After 19 years, the long-awaited legendary Safari Rally in Kenya returns to the FIA World Rally Championships for round 6 of the 2021 Championships. This iconic rally has been absent since 2002 and although it was hoped to return last year, the global pandemic prevented it; but this weekend the Safari Adventure IS happening and the entire World of rallying is incredibly excited.
First, run way back in 1953 as the East African Safari Rally of Kenya, the Safari Rally of past times is no more, but the modern-day version will most definitely offer up one heck of a challenge for the Worlds best drivers. With stunning landscapes and challenging roads, wildlife is not the only hazard to be aware of.
Round 5 of the 2021 FIA World Rally Championship emerged from the Mediterranean island of Sardinia as an unexpected result for some but a total disaster in contrast for others. The rally produced a number of turning points, with Leg 2 on the Saturday becoming the most eventful.
The Hyundai World Rally Team started off the day (Saturday) in a strong position, Estonian Ott Tänak in the rally lead with his teammate Dani Sordo behind in second. The signs were that the Korean automobile brand was going to continue on in their history of success on the Italian island once again.
Saturday morning in Sardinia offered a fresh day for some, but a continued battle for others, overnight rain had dampened the stages and the sky was overcast. With just under 130km over a further 8 stages, some well-known stages were to feature on the route and with reversed road orders, Saturday in Sardinia would deliver carnage out on the stages.
Round 5 of the 2021 FIA World Rally Championship returned to the Mediterranean island of Sardinia, for Rally Italia Sardegna, a rally where Hyundai has been strong in recent years.
Their driver Thierry Neuville posted the fastest time in his i20 Coupe WRC on the new 2.9km shakedown test, Loiri Porto San Paolo on Thursday morning, but the Belgian was unable to carry that speed into the opening leg of the rally of Friday morning.
The FIA World Rally Championship first visited the stunningly beautiful Mediterranean island of Sardinia back in 2004, where the Subaru Impreza of Petter Solberg battled with the Citreon Xsara of Sebastian Loeb. Petter triumphed to go down in the WRC history books as the first winner of a World Rally on the sun-kissed Italian island.
Whizz forward to 2021 and Petters son Oliver was due to compete for his second outing in a full-blown Hyundai i20 WRC; however, since the last round of the championship in Portugal, Petter had contracted COVID, which has unfortunately forced the young Olivers hands.
After sitting out of the calendar last year due to COVID, Round 4 of the 2021 FIA World Rally Championships, the 54th Vodafone Rally de Portugal not only sees a return for one of the original legendary World Rallies but also sees the return to gravel rallying for the first of four full gravel events this year.
The opening leg of the rally proved a challenging one, with limited numbers of allocated tyres and a total of 122km over 8 stages there was no service, so making it back to the end of day service park in one piece was going to be important.
For the fourth stop on the 2021 FIA World Rally Championship tour, it’s a return to a European favourite, The Vodafone Rally De Portugal who has been hosting top-level rallying since 1973.
With its Porto base in the North of the country, Rally Portugal also sees a welcomed return to gravel rallying, some 221 days since the previous gravel event in Sardinia last year. Featuring 20 stages over 337km, rally Portugal will prove a tough one to predict a winner. From the past 5 World Rallies in Portugal, there has been 5 different winners and 5 different teams.
The final day of Rally Croatia, the third round of the 2021 FIA World Rally Championships produced a truly thrilling and an extremely close final battle. This brand new Asphalt rally was the first of the four full tarmac rounds this year and has certainly delivered a challenge for the Worlds best drivers.
Before the final days’ action had even begun out on the stages there was drama for the overnight rally leader, Sébastien Ogier. The seven-time World Champion was involved in a road traffic collision on the road section prior to the first stage of the day.
With another 8 stages over 121kms of competitive action, the second day of Rally Croatia was the longest leg of the event. Overnight rally leader Thierry Neuville had a far from ideal start to the mornings’ loop. Starting the day with a 7.7-second lead over Sébastien Ogier, the tyre strategy between teams would play a big part right from the off on that opening stage.
Making its debut into the FIA World Rally Championship this year and to the top level of rallying is newcomer Rally Croatia for round 3 of the Championships.
With its service park based in the capital city of Zagreb to the northwest of Croatia, this new Asphalt rally has already delivered an extremely challenging opening day for the worlds best rally drivers from the WRC, WRC-2, WRC-3, and Junior WRC.
