How the new WRC event format at Rally Estonia will work

Thierry Neuville says Rally Estonia’s new condensed 50-hour event schedule is a “good idea" and is hopeful the World Rally Championship can adopt a mixture of similar formats in the future.

Rally Estonia organisers will roll out a new format this week that aims to offer up a more compact event that should reduce operational costs for both the event and the teams.

The rally has not been shortened in length with crews still tackling 301.8km spread across 18 stages that concludes on Sunday afternoon. But the format of the event has been altered with crews arriving to Estonia’s host city Tartu later in the week. The majority of crews will begin their reconnaissance today [Wednesday], ahead of Thursday’s ceremonial start.

Shakedown has been moved to Friday morning before the field then completes six stages across the afternoon, punctuated by a tyre fitting zone, before returning to service at 20:45.

Saturday will prove to be a marathon day, featuring nine stages, including a midday service point, which will begin at 10am. The final stage of the day starts at 20:35 local time. The rally will conclude on Sunday with two passes of the 24.39km Kaariku stage.

It is not the first time a WRC event has adopted a condensed format, as Rally Sardinia trialled a similar 48-hour event schedule in 2024.

Hyundai driver Neuville has welcomed a return of a more compact rally and believes more format changes could be on the horizon under the WRC’s yet-to-be-announced new commercial rights holder.

Thierry Neuville

Photo by: Hyundai

“We did something similar in Sardinia, and I think it is a good idea,” Neuville told Autosport. “I have said this many times that we need some longer rallies and we need some shorter rallies [in the WRC] and we need this mix of itineraries.

“I think this is what the new promoter is planning too, to bring something new for the itinerary.”

After a difficult start to the season, 2024 world champion Neuville heads into Estonia as the leading Hyundai driver, sitting sixth in the championship, 67 points off leader Elfyn Evans.

Victory in Portugal and a confidence-boosting second in Greece has left the Belgian believing he can challenge for victory on Estonia’s gravel roads.

“We’re heading into Estonia with confidence after two gravel rallies where we have consistently shown strong pace and fought for victory,” added Neuville.

“Taking a win and a second place is encouraging, and our pre-event test also felt very positive. We’ve been competitive in Estonia in recent years, and if the conditions stay dry, they should suit us well.

“The key to this rally is finding the right balance between traction, precision and protection over the huge jumps, while having complete trust in the car. Our goal is clear: to fight for victory and score a lot of points to fight back in the championship.”