Home hero Neuville shines on Ypres Rally shakedown from Rovanpera
A mix of dry roads, greasy sections and completely soaked stretches added to the challenge for crews – but the defending Ypres Rally champion adapted best to the 4.58-miles of ‘Nieuwkerke’.
Cheered on by thousands of home supporters, the Hyundai man’s best effort came on his fourth – and final – attempt alongside Martijn Wydaeghe having been usurped on runs two and three by the Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 of Kalle Rovanpera – the runaway leader of the 2022 World Rally Championship.
“It is going to be a tricky event,” admitted Neuville, whose intimate knowledge of the Flanders terrain could prove crucial in his quest for a first win of the campaign. “We already have changing conditions in shakedown, so that is what we can expect for the rest of this weekend. [To win] we need to have a clean, a clever drive through, and just try to enjoy the weekend.”
Rovanpera – first car on the road tomorrow when rain is forecast – settled for three blasts over shakedown and his last go was good enough to rank him second overall. He could potentially seal the title this weekend and replace the late Colin McRae as the youngest champion in the sport’s history if he wins and other results go his way.
“Of course, I would like to get the win,” he said, “but this weekend will be tricky. Let’s see how the feeling goes and what we can do.”
Double WRC runner-up Elfyn Evans was seventh tenths down on Rovanpera but declared himself generally happy with the set-up direction he has gone with. “The feeling is generally OK and the car was feeling quite good in here,” said the Welshman.
The name that took everyone by surprise was young Swede Oliver Solberg who achieved the joint third-fastest time with Evans. Solberg insists his huge shunt in Finland which came just 300 metres into the first special stage a fortnight ago “is forgotten now”.
He said: “It’s been a bit tough but we just need to move forward and work with the team. It’s very different here on Tarmac and it’s going to be a tricky weekend with the weather and everything. We’ll see how it goes.”
M-Sport Ford’s Craig Breen, meanwhile, mustered the fourth best time despite his preparations for Ypres being far from ideal. The Irishman is expecting a “difficult” weekend after an engine fire meant he missed out on the bulk of his pre-event test last week.
Fifth fastest on his first visit to Ypres since 2014 was the third GR Yaris Rally1 piloted by Esapekka Lappi, half-a-second up on the Puma Rally1 of asphalt specialist Adrien Fourmaux. In the opening exchanges, Lappi was initially second fastest but he still ended the exercise strongly as did 2019 World Champion Ott Tanak in seventh.
Toyota Junior driver Takamoto Katsuta, and the M-Sport Ford Puma Rally1 car of Gus Greensmith rounded out the top Rally1 runners at eight and nine.
