Ranking the top 10 WRC drivers of 2023

Kalle Rovanpera underlined his once-in-a-generation talent by successfully defending his World Rally Championship title in 2023, becoming only the sixth driver in history to do so.

The 23-year-old found the going much harder compared to his romp to the 2022 title, but the Finn’s blend of speed and maturity meant the title was wrapped up with a round to spare.

While Toyota continued as the dominant force, scoring nine wins from 13 rounds, in general, the second year of Rally1 hybrid regulations produced a more intense fight between the Japanese manufacturer and its rivals as Hyundai and M-Sport-Ford both claimed two victories apiece.

Five pairings stood on the top step of the podium and eight crews enjoyed rostrum visits as the championship enjoyed returns to Mexico and Chile, and the all-new three-country Central European Rally.

Here’s Autosport's pick of the top 10 drivers from the 2023 WRC season.

10. Dani Sordo – Hyundai Motorsport

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

Sordo produced his best performance of the year aboard Hyundai's third car in Portugal to finish second

Wins: 0
Total Podiums: 2 (2nd – Portugal; 3rd - Greece)
Stage wins: 6
Championship position: 8th

The veteran Spaniard scored his first WRC podium in 2006 and after tuning 40 this year, is still more than capable of fighting with the world’s best on the WRC stages.

Sordo’s ability to collect valuable points was once again on display in his 10th season with Hyundai. He was called upon to drive the third i20 N more frequently this year following the tragic death of team-mate Craig Breen, with whom he started the season sharing the factory entry.

Sordo proved that he is not only fast but among the safest pair of hands in the championship when it comes to securing championship points. He made only two notable errors, rolling his car in Sardinia and running off the road in treacherous wet conditions at the Japan season finale.

His experience came to the fore in the most brutal of rallies. Sordo impressed to finish second in Portugal and was among only two drivers to avoid trouble at the attritional Acropolis and Safari rallies.

Although he was unable to unlock the speed to challenge for victories, top-seven finishes from five of his seven events were incredibly valuable and led Hyundai to retain him for 2024.

9. Takamoto Katsuta - Toyota Gazoo Racing

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Katsuta put together a run of stage wins in Japan but had lost time earlier to radiator damage

Wins: 0
Total Podiums: 1 (3rd - Finland)
Stage wins: 19
Championship position: 7th

There was more pressure on Katsuta’s shoulders this year, as he was promoted to the third factory Toyota GR Yaris for selected rounds following an impressive 2022. The Japanese was however unable to reproduce last year’s impressive consistency.

After struggling for confidence in the first half of the season which featured several wild moments and only two points finishes in the first six rounds, he found form in the second half of the campaign. Katsuta picked up 80 of the 101 points he scored on his way to seventh in the champion across the final seven rounds.

An impressive run to third in Finland was arguably the highlight of the campaign. Katsuta credited the result to guidance from close friend and team-mate Rovanpera after he sat alongside the Finn during a pre-event test.

The Finland result was Katsuta’s only visit to the podium in 2023, although he would have likely challenged for a maiden win in Japan had he avoided damaging his radiator following an incident in torrential rain. Katsuta emerged as the driver to beat on home soil, earning praise from boss Jari-Matti Latvala, as he won 10 stages in tricky conditions to fight back from ninth to fifth.

Katsuta will join Elfyn Evans as Toyota’s only full-time entries next season.

8. Craig Breen - Hyundai Motorsport

Photo by: Austral / Hyundai Motorsport

The late Breen produced a fantastic performance on Sweden's snow

Wins: 0
Total Podiums: 1 (2nd – Sweden)
Stage wins: 4
Championship position: 14th

The much-loved Irishman produced one of the drives of the season on his way to finishing second on Sweden's snow. Breen lined up for Hyundai, sharing the third i20 N with Sordo, following an off-season move from M-Sport.

After a difficult 2022 that appeared to shake his confidence, Breen showcased his natural talent on his WRC return in Sweden. Four stage wins showed he was back to his very best, a stark contrast from his previous round in Japan 2022 which ended in a whimper.

Breen's infectious passion for rallying and sheer joy to be driving in the WRC was written all over his face that weekend, as he declared himself the “Mayor of Brattby” such was his stage-winning pace there. His speed led to a challenge for a maiden win, having led the rally on Friday night, but Breen had to settle for a sixth second place of his career behind winner Ott Tanak after a tyre delamination blunted his victory hopes.

Tragically, this was Breen’s final WRC outing. A fatal testing crash preparing for the fourth round in Croatia ended the life of one of rallying’s brightest talents prematurely, ahead of what promised to be a fruitful campaign.

7. Esapekka Lappi – Hyundai Motorsport

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Lappi fought for victory in Mexico until a crash that was somewhat symptomatic of his year

Wins: 0
Total Podiums: 4 (2nd - Sardinia; 3rd - Croatia, Portugal, Estonia)
Stage wins: 15
Championship position: 6th

The one-time WRC rally winner’s return to full-time competition with Hyundai resulted in a campaign of two halves. The Finn quickly adapted to the i20 N and went on to play a pivotal part in the car’s development across the season, resulting in set-up directions that helped team-mate Thierry Neuville. But Lappi was signed as a number two driver and was often made to play the team game.

