YOUR TEAM-BY-TEAM GUIDE TO THE WALES RALLY GB FRONTRUNNERS
CAR: HYUNDAI i20 COUPE WRC TEAM PRINCIPAL: MICHEL NANDAN
THIERRY NEUVILLE
Nationality: Belgian Age: 30 Co-driver: Nicolas Gilsoul (BEL) WRC rounds started: 94 WRC wins: 9 WRGB starts: 6 WRGB best result: 2nd (2017) Has the speed to win this rally, but does he yet have the craft? We’ve seen him on the podium a couple of times, but he’s never really managed to tailor the i20 to the constant grip changes on offer in Wales. If it rains, this week will be by far the best chance he’s had of winning – but he has to balance that risk with the potential bigger-picture reward of a championship. What he doesn’t need is a repeat of Turkey…
ANDREAS MIKKELSEN
Nationality: Norwegian Age: 29 Co-driver: Anders Jaeger (NOR) WRC rounds started: 97 WRC wins: 3 WRGB starts: 8 WRGB best result: 3rd (2015) Behind Elfyn Evans, Mikkelsen is the driver who knows this place the best. That might sound off for a 29-year-old born in Oslo, but 12 years ago he was all about Ruthin. He lived in the town on the fringes of Clocaenog forest and spent much of his latter teenage years testing and competing around these woods in a Ford Focus RS WRC. He won’t remember the specifics, but he’ll understand the lie of the land and how conditions can change.
HAYDEN PADDON
Nationality: New Zealand Age: 31 Co-driver: Seb Marshall (GBR) WRC rounds started: 77 WRC wins: 1 WRGB starts: 8 WRGB best result: 4th (2016) Parts of the route aren’t a million miles away from what he knows 12,000 miles away at home. Curiously though, Paddon’s never gone tremendously well in Wales. He comes with good experience of the rally and needs to find a balance within the car as quickly as possible on Friday. If he does that and the weather’s with him (ie: it’s sunny not rainy) then anything is possible for the likeable and ultimately pacy Kiwi.