Central European Rally: Škoda crews target class win as WRC2 title decision goes down to the wire

› At the 2024 FIA World Rally Championship’s penultimate round, WRC2 leader Oliver Solberg (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) competes without scoring points for the category
› Solberg’s Toksport WRT teammate Gus Greensmith as well aims for the RC2 class win
› On asphalt stages in the Czech Republic, Austria and Germany, Škoda drivers Kajetan Kajetanowicz and Joshua McErlean target top position in WRC2 Challenger category

Mladá Boleslav, 17 October 2024 – The 2024 FIA World Rally Championship enters the final stretch with the Central European Rally (17-20 October). With only the Czech-Austrian-German event and Rally Japan in November remaining, three drivers mathematically can still win the WRC2 title. Current leader Oliver Solberg (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) cannot improve his points balance, because he has already reached his maximum of seven scoring events. One of his two competitors is also not competing in WRC2 this time, the second needs a victory to overtake Solberg in the overall standings.

In order to allow WRC2 competitors to save budget by not competing in each of the 13 rounds of the 2024 FIA World Championship, the regulations allow points to be scored at a maximum of seven events. Only the six best results count.

With eleven of the 2024 season's 13 rallies already completed, three drivers can still win the WRC2 title. However, their prerequisites on the championship's final phase are completely different. Current WRC2 leader Oliver Solberg (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) already has seven WRC2 events to his credit, including three category wins. This means that the 23-year-old Swede has to compete the Central European Rally (CER) outside the WRC2 classification. His two title rivals, Yohan Rossel from France and Finn Sami Pajari, both have six WRC2 events under their belts. However, only Rossel has entered CER in WRC2. Pajari plans to score more points during the Japanese finale.

Rossel is aiming for a WRC2 win at the Central European Rally to pass Solberg in the overall standings. Because Solberg has to compete outside WRC2, his hopes are pinned on other Škoda crews to finish ahead of Rossel in the category result. These are mainly Team Orlen’s Kajetan Kajetanowicz/Maciej Szczepaniak and Mikołaj Marczyk/Szymon Gospodarczyk, both from Poland, as well as Motorsport Ireland backed Joshua McErlean/James Fulton of team Toksport WRT. A good outside chance of fighting for the WRC2 victory have reigning German champions Marijan Griebel/Tobias Braun, who share a Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 of team Pole Promotion.

Not competing for WRC2 points, Solberg and British co-driver Elliott Edmondson as well as Toksport WRT teammates Gus Greensmith/Jonas Andersson from England and Sweden are among the favourites for victory in the parent RC2 class. Kajetanowicz/Szczepaniak and McErlean/Fulton also compete for points in the WRC2 Challenger classification. Germany’s Armin Kremer, who has already secured the 2024 title of the WRC Masters Cup, takes the opportunity to shine in front of his home crowd. As usual, the former FIA European Rally Champion shares the Baumschlager Rallye & Racing run Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 with his daughter Ella Kremer.

The second Central European Rally features 18 tarmac stages covering a total of 302.51 kilometres. The start is scheduled for Thursday (17 October) at 2h00 pm in the Czech capital Prague, where a short super special stage also takes place. Friday sees another six stages in the Czech Republic. On Saturday and Sunday, ten stages follow in Austria and Germany, with the service park located in the Bavarian town of Bad Griesbach/Karpfham. The winners step onto the podium in Passau at around 3h30 pm on Sunday.

Did you know, that…
...the Central European Rally is the only FIA World Rally Championship event featuring stages in three countries: the Czech Republic, Austria and Germany?

...parts of the stage “Klatovy” were not only run repeatedly in the Czech Rally Championship, but as well were part of the German Rally Championship back in the 1990s?

...eleven of the 20 cars strong field of the RC2 class competitors are relying on the Škoda Fabia RS Rally2?

Standings WRC2/Drivers (after 11 of 13 events)
1 Oliver Solberg (SWE), Škoda, 123 points (from 7 rallies)
2 Yohan Rossel (FRA), Citroën, 111 points (from 6 rallies)
3 Sami Pajari (FIN), Toyota, 108 Points (from 6 rallies)

2024 FIA World Rally Championship

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