Poland: 304 km timed for the 80th edition

Back on the calendar after 6 years of absence, the Polish rally (June 27-30) will mark the opening of a series of three very fast meetings in the Nordic countries. Celebrating its 80th anniversary, the 7th round of the season features a classic course around Mikolajki in the Masurian Lake District.

Published on 29/04/2024 à 07:30

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Poland: 304 km timed for the 80th edition

Thierry Neuville was the last winner of the Polish Rally in WRC in 2017 (Photo: Fred Le Floc'h/DPPI)

In the program of WRC 2024, the rally of Poland is the second oldest event after Monte-Carlo. The first edition took place in 1921. After having been a round of the European Championship for several years, the Radj Polski joined the world calendar when it was created in 1973 with the victory of Achim Warmbold associated with Jean Todt on a Fiat 124 Abarth.

After this unique appearance, Poland had to wait until 2009 before returning to the elite (success for Mikko Hirvonen in a Ford Focus WRC). Fallout in ERC, the event had its longest period in the world between 2014 and 2017 at the end of which Poland was once again excluded, in particular because of the indiscipline of the spectators. The return which will take place in June is not the start of a new lease, Poland is not one of the 2025 destinations.

For this 80^e edition, it will be necessary, as usual, first to make the endless road to Mikolajki located 230 km north of Warsaw. Located around the gigantic Gołębiewski Hotel, the service park is not very far from the special stages. The many drivers who were there in 2017 or who contested this race in the ERC will not be surprised. They will find sections already taken with a classic division including 19 SS for a total of 304 timed km.

In Poland, the roads have a reputation for being excessively fast. In 2017, Thierry Neuville had won at an average of 116,5 km/h. Will the Rally1s do better? The major difficulty is that the event takes place on sandy terrain which tends to deepen enormously and provide rails and ruts for the 2^e passage which complicates the evolution of the cars. One of the unknowns of this meeting will also be the behavior of the spectators.

Program of 80^e Poland rally

Thursday June 27

10:01 – shakedown: Lubiewo (3,2 km)

14:30 p.m. – opening ceremony (Town Square, Mikolajki)

19:05 – SS1: Mikolajki Arena (2,5 km)

Friday June 28

8:45 – SS2: Stanczyki (29,4 km)

10:20 – SS3: Wieliczki (12,9 km)

11:10 – SS4: Olecko (13,2 km)

12:40 – tire changing area in Olecko

14:05 – SS5: Stanczyki (29,4 km)

15:40 – SS6: Wieliczki (12,9 km)