With two events of this 13-round FIA World Rally Championship season remaining, only three drivers are still in with a chance of glory within the WRC’s premier support category.
Andreas Mikkelsen, who currently tops the standings, is not even on the start line in Salou. The Norwegian has already started seven rallies, the maximum allowed in the series, and can only watch to see how his competition fares.
All eyes this weekend will be on Škoda Fabia Rally2 rivals Kajetan Kajetanowicz and Emil Lindholm, who are split by just seven points in second and third places respectively.
On paper, it’s Kajetanowicz who holds the upper hand. He only requires 14 points in Spain to rule Mikkelsen out of the title battle and could, theoretically, take the title at this rally. For that to happen, though, the Pole would be reliant on Lindholm scoring very poorly.
Although the likelihood is that the championship will go down to the wire in Japan next month, both drivers are going to be driving at 110 per cent this week.
"We have just returned [from New Zealand] and now we are facing another event," said Kajetanowicz. "We need to recover quickly and adapt to a different surface - very grippy asphalt. We need to find a good flow and this is the plan."
Spain has attracted a bumper 31-car WRC2 entry - headed by Citroën C3 Rally2 driver Yohan Rossel, currently fourth in the points. Other series regulars include Teemu Suninen and Fabrizio Zaldivar in a pair of Hyundai i20 N cars plus Jari Huttunen in an M-Sport Ford Fiesta Rally2.
Local stars set the pace in Thursday morning’s shakedown stage, with Pepe López and Alejandro Sachón both posting top-10 times and beating Rally1 machinery along the way. They, along with the likes of Jan Solans and Bruno Bulacia, will also be ones to watch.
- Full coverage from RallyRACC - Rally de España will be available on WRC+ All Live here, including every stage broadcast as it happens as well as key interviews, features and expert analysis from the service park.
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