2024 WRC SEASON PREVIEW
Source: Red Bull Content Pool
January 24th, 2024
The World Rally Championship is only a few hours away from the opening Shakedown in the iconic Alps of Monte Carlo to launch the 2024 season. As defending Champion Kalle Rovanpera drops to a part-time role, the opportunity for a new Champion is greater than ever. Many questions are in the air, with the possibility of Hyundai upsetting Toyota’s hot streak at the top after five consistent Drivers Championships. 13 rounds lie ahead across Tarmac, snow, gravel and mud, the WRC is set to put on an entertaining season.
Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT
2023 Standings: 1st (304 Points)
Toyota went from strength to strength in 2023 as they won 8 of the first 10 events, comfortably wrapping up their fifth straight driver’s championship and fourth Manufacturer’s championship of the modern era. Despite keeping the Finnish pair of Rovanpera and Halttunen for the upcoming season, Toyota enter the 2024 championship with their weakest full-time line-up since returning to the category in 2017 with Elfyn Evans and Takamoto Katsuta. Without a doubt, Evans will be the team leader for the season as Katsuta enters his fourth full-time season with Toyota, aiming to claim his maiden World Rally Championship victory. Rovanpera, alongside returning Sebastian Ogier, will play a critical role in Toyota’s competitiveness as they swap between events in the third car. We predict that Toyota will relinquish its crown in 2024 as the Hyundai team aligns with its strongest competitive team in the last decade.
2024 Prediction (Teams): 2nd
Source: Red Bull Content Pool
Takamoto Katsuta / Aaron Johnston #18
2023 Season: 7th (105 Points)
Katsuta and Johnston after two years of development will officially represent Toyota as a dedicated points-paying car for the entire year. After a consistent 2022 season, Katsuta failed to build in 2023 scoring fewer points after a tough start to the year that only saw him finish two of the opening six events in the points. In 2024 Katsuta needs to finish the majority of events in the points and consistently challenge for top 5 finishes for Toyota to have any chance of claiming the Teams Championship. The Japanese driver is yet to step on the top of the podium after four career podiums thus far, but his season in 2024 will present more opportunities with the talent to perform on both gravel and tarmac events.
Strongest Events: Finland, Kenya, Japan
Weakest Events: Italia Sardegna, Esontia, Monte Carlo
Elfyn Evans / Scott Martin #33
2023 Season: 2nd (216 Points)The 2023 WRC season saw Elfyn Evans and Scott Martin being the bridesmaids for the third time in four years, as they fell 34 points short of teammates Rovanpera and Halttunen despite a career-best season that included only the pair missing out on points twice alongside three victories and seven podiums. The British pair now step up as the team leaders as departing champions. Kalle and Jonne have changed to a part-time schedule for the foreseeable future. Like many on the full-time entry list, Evans for the upcoming season brings the best chance to clinch his maiden World Rally Championship Crown. Facing the likes of Thierry Neuville and Ott Tanak, Evans will have more pressure than ever as he flies the Toyota banner to continue to mark a historic sixth straight drivers championship for the Japanese manufacturer.
Strongest Events: Monte Carlo, Croatia, Finland
Weakest Events: Italia Sardegna, Greece, Poland
Sebastien Ogier / Vincent Landais #17
2023 Season: 5th (133 Points)
Sebastian Ogier, during his part-time schedule in 2023, showed his legendary status as he claimed three victories, including a record-breaking ninth win on the streets of Monte Carlo, with new Co-driver Vincent Landais. The French pair return for 2024 on another part-time in the World Rally Championship with Toyota and will play a valuable role alongside Rovanpera to clinch Toyota’s eighth Manufacturers championship in 2024. The Eight-time WRC Champions 2024 events list hasn’t been released, but Ogier will again be the one to catch in Monte Carlo as he aims for his 10th victory in the Monte Carlo Alps.
Strongest Events: Monte Carlo, Mexico, Kenya
Weakest Events: Italia Sardegna, Portugal, Finland
Kalle Rovanperä / Jonne Halttunen #69
2023 Season: 1st (250 Points)
Kalle Rovanpera and Jonne Halttunen broke more records to claim back-to-back championships in 2023. As the Rumour-mill went into full action, Rovernpera announced he would take a break from the entire World Rally Championship season and run a part-time campaign before season end. In 2024, Rovanpera’s season will start in the Arctic snow of Sweden, starting a new career era. The young Fin’s schedule for the year ahead is not known yet, but will most likely participate in a handful of events, such as his home event in Finland. Like Ogier, Rovanpera is a strong contender to win an event in 2024 despite not running full-time.
Strongest Events: Sweden, Portugal, Estonia
Weakest Events: Italia Sardegna and Japan
Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT
2023 Standings: 2nd (42 Points)
Hyundai endured a tough start to their 2023 campaign, being the last manufacturer to get on the board with a victory in June at Rally Sardegna. After the tragic passing of Craig Breen in the build-up to Rally Croatia, the team lost one of its best assets but was able to rebuild in the second half of the season through Thierry Neuville and Esapekka Lappi. This year, the Korean brand has the strongest lineup in the Rally1 class, with five rally winners in the top class at their disposal. A decade after returning to the top flight of rallying, Hyundai has their best chance yet to sweep their championships. The team must manage their Full-time drivers of Ott Tanak and Nevuille, as both will be strong contenders for the championship.
