The WRC will reconnect

If previously the teams began their preparation for the first round of the following season in December, this practice has been abandoned. With regulations limiting the number of testing days, manufacturers are forced to make choices. Instead of coming to the south of France to drive on asphalt or ice, Hyundai et Toyota preferred to stay in Finland to take advantage of the snowy conditions. They will begin their tests for the Monte-Carl' this week.

From Wednesday, the i20 and Yaris Rally1 will be taken out of the trailers to try to define the best set ups before the Monaco meeting. It will also be an opportunity for the drivers to discover the latest developments or solutions introduced by the technical staff. Thierry Neuville and Takamoto Katsuta will open hostilities. THURSDAY, Sébastien Ogier et Ott Tänak will be “at the turbin”, then Andreas Mikkelsen and Elfyn Evans will close this session on Friday. On the side of M-Sport, two days have been scheduled for Adrien fourmaux, Sunday and Monday while Grégoire Munster will return to the Puma on Tuesday and Wednesday.

In order to put ourselves in conditions as close as possible to those which are likely to be encountered during the oldest championship events, these tests will take place around Gap. Old, well-known sections will be taken and the smartest people already know where to go to enjoy the spectacle. Having become very (too?) popular, these sessions now take place in front of numerous spectators and it must be remembered that even if they are tests, an accident is always possible (Neuville, Evans or Breen have been victims of it in recent years, Editor's note). Compliance with security measures is essential. The weather having been disrupted at the start of the week with cold and precipitation, it would not be surprising if the crews encountered snow.