Once again, the ceremonial start was packed with families and fans making the trip from across the country to cheer their heroes across the line on Thursday night. The Heller brothers Alberto and Pedro were in predictably high demand when it came to selfies and signatures.
But once Friday morning arrived, the atmosphere shifted to the stages and the service park. There really is something special about being roadside watching the world’s fastest rally drivers with the Andes as a backdrop while the smell of barbecues is being wafted by the world’s fastest rally cars.
Typically, the service park was rich in colour and content, with everything you needed to enjoy the weekend. And just when you thought there was a chance the emotion might dip, Oliver Solberg arrived at the stop line, having given the WRC2 title his best shot. The atmosphere in the crowd as incredible as the 23-year-old Swede relayed his tale in tears.
And the feeling was similar around Hyundai when Janne Ferm revealed round 11 of this year’s series would be his last. If that was all about the reflection, Thierry Neuville wasted no time in looking to the future and grinned as he signed cap after cap, while being told he would be this year’s world champion by an adoring crowd.
Tue 01 Oct 2024
Thrills, tears, and farewells: WRC Chile stirs emotions
If it’s emotion you wanted, South America was the place to be last week. From the moment the crowds started to gather in Concepción ahead of the start of Rally Chile Bio Bío right until the final stop line, there was passion and pride aplenty.
Japan
Poland
Turkey