Particularly in Toyota’s camp, new winds are blowing as Kalle Rovanperä, who has won the last two world championships, shares driving duties in the third car together with 8 times champion Sebastien Ogier. As a result, Toyota’s hopes in the drivers’ championship battle rest solely on Elfyn Evans, since Japanese driver Takamoto Katsuta is unlikely to have the capacity to fight for the title yet.
Hyundai, on the other hand, has significantly strengthened since last year, with 2019 world champion Ott Tänak returning to the Korean manufacturer’s fold. In addition to Tänak, Belgian Thierry Neuville will drive a full season program for the team.
Esapekka Lappi, meanwhile, will alternate in Hyundai’s third i20 N Rally1 car along with Dani Sordo and Andreas Mikkelsen. Lappi feels that the power dynamics considering the 2024 season are even more balanced, although the WRC’s new points system introduces an additional twist.
Maybe the balances are now, in a certain way, more even. Of course, it’s clear without saying that “Seb” and Kalle have quite a strong starting position advantage. Though, there were earlier reports that the points system would be revamped, but there was no mention of how the starting positions would be affected” Lappi tells Rallit.fi.
According to the new scoring system, the first points for the top ten drivers will be distributed after Saturday. The leading driver after Saturday will receive 18 points, the second 15, and so on. On Sunday, points will be awarded to the day’s top seven drivers and the five fastest in the Power Stage.
Thus, for example, a driver who retires early in the race can still collect up to 12 points on Sunday. If the old starting position allocation remains, drivers who retired will lead the pack on Sundays. This can be a significant advantage in tarmac rallies.
“The starting position issue might still change, and probably will, because the current system for Sunday isn’t exactly fair. It’s somewhat unnecessary in terms of the power dynamics, because the starting positions are unknown. Hopefully, it will be more balanced” Lappi contemplates.
