup champion.
With 17 teams, the WRC2 field is particularly exciting, especially as it also features some strong local teams. Sweden’s Oliver Solberg (Skoda) has enjoyed an impressive season so far, but will be entering uncharted waters at the CER: “The Central European Rally will be a totally new challenge for me, but that is exactly what I love about rallying. Although the last time I raced on asphalt was at the season-opener in Monte Carlo, I want to show that I can compete at the very front on all surfaces and in all conditions.” In the Citroën C3 camp, France’s Yohan Rossel could be top man. “There is no question about it: our Citroën feels right at home on asphalt – and so do I. I am hoping for nice weather, then we will hopefully have as many fans on the routes as we did last year.”
Full entry list
Central European Rally
