The Croatia Rally concluded on Sunday with Toyota’s Sebastien Ogier taking first place. The Frenchman secured the top spot after Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville and Toyota’s Elfyn Evans made mistakes on the final day.
RallyJournal.com’s journalists Toni Heinonen, Aki Hietavala, and Ville Hirvonen list the key points of the event.
Toni Heinonen
Star of the show:
It would be easy to highlight rally winner Sebastien Ogier as the event’s top star, but Thierry Neuville impressed with his performance. His driving displayed the determination expected of a champion. The Belgian showed that Hyundai’s car has made progress. A minor driving error on Sunday cost Neuville the win, but overall, he scored well in terms of points.
Flop of the event:
In his season opener in Monte Carlo, Andreas Mikkelsen was noticeably behind the leaders, which was understandable since it was the Norwegian’s first competition in Hyundai’s Rally1 car. He had a good preparation for Croatia and ran a test event in Italy, so it was expected that his pace would have improved at least slightly in Croatia. But it didn’t. Instead, Mikkelsen was somewhere in the shadows. It would be interesting to know what Teemu Suninen, who was eyeing a spot at Hyundai, thought while watching Mikkelsen’s performance.
Surprise:
Adrien Fourmaux impressed once again. The Frenchman is known to have potential, but his mature performances early in the season have been surprising. A collision with a concrete anti-cut block on the final day of Croatia almost ended everything, but the Ford driver managed to patch up his Puma with his co-driver and deliver an astonishingly fierce run on the Power Stage. A full five-point haul for Fourmaux was a surprise.
Blunder:
Thierry Neuville and Elfyn Evans provided a fantastic spectacle, especially on Saturday’s stages, as they battled for tenths of a second. The risk of crashing loomed as the pace was absolutely maximal, but they secured the highest points on Saturday evening. Drama finally entered the competition on Sunday when both made mistakes on the same stage. This time, both Evans and Neuville were able to continue, and they didn’t have to give up their Saturday points, but they missed out on good points on Sunday.
Topic of discussion:
It feels like this topic has been discussed ad infinitum, but nothing but criticism can be given to the new points system. Points were also a hot topic following the Croatia Rally, as the winner Ogier received only one more point than fourth-placed Ott Tänak. Numerous corrections have been suggested for the problematic new system, and no one seems to be satisfied. Should something actually be done about it mid-season?
Aki Hietavala
Star of the show:
The new points system doesn’t reward the winner much, but it’s necessary to acknowledge the event’s winner Ogier as the top star. It was a tough start, and for a long time, it seemed that he wouldn’t be able to keep up with Elfyn Evans and Thierry Neuville. He might not have, but whereas the other two crews made mistakes, the old master kept his cool and claimed his 100th podium finish in the WRC. That makes a handsome tally of 59 victories now.
Flop of the event:
Andreas Mikkelsen, without a doubt. True, Mikkelsen hasn’t driven in the top class for many years, but he has tested and raced on tarmac at the Rally Monte Carlo earlier this year. Yet, his pace was still very lackluster in Croatia. Something must change in the remaining rallies if he is to continue in the top class next season. According to Mikkelsen, the next chance to prove his speed is in Poland in June.
Surprise:
This might not be the type of surprise being sought, but for me, Ott Tänak’s lackluster performance in Croatia was surprising. After a terrible early season, one would expect the 2019 World Rally Champion to go all-in and aim solely for victory. The car didn’t suit his style, but it didn’t two years ago in Jyväskylä, Finland, either. Yet, back then, Tänak still demonstrated his greatness. It remains to be seen when we will first see the old master’s moves this season, if at all.
Blunder:
Thierry Neuville, Elfyn Evans, and Adrien Fourmaux all faltered on Sunday. Neuville and Evans managed minor setbacks, whereas Fourmaux lost a significant 15 minutes. However, Neuville’s treatment of his co-driver, Martijn Wydaegh, after their off-road excursion was disappointing. The Belgian star immediately made it clear that the mishap was due to Wydaegh stumbling over the notes. While this was indeed the case, rallying results are always a team effort. If the co-driver falls behind, the driver should ease off enough to allow the co-driver to catch up. The Croatia Rally is particularly challenging for co-drivers as well. It might have been better to show some mercy rather than throwing him under the bus straight away. Of course, the situation must be reviewed, but it can be done more gracefully.
Topic of discussion:
In Croatia, the new scoring system again demonstrated its vulnerabilities. The system provides a fantastic opportunity for consistently reliable drivers, but does not reward the winner sufficiently. In practice, every driver also criticized the scoring, but it remains to be seen whether the FIA and the WRC Promoter are ready to modify the system, despite promises earlier in the year that they would test how things work and make improvements if necessary.
Ville Hirvonen
Star of the show:
Sebastien Ogier proved his greatness. When his fiercest competitors, Thierry Neuville and Elfyn Evans, made mistakes on Sunday, Ogier seized his opportunity and emerged as the rally winner. It marked his hundredth career podium and his first win of the 2024 season. He had already been driving wisely before Sunday, keeping within striking distance. These are precisely the performances expected from the French master.
Flop of the event:
Four events and four disappointments. Ott Tänak earned the second highest points haul of the weekend, but if one looks purely at driving performance, he deservedly finds himself in this spot. The Estonian switched to Hyundai this season with high expectations, but the early season has been a major letdown. He has struggled to find a good driving rhythm at any point during the season and has been grappling with his car. The series also includes several personal errors. Tänak undoubtedly hopes that the upcoming gravel season will bring the much-needed successes and boost his confidence.
Surprise:
Toyota driver Takamoto Katsuta started the rally quite cautiously, but then came the explosion on Sunday. Katsuta was the fastest driver on “Super Sunday” and seemingly found excellent speed as if by magic. It will be exciting to see if the Japanese can eventually maintain such consistent speed that he might win a rally.
Blunder:
Hyundai’s Mikkelsen and M-Sport Ford’s Gregoire Munster increased the number of Rally1 cars, but that’s where their added value ended. Perhaps Teemu Suninen would have brought more added value to the competition than Mikkelsen. Munster’s performance weakness is further highlighted by the fact that his team-mate Adrien Fourmaux has had a stellar start to the season and is currently third in the drivers’ championship standings.
Topic of discussion:
Indeed, the weekend in Croatia will be remembered primarily for the enormous fuss related to the WRC’s new points system. The new system proved once again in Croatia that it does not work. If the rally winner only gets one more point than the fourth and two more than the second and third, something is seriously wrong! No need to worry about winning anymore. For instance, Ott Tänak was wise to settle for fourth place, as it only cost him one fewer point than what rally winner Sebastien Ogier received.