Lappi showed blistering pace capable of leading Hyundai’s charge, most notably in Mexico and Sardinia. In the former, a promising fight for victory with Sebastien Ogier ended in a high-profile crash from the lead. But in Sardinia Lappi looked even more threatening in another battle with Ogier, only to lose out to Neuville and finish second. This visit to the podium was one of four during the year, including third-place finishes in Croatia, Portugal and Estonia.

Lappi was hampered by three propshaft failures in Safari Rally Kenya before three crashes in the final six rounds resulted in a disappointing and frustrating end to a season that started so brightly.

6. Andreas Mikkelsen – Toksport Skoda

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Mikkelsen took his first of four WRC2 victories in Sardinia as he propelled himself back into a top-flight seat at Hyundai

Wins: 0 (4 WRC2 class victories)
Total Podiums: 0 (5 in WRC2 – 1st – Sardinia, Estonia, Greece, Japan; 3rd - Portugal)
Stage wins: 0 (37 in WRC2)
Championship position: 11th (WRC2 champion)

At the start of the season, Andreas Mikkelsen was without a drive. So to end the year with a second WRC2 title - to add to his 2021 success - and a Rally1 drive with Hyundai for 2024 is an incredible outcome.

The three-time WRC rally winner was thrown a lifeline by Toksport after 2022 champion Emil Lindholm left the Skoda squad to join Hyundai’s driver development programme. Starting his campaign in May in Portugal meant there was little room for error if a title push was on the cards, especially against a highly talented field, including Oliver Solberg, Gus Greensmith, Yohan Rossel, Sami Pajari and Adrien Fourmaux.

Mikkelsen used his speed and experience to score four wins from his seven rounds and clinched the title with a round to spare following a Power Stage triumph at the Central European Rally.

The Norwegian’s most impressive WRC2 win arrived at the demanding Acropolis Rally. Three punctures saw Mikkelsen plummet down the order to 16th in class and almost two minutes adrift, before launching a Lazerus-like comeback to claim the WRC2 victory on the final stage. One of several head-turning performances he produced during the year, it led to a top-flight WRC recall for 2024, piloting the third Hyundai i20 N.

5. Thierry Neuville – Hyundai Motorsport

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Neuville collected two wins and matched Rovanpera's podium tally, but dropped points too often

Wins: 2 (Sardinia, Central Europe)
Total Podiums: 8 (2nd – Mexico, Estonia, Finland, Chile; 3rd – Monte Carlo, Sweden)
Stage wins: 40
Championship position: 3rd

It was a story of what could have been for Thierry Neuville in 2023. The Belgian showed progress in areas that cost him dearly last season, but ultimately a serious title tilt eluded him for another year.

Neuville was Hyundai’s main threat for the championship and was given the backing by new team principal Cyril Abiteboul, who employed team orders on several occasions to help his bid.

On paper, Neuville’s stats speak volumes. He scored as many podium finishes as world champion Rovanpera and netted 40 stage wins, placing him second on that particular leaderboard for the year.

However, incidents at crucial moments proved incredibly costly. A crash from the lead in Croatia was damaging. A suspension failure caused by a hole in the road, while leading in Greece, effectively extinguished his title hopes. Exclusion from Kenya for a breach of recce regulations and an off-road excursion while chasing victory in Japan joined a list of disappointing moments.

There were plenty of positives too as Neuville impressed hugely on fast gravel events that had previously been his weakness, scoring second-place finishes in Estonia and Finland. He also starred in tricky wet conditions to win in Sardinia and Central Europe.

4. Elfyn Evans – Toyota Gazoo Racing

Photo by: McKlein / Motorsport Images

Evans found his form after a winless 2022 to finish runner-up in the standings

Wins: 3 (Croatia, Finland, Japan)
Total Podiums: 7 (2nd – Greece; 3rd – Mexico, Kenya, Chile)
Stage wins: 24
Championship position: 2nd

What a difference a year makes. Winless in 2022, Elfyn Evans bounced back in some fashion this season after finally gelling with the Toyota GR Yaris Rally1, as he found the confidence behind the wheel that eluded him last year.

The Welshman scored three wins to take the title fight to team-mate Rovanpera, before ultimately losing out to the Finn at the penultimate round. The first of those wins was a particularly emotional triumph in Croatia, held in sombre circumstances just days following the death of rival and close friend Breen.

The highlight of a strong campaign arrived in Finland, where Evans produced one of his best performances to claim a second career win at the famous ‘gravel grand prix’. It was here that highlighted Evans' progress in adjusting to the hybrid GR Yaris the most, given the commitment required to master the high-speed stages. 

Although unable to match Rovanpera in the stage win department (72-24), Evans showed impressive consistency and made very few errors. The most notable were a high-speed crash in Portugal, his only retirement of the year, and sliding off the road into a barn at the Central European Rally, which ultimately handed Rovanpera the title.

But Evans ended the season on a high with a fine drive to victory in Japan to secure Toyota its first WRC win on home soil, matching Rovanpera’s win tally for the season in the process. If Evans can replicate this form in 2024, he will be among the favourites to clinch the title.

