2023 Croatia Rally
| 2023 Croatia Rally Croatia Rally 2023 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Round 4 of 13 in the 2023 World Rally Championship
| |||
 The Croatia Rally would be the first tarmac rally on the calendar. | |||
| Host country |  Croatia | ||
| Rally base | Zagreb | ||
| Dates run | 20 – 23 April 2023 | ||
| Start location | Samobor, Zagreb County | ||
| Finish location | Kumrovec, Krapina-Zagorje | ||
| Stages | 20 (301.26 km; 187.19 miles)[1] | ||
| Stage surface | Tarmac | ||
| Transport distance | 1,348.42 km (837.87 miles) | ||
| Overall distance | 1,649.68 km (1,025.06 miles) | ||
| Statistics | |||
| Crews registered | 57 | ||
| Crews | 54 at start, 48 at finish | ||
| Overall results | |||
| Overall winner |  Elfyn Evans Scott Martin Toyota Gazoo Racing2:50:54.3 | ||
| Power Stage winner |  Thierry Neuville Martijn Wydaeghe Hyundai Shell Mobil WRT8:06.4 | ||
| Support category results | |||
| WRC-2 winner |  Yohan Rossel Arnaud Dunand PH Sport2:58:45.6 | ||
| WRC-3 winner |  Eamonn Kelly Conor Mohan Motorsport Ireland Academy3:20:15.7 | ||
The 2023 Croatia Rally (also known as the Rally Croatia 2023) is a motor racing event for rally cars that is scheduled to be held over four days between 20 and 23 April 2023.[2] It would mark the 47th running of the Croatia Rally, and would be the fourth round of the 2023 World Rally Championship, World Rally Championship-2 and World Rally Championship-3. The event would also be the second round of the 2023 Junior World Rally Championship.[3] The 2023 event is set to be based in Zagreb in Central Croatia and is planned to be contested over twenty special stages, covering a total competitive distance of 301.26 km (187.19 mi).[1]
Kalle Rovanperä and Jonne Halttunen are the defending rally winners. Their team, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT, are the defending manufacturer's winners.[4] Yohan Rossel and Valentin Sarreaud are the defending rally winners in the WRC-2 category.[5] Zoltán László and Tamás Kürti are the defending rally winners in the WRC-3 category.[6] Lauri Joona and Mikael Korhonen are the defending rally winners in the junior category.[7]
Following an accident in the pre-event test, Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT driver Craig Breen died at the age of 33.[8]
Background
Entry list
The following crews are set to enter into the rally. The event is due to open to crews competing in the World Rally Championship, its support categories, the World Rally Championship-2, World Rally Championship-3, Junior World Rally Championship and privateer entries that are not registered to score points in any championship. Nine are set to enter under Rally1 regulations, as are nineteen Rally2 crews in the World Rally Championship-2 and eight Rally3 crew in the World Rally Championship-3. A total of eight crews are registered to participate in the Junior World Rally Championship.[9]
| No. | Driver | Co-Driver | Entrant | Car | Championship eligibility | Tyre |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 |  Oliver Solberg
|
Elliott Edmondson
|
Oliver Solberg
|
Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 | — | P |
| 56 |  Zoltán László
|
Gábor Zsiros
|
Zoltán László
|
Škoda Fabia Rally2 evo | Masters Driver | P |
| 57 |  Aleš Zrinski
|
Rok Vidmar
|
Aleš Zrinski
|
Škoda Fabia Rally2 evo | Masters Driver | P |
Itinerary
All dates and times are CEST (UTC+2).
