As this year’s championship season draws to a close with three races to go – with the Chile race in full swing this weekend – time is pressing for teams, sponsors and drivers/co-drivers.
The three WRC teams are carefully considering their options for next season, with Toyota and Hyundai deciding at the end of this year, while M-Sport are keeping an eye on the market with all options open: Read more:
At Toyota
Kalle Rovanpera will be full-time in 2025, as it was already announced at the beginning of this year by both sides.
Toyota as a team wants to have 3 drivers for the whole season, limiting the rotation between part-timers, as they have done at times until now.
Ogier, at 41 with seven world titles in the event, will be part-time and could share the fourth car with young Finn Pajari, fully replacing (?) well-liked Japanese Takamoto Katsuta, who will have a busy schedule between WRC and WRC2, following his successes this year with top ten WRC1 finishes, driving a WRC2 vehicle with prudence and caution.
ΗHyundai
On the other hand, the pioneer of the Hyundai championship, always remains skeptical about her further involvement in the institution. However, it has already announced that Neuville and Tanak will be its official drivers for 2025.
If M – Sport’s Andrien Fourmaux could take third place in a bucket then Lappi, Mikkelsen and Sordo would be sacked and Sordo would retire from active action in that case according to confirmed rumours. However, Hyundai has expressed, however, the desire to have 3 full-time drivers and therefore to stop with the rotations, giving the opportunity to all its drivers to feel confident and secure throughout the championship.
Andreas Mikkelsen looks set to play his chances for next season in Rally Germany (European Rally) and Rally Japan next before the end of this season.
In M-Sport
The third party involved in the institution English M-Sport would like Latvian Martin Sesks – with impressive performances this year – to have a mixed program between WRC and WRC2 with Fiesta Rally2, trying his luck in the big class.
Oliver Solberg could become the team’s #1 driver – his burning desire and rightly so – if Andrien Fourmaux eventually leaves for Hyundai. On the other hand, the team has a comprehensive program with the possibility of renting Ford Puma Rally1 vehicles to private individuals in certain rounds of the championship.
The future of the other driver Gregoire Munster will be discussed after this season as shown by the results so far.
With all of the above and with the institution not going through the best period of its life, at least for the last 15 years, the “game” offers itself to strong solvers with knowledge and instinct after all.
In an environment that is uncertain every day, with constant changes in regulations from the FIA, pressure from sponsors, financial management costs, etc., those involved in the institution are called upon to cope with all these challenges, bringing the desired results, each one from his side.
Finally, the gaze of all those involved in the influence that the institution exerts on viewers around the world, whether they are in the field of special routes or on social media and on some screen, is not negligible in estimation.
Everyone, logically in every way, tries to convey their own message to the final recipient/consumer in the end, winning in different ways.
After all, the old (from the 60s) English saying is always relevant: “Win On Sunday – Sale On Monday” and that is what everyone is chasing.
(Photos: Dimitris Zis)
Source: www.autoblog.gr
