Estonia: The Franceschi/Paddon duel refereed by locals?

The scenario for the start of the championship ERC 2024 is strange. With Simone Tempestini in Hungary, Yoann Bonato in the Canaries and Oliver Solberg in Sweden, there have already been three different winners in as many rounds. They also have the particularity of not aiming for the title unlike Mathieu Franceschi and Hayden Paddon whose plans are to participate in all the races. These two protagonists meet at the start of the rally of Estonia tied at the top of the competition with 56 points, without having achieved a victory so far. They will not be at the same level in terms of experience. The Kiwi actually competed in Estonia in 2018 (on Hyundai i20 WRC) when the event served as preparation for Finland. He was also lined up in WRC2 in 2022, but he had only carried out reconnaissance. Sick, he withdrew before departure. Faced with this knowledge of the champion and title in Estonia, Franceschi is starting from zero and he will have everything to discover.

In Otepää, on a field which was deserted by the WRC after 4 very successful editions (Estonia is now alternating with Latvia and it will return to the WRC in 2025), the French and the New Zealander will first find usual rivals like Mads Ostberg (C3), Mikko Heikkilä (Yaris), Jon Armstrong (Fiesta), Martins Sesks (Yaris) or Mikolaj Marczyk (Fabia). The last two cities have just finished the Polish rally and they will already be well on the pace for this 4^e European meeting.

The threat will perhaps come more from local drivers or guest stars. Very convincing in Poland (3^e), the Estonian Robert Virves (Fabia) will be one to watch very closely. His compatriot Georg Linnamäe (Yaris) is certainly more experienced, but so far he has struggled to translate his speed into results. Less known, Gregor Jeets (Yaris) and Kaspar Kasari (Fiesta) will try to do well. Several non-native candidates are in the starting list and are potential winners. In the front row, Nikolay Gryazin (C3) is an enigma. Winner of the Rajd Warminski, a week before Poland and author of a modest 6^e place in WRC2 at Mikolajki last weekend in particular because of a puncture on Sunday, will he be able to claim victory in Estonia? The Finn Teemu Asunmaa (Fabia) and the Norwegian Frank Tore Larsen (Polo) will be there to give him the answer and aim for the podium.

In the other categories, the Estonians look difficult to get ahead of. Coming to prepare for Finland, the penultimate round of the 2024 JWRC (August 1 to 4), FIA Rally Star driver Romet Jürgenson will be the opponent to beat for the competitors lined up in Rally3, including Tristan Charpentier, who finished 2^e of the Fiesta Rally3 Trophy in Sweden. The confrontation in ERC Junior will also be interesting with the Baltic Karl-Markus Sei who will face the Swedes Mille Johansson (current leader) and Calle Carlberg or the Englishman Max McRae.

Around the service park installed at the Tehvandi sports center in the village of Otepää, 45 km south of Tartu, 14 stages await the crews for a total of 187,64 km, generally very fast. Hostilities will begin with the shakedown on Friday morning (8:31 a.m. French time).

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