| Date | No. | Time span | Stage name | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 April | — | After 9:00 | Okić [Shakedown] | 3.65 km |
|
After 18:30 | Opening ceremony, Zagreb | — | |
| 21 April | SS1 | After 8:03 | Mali Lipovec – Grdanjci 1 | 19.20 km |
| SS2 | After 8:56 | Stojdraga – Hartje 1 | 25.67 km | |
| SS3 | After 9:59 | Krašić – Vrškovac 1 | 11.11 km | |
| SS4 | After 11:12 | Pećurkovo Brdo – Mrežnički Novaki 1 | 9.11 km | |
|
13:02 – 13:42 | Service A, Zagreb | — | |
| SS5 | After 14:45 | Mali Lipovec – Grdanjci 2 | 19.20 km | |
| SS6 | After 15:38 | Stojdraga – Hartje 2 | 25.67 km | |
| SS7 | After 16:41 | Krašić – Vrškovac 2 | 11.11 km | |
| SS8 | After 17:54 | Pećurkovo Brdo – Mrežnički Novaki 2 | 9.11 km | |
|
|
19:24 – 20:09 | Flexi service B, Zagreb | — | |
| 22 April |
|
6:31 – 6:46 | Service C, Zagreb | — |
| SS9 | After 7:54 | Kostanjevac – Petruš Vrh 1 | 23.76 km | |
| SS10 | After 9:05 | Vinski Vrh – Duga Resa 1 | 8.78 km | |
| SS11 | After 10:23 | Ravna Gora – Skrad 1 | 10.13 km | |
| SS12 | After 11:26 | Platak 1 | 15.63 km | |
|
|
14:06 – 14:46 | Service D, Zagreb | — | |
| SS13 | After 15:54 | Kostanjevac – Petruš Vrh 2 | 23.76 km | |
| SS14 | After 17:05 | Vinski Vrh – Duga Resa 2 | 8.78 km | |
| SS15 | After 18:23 | Ravna Gora – Skrad 2 | 10.13 km | |
| SS16 | After 19:26 | Platak 2 | 15.63 km | |
|
|
21:46 – 22:31 | Flexi service E, Zagreb | — | |
| 23 April |
|
5:30 – 5:45 | Service F, Zagreb | — |
| SS17 | After 7:08 | Trakošćan – Vrbno 1 | 13.15 km | |
| SS18 | After 8:38 | Zagorska Sela – Kumrovec 1 | 14.09 km | |
| SS19 | After 10:26 | Trakošćan – Vrbno 2 | 13.15 km | |
|
12:01 – 12:58 | Regroup, Kumrovec | — | |
| SS20 | After 13:15 | Zagorska Sela – Kumrovec 2 [Power Stage] | 14.09 km | |
|
After 15:30 | Podium ceremony, Kumrovec | — | |
| Source:[1] | ||||
Report
WRC Rally1
Classification
Special stages
WRC-2 Rally2
Special stages
WRC-3 Rally3
Special stages
| Stage | Winners | Car | Time | Class leaders |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SD | Creighton / Regan | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | 2:10.0 | — |
| SS1 | Pellier / Pelamourgues | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | 13:32.4 | Pellier / Pelamourgues |
| SS2 | Creighton / Regan | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | 16:56.4 | |
| SS3 | Creighton / Regan | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | 36:42.6 | |
| SS4 | Pellier / Pelamourgues | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | 5:18.5 | |
| SS5 | Creighton / Regan | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | 13:14.2 | Creighton / Regan |
| SS6 | Creighton / Regan | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | 17:06.4 | |
| SS7 | Creighton / Regan | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | 6:07.7 | |
| SS8 | Creighton / Regan | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | 5:21.4 | |
| SS9 | Pellier / Pelamourgues | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | 14:34.4 | Pellier / Pelamourgues |
| SS10 | Rensonnet / Dumont | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | 5:10.9 | |
| SS11 | Pellier / Pelamourgues | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | 6:44.7 | |
| SS12 | Pellier / Pelamourgues | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | 9:46.2 | |
| SS13 | Núñez / Barreiro | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | 15:02.9 | |
| SS14 | Kohn / Střeska | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | 5:09.7 | |
| SS15 | Kohn / Střeska | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | 7:01.5 | |
| SS16 | Núñez / Barreiro | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | 10:17.8 | |
| SS17 | Creighton / Regan | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | 8:04.3 | |
| SS18 | Creighton / Regan | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | 9:10.1 | |
| SS19 | Creighton / Regan | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | 7:57.8 | Kelly / Mohan |
| SS20 | Creighton / Regan | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | 9:07.4 |
J-WRC Rally3
Special stages
| Stage | Winners | Car | Time | Class leaders |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SD | Creighton / Regan | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | 2:10.0 | — |
| SS1 | Pellier / Pelamourgues | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | 13:32.4 | Pellier / Pelamourgues |
| SS2 | Creighton / Regan | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | 16:56.4 | |
| SS3 | Creighton / Regan | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | 6:12.5 | |
| SS4 | Pellier / Pelamourgues | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | 5:18.5 | |
| SS5 | Creighton / Regan | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | 13:14.2 | Creighton / Regan |
| SS6 | Creighton / Regan | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | 17:06.4 | |
| SS7 | Creighton / Regan | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | 6:07.7 | |
| SS8 | Creighton / Regan | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | 5:21.4 | |
| SS9 | Pellier / Pelamourgues | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | 14:34.4 | Pellier / Pelamourgues |
| SS10 | Rensonnet / Dumont | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | 5:10.9 | |
| SS11 | Pellier / Pelamourgues | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | 6:44.7 | |
| SS12 | Pellier / Pelamourgues | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | 9:46.2 | |
