WRC
WRC heavyweights Toyota and Hyundai bring extra heat to this weekend’s FIA European Rally Championship (ERC) opener in Spain.
While ERC regulars kick-off their season-long fight on Rally Sierra Morena, FIA World Rally Championship titans Elfyn Evans and Thierry Neuville are using the event as a testing session for their next asphalt encounter - Rally Islas Canarias (24 – 27 April) - round four of the WRC.
WRC leader Evans (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) and reigning champ Neuville (Hyundai i20 N Rally1) headline the entry in Córdoba, southern Spain, on Saturday and Sunday.
They’re not the only WRC names using the event as a testbed. WRC2 frontrunner Nikolay Gryazin (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2) is also in action, fine-tuning his asphalt skills on roads that closely mirror those awaiting the WRC in Las Palmas later this month.
For Evans and Neuville, Rally Sierra Morena offers a crucial opportunity to sample Hankook’s full asphalt tyre range in competition for the first time this year. Fresh off the punishing gravel of Safari Rally Kenya, this weekend’s Tarmac outing provides a brief but valuable reset ahead of a gruelling stretch of seven consecutive gravel rallies.
The event features 209 competitive kilometres across 13 stages, offering a demanding challenge on the fast and technical roads of Andalucía. All stages will be broadcast live on Rally.TV.
