WRC too close to call
Tomorrow sees the start of the Tour de Corse, the fourth round of the 2017 World Rally Championship.
It is just seven months since the last Tour de Corse, the French national rally run on the island of Corsica.
A change in the World Rally Championship calendar moved the event from late summer to the European spring.
The rally of 10 000 corners, over 10 special stages of challenging tarmac, will start on the roads around Ajaccio.
The stages are challenging and will bring out the best in every one of the protagonists.
The all tarmac rally has always been an exciting round of the championship and this year’s event should be no exception.
The championship table is wide open with Sebastian Ogier in the M Sport World Rally Team Ford Fiesta just eight points ahead of Jarri-Matti Latvala in the Yaris of the Toyota Gazoo WRC team. Ogier’s team-mate, Ott Tanak, is third a further 10 points back.
Hyundai Motorsport will be looking for a more solid result with both Dani Sordo and Thierry Neuville more than 36 points behind Ogier, chased by Mexico rally winner Kris Meeke in the Citroen Total Abu Dhabi WRT, just one point behind Neuville.
Tour de Corse is a rally that can turn the championship on its head and with competition as close as we have seen so far this season it is going to be an event to follow minute by minute.