Japan poses tough test
The World Rally Championship's leading drivers have given the thumbs up to the stages on this weekend's inaugural Rally Japan, and have admitted that it is likely to be one of the more challenging events of the season
After Thursday's recce and shakedown, double world champion Marcus Gronholm has described the narrow forest stages as a "a mix between Wales Rally GB, New Zealand and some narrow stages of Finland" and said the event was proving to be better than he expected. Citroen's Carlos Sainz described it as "quite different from much of the roads we have been competing on so far".
Gronholm added: "The stages are very narrow and fast, but on the side of the road there is a lot of grass. If you are brave, you can start cutting corners, but if you are unlucky then you can find a surprise in the grass and then you'll be going home. You need to be a little bit lucky if you decided to cut everywhere, but you can only try. For sure it will be tricky. Everyone is going to just have to try a standard set-up of the car and do their best job."
Reigning world champion Petter Solberg said: "I think it will be a good rally. I think everyone will respect it. It's quite difficult. There are many unseen corners. I hope that everyone stays on the road, which is a good thing for spectators and everybody. I just hope for a clean fight."
Ford's Markko Martin added: "From a drivers' point of view, leg one and leg two are a bit boring as they look similar to each other, but they are very fast and narrow so that doesn't mean they are easy to drive. They're quite difficult to drive fast, and, if you make a mistake, there are steep ditches on both sides all the time. The third leg is the best one of this rally, and these are really challenging stages - not easy for sure."
The weather could prove to be the critical element: The Hokkaido island, on which the event is based, has been suffering the aftermath of Typhoon Chaba. It is currently warm and sunny, however, with conditions set to stay that way for the weekend.
Why the time was right for Ford's F1 return with Red Bull
Some 22 years after pulling the plug out of Jaguar and handing the keys to a certain Dietrich Mateschitz, the paths of Ford and Red Bull have crossed again. And their 2026 Formula 1 alliance makes sense for both parties.
Vandoorne joins Peugeot WEC team as reserve driver
Reigning Formula E champion Stoffel Vandoorne will serve as Peugeot’s official reserve driver in its first full season in the World Endurance Championship in 2023.
Red Bull duo say Ricciardo F1 sim input will be a boost
Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez reckon Red Bull will gain significantly from Daniel Ricciardo working in its simulator on Formula 1 weekends as part of his new third driver role.
Who needs a big year in MotoGP in 2023?
The beginning of the new season provides many with a fresh start, and for a few MotoGP contenders this applies for different reasons. From fighting to stay on the grid to battling for even bigger prizes beyond trophies, here’s five figures in need of a massive 2023
Why Monte Carlo success could spark another past master’s WRC revival
Some 39 years on from his Monte Carlo Rally debut, World Rally Championship legend Francois Delecour continues to pick up silverware. Proving that age is purely a number, the 60-year-old's desire to compete against the WRC’s latest young talents could be the start of a new chapter in the Frenchman’s storied career
How fired-up Ogier became the WRC's ultimate Monte master
He may only be contesting a part-time campaign in the World Rally Championship these days, but Sebastien Ogier underlined that he's lost none of his speed in the 2023 season opener. Storming to yet another victory on the Monte Carlo Rally, the eight-time world champion rewrote the history books again as Toyota served notice of its intentions with a crushing 1-2
How Lancia pulled off its famous Monte Carlo giantkilling
Audi should have been invincible in the snowy conditions that typically greeted the World Rally Championship paddock in Monte Carlo. But unexpectedly warm weather for the 1983 season opener, combined with some left-field thinking from the Lancia crew turned the tables. Forty years on, team boss Cesare Fiorio reflects on a smash and grab
Why M-Sport has pinned all its efforts on a WRC reunion
M-Sport had a disastrous 2022 with its Rally1 Ford Pumas following Sebastien Loeb’s first-time-out win on the Monte. But now things are looking up with 2019 world champion Ott Tanak leading its attack, and the Cumbrian operation has optimism that it can challenge for a first title since Sebastien Ogier's departure at the end of 2018
The contenders seeking to take Rovanpera's WRC crown
As Kalle Rovanpera begins his World Rally Championship title defence in Monte Carlo, the Finn knows he has a target on his back. But who is best placed to knock the Toyota ace off his perch?
Why Rovanpera is anticipating a fight to defend his WRC title
Question: what could be harder than becoming the youngest-ever World Rally champion? Answer: becoming the youngest-ever two-time World Rally champion. That's quite the challenge facing Toyota's Kalle Rovanpera in 2022, particularly against rejuvenated opposition in the second year of the WRC's hybrid regulations
From F1 to WRC: Why Hyundai's new boss could be an inspired signing
OPINION: New Hyundai WRC team boss Cyril Abiteboul admits he’s got a lot to learn as he leads the marque's efforts to dethrone Toyota. But could his Formula 1 experience and evident strengths mean he turns out to be an inspired choice?
The ultimate rally car project the WRC is glad COVID killed
Toyota was unstoppable in the 2021 World Rally Championship, with an excellent 75% strike rate from 12 rallies. But in a scary proposition for its rivals, the Japanese marque had built a car for the final year of the previous regulations set which it believes was much faster and could feasibly have crushed the opposition completely. Here the story of its mothballed world-beater
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.