2024 Prediction (Teams): 1st
Source: Red Bull Content Pool
2023 Standings: 2nd (42 Points)
Hyundai endured a tough start to their 2023 campaign, being the last manufacturer to get on the board with a victory in June at Rally Sardegna. After the tragic passing of Craig Breen in the build-up to Rally Croatia, the team lost one of its best assets but was able to rebuild in the second half of the season through Thierry Neuville and Esapekka Lappi. This year, the Korean brand has the strongest lineup in the Rally1 class, with five rally winners in the top class at their disposal. A decade after returning to the top flight of rallying, Hyundai has their best chance yet to sweep their championships. The team must manage their Full-time drivers of Ott Tanak and Nevuille, as both will be strong contenders for the championship.
Thierry Neuville / Martijn Wydaeghe #11
2023 Season: 3rd (189 Points)
Thierry Neuville led the resurgence of Hyundai in 2023 after a difficult start to the season on tarmac that saw the belgian finish a lucky third after other contenders stumbled. Despite the Disqualification in Safari Kenya, Neuville was able to claim two victories and three further podiums, only just falling short of Elfyn Evans for second in the standings. Neuville in 2024 marks his 10th year aligned with the Hyundai team after the Korean brand returned to the top class of rallying, but year after year has failed to claim their first drivers championship. Since 2016, Neuville hasnt finished below fourth, including three consecutive runner-up finishes to Sebastian Ogier, with a trio of third place finishes in as mant years leading to this season. The 35 year old is hitting the latter half of his career and it’s now or never to reach his dream of becoming a WRC Chmapion with the Hyundai being the most developed car over the offseason, But Neuville will face his younger teammate of Ott Tanak to reach the top.
Strongest Events: Monte Carlo, Sweden, Estonia
Weakest Events: Safari Kenya
Ott Tanak / Martin Jarveoja #8
2023 Season: 4th (174 Points)
After departing Hyundai at the end of 2022, Ott Tanak hoped to bring M-Sport and their Puma to the top of the World Rally Championship, but the relationship between the two parties fell through at the end of the 2023 season. Tanak was able to take victories in Sweden and Chile to cement fourth in the standings but couldn’t bring the Puma consistently up the front. Ott Tanak, in his previous venture at Hyundai, was able to beat Neuville in 2020 and 2022, collecting five victories and 16 podiums over the three years. Tanak will be hoping for more of his previous speed in 2024 as he aims for the second World Rally Championship of his career.
Strongest Events: Croatia, Chile, Sweden
Weakest Events: Monte Carlo and Italia Sardegna
Esapekka Lappi / Janne Ferm #4
2023 Season: 6th (113 Points)
Esapekka Lappi returned to a full-time role in 2023 for Hyundai but slips to a part-time role for the 2024 season as all three manufacturers elect for two full-time positions rather than three. Lappi was terrific claiming four podiums resulting in a sixth in the standings by season’s end. Although his role might have diminished for 2024, Lappi has vast knowledge of the I20 and will help him stitch up some top-tier results on a consistent basis.
Strongest Events: Sweden, Estonia
Dani Sordo / Candido Carrera #6
2023 Season: 8th (63 Points)
Experienced Spaniard Dani Sordo lines up for his 21st season in the World Rally Championship and similar to teammate Neuville, stuck with Hyundai since returning to WRC. Sordo Similar to the last few years will run between 4-5 events for the team sharing the car alongside Lappi and Mikkelsen. Sordo over his career has always shown consistency in claiming podiums with regular points finishes. Despite the sad end to 2023 after a comedic crash alongside the Fourmoux M-sport Ford, Sordo continues to put in consistent performances despite entering the twilight of his career.
Strongest Event: Portugal
Weakest Event: Japan
Andreas Mikkelsen / Torstein Eriksen #9
2023 Season WRC2: 1st (134 Points)
The Norwegian was able to claim his second WRC2 title in 2023 and returns to the top class of the WRC with Hyundai in a part-time role. Mikkelsen has had success in the World Rally Championship over the last decade with podiums at Volkswagen, and Citroen, along with his previous stint with Hyundai between 2017 and 2019. His signing marks a final opportunity in the Rally1 class to perform and solidify his place as teammate Dani Sordo eyes retirement in the coming years. Mikkelsen is no young himself, the 34-year-old has been rallying for nearly two decades and to retain his future, must get podiums in 2024 and not let this chance slip.
M-Sport Ford WRT
2023 Standings: 3rd (287 Points)
M-Sport Ford after the departure of Champion Ott Tanak, the British team enters their fifth different paring in as many years as Pierre-Louis Loubet steps down to WRC2. M-Sport has promoted Adrian Fourmoux back to the top class after a year himself in WRC2 alongside Belgian-born Gregoire Munster. In 2024, Frenchman Fourmoux will have another chance in the Rally1 class after his season in 2022 that musted up a lowly 13 points with five retirements and 3 withdrawals. Fourmoux must bring the M-Sport machinery to rally end consistently this year to solidify his space in 2025. Munster in his first World Rally entries at Chile and Europe respectively set down an impressive standard with two top 15 finishes, including points at the Central European Rally. 2024 Will be a building year for the rookie as he aims to solidify his future in the WRC through consistent finishes and bringing the car home.
2024 Prediction (Teams): 3rd
Source: Red Bull Content Pool
