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Following an open invitation by the event organisers where the COC suggested that WRC teams could simply stop by Estonia on route to Finland ahead of the Arctic Rally Finland (the second round of the FIA World Rally Championships) and use their event, the Otepää Winter Rally (which was the opening round of the Estonian Rally Championship) as a shakedown.
Local Qatari Nasser Al-Attiyah was joined by Britains Kris Meeke to contest the Qatar International Rally 2021, the opening round of the FIA Middle East Rally Championship (MERC).
Former WRC driver Meeke had recently taken part in the Dhaka Rally where he competed in the Lightweights for PH-Sport and arrived in Qatar to similar conditions. Finishing the world-famous Daka endurance event last in category, did however prepare him well for the fast desert tracks of Qatar.
Further challenges could face RedBull the FIA World Rally Championships promoter with further alterations to the 2021 Calendar.
Rumours surface that once again for the second consecutive year The Safari Rally Kenya may have to sit out from the FIA World Rally Championships.
Ypres is suggested to move back to its traditional late June date and perhaps an alternative reserve event, possibly The Acropolis Rally Greece could fill the August slot in the WRC schedule.
Approx 260km across a possible 10 stages are expected for the Arctic Rally Finland behind closed doors.
It is to be expected that the 2nd round of the FIA World Rally Championships will like the Monte Carlo Rally did, run behind closed doors with no spectators.
The Lapland Regional Government currently have in place a ban on holding public events for more than 50 people until the end of February.
After an overnight haul down south to Monte Carlo, 50 of the 84 Competitors remained to start the final day of the 89th Monte Carlo Rally, the opening round of the FIA World Rally Championships 2021.
With just 54km over four stages to contend, it was a Toyota 1-2-3 led by 7 times World Champ Sébastien Ogier alongside Julien Ingrassia in the Co-Drivers seat heading into this final loop of action.
It was another early start for the crews who now faced the typical Monte like conditions that we were expecting. The first test of the day was an 18km stage SS9 La Bréole – Selonnet 1, where parts of the stage would feel familiar from previous years. From the start, it climbed up to its highest point at about 5km in with a decent amount of snow and ice throughout; but it was at the end of the stage which was particularly bad; so it was a full set of studded winter tyres all around. The road order had now been reversed for today so perhaps offered up a bit of shake-up for the road conditions.
The second day of the Monte Carlo Rally started in the darkness early Friday morning with a 19km stage: SS3 – Asperemont – Le Batie-des-Fonts. A stage which was last used in 2019, it climbs to the top of a Col where at around 12-14km into the stage a 4km surprise in the form of patches of shiny ice awaited the crews; before an interesting decent tiptoeing back down towards the finish.
It has been some 46 days from when we saw Sebastian Ogier take he’s 7th World Rally Drivers title at The Rally Monza in December last year; which brought a close to a torrid 2020 World Rally season. Since then, in the passing weeks, The FIA World Rally Championships has already faced similar challenges before a competitive wheel had even been turned.
But finally, the hills (or should we say the Alpes?) are alive to the sound of horsepower once again as the Rallye Monte Carlo got underway from its host town of GAP, France.
It has been an arduous journey for all involved in the Monte Carlo Rally this year. Through a relentless and enduring few months filled with issues and challenges caused by the global COVID-19 Pandemic and for some, the added logistical issues navigating Brexit also. The Rally Monte Carlo 2021 is finally all go now following the organisers, The Automobile Club De Monaco obtaining the final nod from the Hautes-Alpes department last Friday.