| SS13 | Núñez / Barreiro | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | 15:02.9 | |
| SS14 | Rensonnet / Dumont | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | 5:11.0 | |
| SS15 | Núñez / Barreiro | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | 7:04.2 | |
| SS16 | Núñez / Barreiro | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | 10:17.8 | |
| SS17 | Creighton / Regan | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | 8:04.3 | |
| SS18 | Creighton / Regan | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | 9:10.1 | |
| SS19 | Creighton / Regan | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | 7:57.8 | Kelly / Mohan |
| SS20 | Creighton / Regan | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | 9:07.4 |
Death of Craig Breen
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The event was overshadowed by the death of Hyundai works driver Craig Breen, who was killed in the pre-event test after the front-left of his Hyundai i20 N Rally1 collided with a pole on a road.[12] This was the first competitor-involved fatal accident since Jörg Bastuck at the 2006 Rally Catalunya.[13] His co-driver James Fulton was uninjured.[14] Breen's funeral took place on 18 April 2023 at The Sacred Heart Church in Ferrybank.[15] Several members from the WRC family attended the funeral, including Fulton, Breen's former co-driver, Paul Nagle and Breen's teammate at Hyundai, Dani Sordo.[16]
In tribute to Breen, Moonraker Forestry Rally, the second round of the Irish Forestry Championship, was postponed.[17] The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile announced his car number 42 would be retired from the rest of the season.[18] Hyundai also decided to participate the event with a special livery on two cars, with the third car withdrew from the event in honor of Breen.[19]
Notes
- ^ The Toyota crew of Elfyn Evans and Scott Martin was initially nominated to score manufacturer points at the weekend, but Toyota amended their championship eligibility to not score manufacturer points to match Hyundai and M-Sport following Breen's death ahead of the event as a mark of solidarity.[10]
- ^ Nikolay Gryazin is Russian, but he competes as a neutral competitor using the ANA flag as Russian national emblems were banned by the association due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[11]
- ^ Konstantin Aleksandrov is Russian, but he competes as a neutral competitor using the ANA flag as Russian national emblems were banned by the association due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[11]
References
- ^ a b c "Itinerary Rally Croatia Rally 2023". eWRC-results.com. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
- ^ "WRC poewrs into 2023 with exciting new-look calendar". wrc.com. WRC Promoter GmbH. 25 November 2022. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
- ^ "FIA World Rally Championship calendar for 2023 gets green light". Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile. 25 November 2022. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
- ^ "Rovanperä grabs last-gasp Croatia victory". wrc.com. WRC Promoter GmbH. 24 April 2022. Retrieved 26 April 2022.
- ^ "Rossel secures dominant WRC2 win". wrc.com. WRC Promoter GmbH. 24 April 2022. Retrieved 26 April 2022.
- ^ "László inherits WRC3 honours". wrc.com. WRC Promoter GmbH. 24 April 2022. Retrieved 26 April 2022.
- ^ "Joona claims shock junior WRC victory". wrc.com. WRC Promoter GmbH. 24 April 2022. Retrieved 26 April 2022.
- ^ "World Rally Champ Star Dead at 33... After Test Drive Crash". TMZ. 13 April 2023. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
- ^ "Entry List Croatia Rally 2023". eWRC-results.com. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
- ^ Barry, Luke (19 April 2023). "Evans not scoring manufacturers' points in Croatia". dirtfish.com. DirtFish. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
- ^ a b "FIA announces World Motor Sport Council decisions in relation to the situation in Ukraine". Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile. 1 March 2022. Retrieved 1 March 2022.
- ^ Howard, Tom (13 April 2023). "Hyundai WRC driver Craig Breen dies in testing crash". autosport.com. Motorsport Network. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
- ^ Anđelković, Katarina (13 April 2023). "Irish Rally Driver Craig Breen Dies in Accident in Croatia". total-croatia-news.com. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
- ^ Evans, David (13 April 2023). "Craig Breen passes away in testing accident". dirtfish.com. DirtFish. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
- ^ Evans, David (13 April 2023). "Breen's duneral to take place on Tuesday". dirtfish.com. DirtFish. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
- ^ Barry, Luke (18 April 2023). "How Croatia will pay tribute to Breen". dirtfish.com. DirtFish. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
- ^ Barry, Luke (13 April 2023). "Irish Rally Postponed in tribute to Breen". dirtfish.com. DirtFish. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
- ^ "Hyundai To pay tribute to Craig Breen with special livery for Croatia Rally". wrc.com. WRC Promoter GmbH. 17 April 2023. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
- ^ "Hyundai Motorsport to compete in Croatia Rally". Hyundai Motorsport. 17 April 2023. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
External links
- Official website (in English and Croatian)
- 2023 Croatia Rally at eWRC-results.com
- 2023 Croatia Rally at rally-maps.com (in English, German, and Polish)
