Ole Christian Veiby will make just his third start in a World Rally Car as he’s been entered by 2C Competition for Rally Terre de Vaucluse, just under two weeks before his World Rally Championship ban lifts.
Veiby – a Hyundai Customer Racing Junior driver – was handed a six-month suspension from all WRC competition during the Rally Portugal weekend in May for breaching coronavirus protocols.
He tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday May 20 and subsequently pulled his entry from the rally, but a further investigation by event stewards led to his ban as he had been in contact with Andreas Mikkelsen – who had also tested positive and was forced to skip Portugal too – a few days earlier and then ignored quarantine advice to remain in Portugal, traveling instead to Spain.
Photo: FIA ERC
That contact with Mikkelsen came at the Targa Florio Rally, on which Veiby made his second start in a World Rally Car following his debut in a Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC on last year’s WRC season-ending Monza Rally.
Rally Terre de Vaucluse runs on November 13-14, nine days before Veiby’s WRC suspension ends. But with the Monza Rally taking place on November 19-21, Veiby cannot participate in any more WRC events in 2021.
“It’s been a while, but we are back in rally action with the Hyundai i20 WRC on French gravel!” Veiby wrote on social media.
“Together with Jonas Andersson I will compete at the Rallye Terre de Vaucluse.”
Photo: FIA ERC
The event – based in Courthézon in south-east France – is the final round of the French Gravel Championship.
Although Veiby has not driven an i20 Coupe WRC since May, he has contested several events outside the WRC in an i20 R5 including Rally Liepāja and Rally di Roma in the European Rally Championship, as well as rallies in his native Norway.
