Motorsport, Rally, British Rally, Web-Zine, E-Zine, E-Mag, Magazine
An Arctic adventure awaits the 120 competitors who face more than 200 kilometres of snowy icy roads and sub-zero temperatures in the wilderness of the Arctic Circle.
The 56th Arctic Lapland Rally 2021 starts on Friday afternoon from the host town of Rovaniemi, Finland; consisting of 3 stages on Friday followed by a further 4 on Saturday in the winter wonderland of Lapland.
Further alterations have been made to the Monte Carlo-Rally which is due to take place in the coming week (21st – 24th January), as the opening round of the 2021 FIA World Rally Championships. The accepted entry list has also been published which includes 84 competitors.
In addition to the schedule changes that were detailed back in December following the restrictions to the area relating to COVID-19. The Automobile Club De Monaco have faced further challenges with the new tighter restrictions and curfews.
Following on from a trepid rally in 2020 where Rallye Sweden only just ran by the skin of its teeth due to the lack of Snow, Ice and Wintery conditions; it was then hit again for 2021 by the global pandemic of COVID forcing its cancellation.
But now local Swedish news SVT are reporting the future of the event and its return to the FIA World Rally Championship in 2022 is also a concern for the Swedes.
Local Finnish news are reporting that the decision on a possible Arctic Winter Rally replacement for Sweden’s slot in the WRC is due to meet its deadline next Wednesday 13th January.
Both budget and the levels of COVID-19 are the considerations here. Reported new cases of COVID remain a constant each day and have not spiked significantly over the past few weeks, but a close eye is to be kept on the numbers.
Following on from our previous thoughts back in December surrounding the concerns over Rally GB and the challenges that it faces, with regards to funding and the effects of COVID-19. We now find ourselves in January of 2021, approximately 8 months away from our allocated slot in the 2021 FIA World Rally Championships (which is 19th – 22nd Aug) and still there appears to be radio silence on the event from our governing body, Motorsport UK or any such organiser/promoter of the rally.
From 6pm (18:00 hrs) on the 2nd January a number of regions within France were placed under an extended curfew, in an attempt by the local French Government Authorities to fight the increasing levels of COVID-19 amid the global pandemic which is increasingly affecting many parts of not just France but Europe. Home of our 7 times World Champ Seb Ogier, the region of the Southern Alpes and the City of GAP for which plays host to the Rallye Monte Carlo is included in this curfew.