3. Sebastien Ogier – Toyota Gazoo Racing

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Ogier again showed his class in his partial campaign with Toyota, collecting a ninth Monte win along the way

Wins: 3 (Monte Carlo, Mexico, Kenya)
Total Podiums: 4 (2nd - Japan)
Stage wins: 37
Championship position: 5th

Contesting a partial World Rally Championship campaign for a second season, Ogier once again reminded everyone of his enduring class.

The eight-time world champion played a pivotal role in helping Toyota secure a seventh WRC manufacturers’ crown in a campaign that featured eight rallies, two more than in 2022. Ogier trebled his victory tally from last season too and ended the year third on the stage winners’ leaderboard, confirming his prodigious pace despite only operating on a part-time basis.

The Frenchman added to his glittering career statistics by claiming record-breaking ninth and seventh career wins in Monte Carlo and Mexico respectively. He even led the championship after his Mexico triumph, despite sitting out Sweden.

A third win arrived in Kenya after overcoming a double front puncture, an altercation with a tree and a charging Rovanpera, in arguably his finest drive of the year, which he described as a “hell of a fight”. 

Yet Ogier could have easily added two more wins to his tally. In Sardinia, he was leading when he slid off the road in treacherous wet conditions, while a double puncture and suspension damage forced him to surrender a lead in Greece.

2. Ott Tanak – M-Sport-Ford

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Chile domination was the highlight of a season where little went right for Tanak, but he kept plugging away

Wins: 2 (Sweden, Chile)
Total Podiums: 4 (2nd – Croatia; 3rd – Central Europe)
Stage wins: 30
Championship position: 4th

Rarely 100% comfortable driving the M-Sport Ford Puma following his shock switch from Hyundai, Ott Tanak was still able to score two WRC wins.

The 2019 world champion's much-heralded return to M-Sport created plenty of anticipation that the Estonian could challenge for another world title. Ultimately this marriage didn’t gel often enough during a trying campaign.

The Puma wasn’t as heavily developed as its factory Toyota and Hyundai rivals that boast larger budgets, but in Tanak’s hands, it showed flashes of pace to beat the works teams to impressive victories in Sweden and Chile.

Tanak’s Sweden victory was faultless. The drive didn’t require outright speed, scoring only one stage win as he defeated Craig Breen after an intense tussle. In Chile, Tanak delivered his very best to make the most of an inspired tyre call to complete a comfortable win by 42.1s.

Amid struggles in nailing the set-up to his liking, he still managed to reel off 30 stage wins, but his title tilt was derailed by a series of issues; Mexico (turbo), Sardinia (electrical), Estonia (engine), Finland (engine) and Greece (water pump). A trouble-free mid-season could have put Tanak right in the title fight, but he ended the season with a total of four podiums to finish fourth in the standings.

After a challenging campaign, Tanak will rejoin Hyundai next season as he bids to secure a second world title.

1. Kalle Rovanpera – Toyota Gazoo Racing

Photo by: Toyota Racing

Rovanpera successfully defended his crown with a consistent campaign that included real highs, such as in Estonia

Wins: 3 (Portugal, Estonia, Greece)
Total Podiums: 8 (2nd – Monte Carlo, Kenya, Central Europe; 3rd – Sardinia, Japan)
Stage wins: 72
Championship position: 1st

At the start of the year, only five drivers in the World Rally Championship’s 50-year history had successfully defended the title. But in 2023, Kalle Rovanpera underlined his special talent to become the sixth.

His march to a second consecutive title was in many ways more impressive than his record-breaking run to become the youngest-ever world champion last year. Knowing the competition would be tougher as drivers and teams acclimatised to hybrid rules introduced last year, Rovanpera added incredible consistency and clever driving to his already blistering speed.

The 23-year-old finished no worse than fourth while taking three wins in a campaign that was blighted by only one costly error that resulted in the Finn crashing out of the lead on home soil, his only retirement of the season.

This stunning display of speed and maturity beyond his years delivered the title with a round to spare after seeing off the challenge from Toyota team-mate Evans. This came despite eyebrows being raised after finishing the opening four events with only one podium.

Rovanpera scored half as many wins compared to 2022 but notched up only five points less which summed up his consistency. The statistics also make for compelling reading. Rovanpera scored 72 stage wins (two more than he achieved last year) and a staggering 32 more than the next-best total amassed by Hyundai’s Neuville. He was again king of the Power Stage, taking 43 bonus points.

The Finn’s most impressive drives arrived in Estonia and Greece. In Estonia, he delivered a crushing Sebastien Loeb-like domination that included a string of 13 consecutive stage wins. Rovanpera’s mesmerising knack for mastering slippery conditions and knowing when and where to push was showcased after taking a comfortable win in a gruelling high attrition Acropolis Rally.

"I'm quite proud of the year and I think the performance was more important,” Rovanpera told Autosport.

There is no doubt that Rovanpera proved in 2023 that he is the complete superstar rally driver. He will be missed following his decision to go part-time in 2024.

Photo by: Toyota Racing

Who will take up the mantle from Rovanpera as he goes part-time in 2024?