After three events considered specialized in nature, the 2024 World Rally Championship makes its first stop at a more conventional Tarmac rally this week. But Croatia Rally still bring its own challenges.
In its short WRC history, the event has become known for its multitude of asphalt types and varying grip levels, and has already played host to some memorably dramatic moments.
It’s tight at the top of the championship standings, with the leading pair opening an advantage that the rest will be keen to address.
With weather again likely to have an impact, those of us watching on should be in for a treat. Here is all the key information you need to know for the fourth edition of the event.
Croatia Rally Entry List
Total 68 crews
8 Rally1 crews
25 Rally2 crews (19 WRC2)
25 Rally3 crews (21 WRC3 & 18 JWRC)
Sébastien Ogier is back in Toyota's lineup for Croatia
Rally1
With the absence of privateer Jourdan Serderidis, the top class is down to eight cars for this week’s event, but there are also a couple of line-up changes within the manufacturer teams.
Having won Safari Rally Kenya, Kalle Rovanperä steps back from his Toyota drive, with fellow world champion Sébastien Ogier coming in to fill the seat and make only his second start of 2024. Full-time drivers Elfyn Evans and Takamoto Katsuta will, as usual, pilot the other two GR Yaris Rally1s.
It’s a similar situation at Hyundai. Joining championship leader Thierry Neuville and Ott Tanak at the squad is Andreas Mikkelsen. The Norwegian, also making only his second appearance of the season, takes up his designated role of ‘asphalt specialist’ in the third car, which was driven by Esapekka Lappi in Sweden and Kenya.
M-Sport is back down to its regular two drivers, two-time podium finisher Adrien Fourmaux and Grégoire Munster.
Yohan Rossel's WRC2 record in 2024 is one start, one victory. He's one of the favorites for class victory in Croatia
WRC2
The Rally2 entry list is bulging with 25 cars representing the usual five brands operating at this level. But a few of the likely frontrunners are not competing for WRC2 points on this occasion, including Safari winner Gus Greensmith (Škoda Fabia RS) and Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 pairing Sami Pajari and Georg Linnamäe.
With points leader Oliver Solberg absent altogether, the onus will be on Monte Carlo winner Yohan Rossel (Citroën C3) to continue his unbeaten start to the season. Winner of the class last year, Rossel leads the way into the stages with his DG Sport team-mate Nikolay Gryazin – second in 2023 – fourth on the road.
Of the scoring drivers, Pepe López is the leading Škoda driver and will be keen to repeat his podium-scoring feats from Monte Carlo. At the wheel of similar machinery are Lauri Joona, Mauro Miele and – making his first WRC2 appearance since a one-off in 2022 – Eyvind Brynildsen.
The Hyundai challenge is led by 2022 WRC2 champion Emil Lindholm who finished third in WRC2 on last year’s Croatia Rally when he was part of the Toksport Škoda team.
Emil Lindholm, the 2022 WRC2 champion, needs a big result to get his title campaign up and running after registering seventh place in Sweden
Irishmen Will Creighton and Eamonn Boland both make their second WRC2 starts of 2024 at the wheel of Ford Fiesta Rally2s, Creighton coming directly from his British championship outing last weekend.
With Pajari and Linnamäe not scoring points, Toyota’s only WRC2 representatives are their Japanese prospects Yuki Yamamoto and Hikaru Kogure.
WRC3
Croatia Rally is the second round of this year’s Junior World Rally Championship, so the Rally3 field numbers as many as Rally2, with 25 cars in action.
Sweden winner Mille Johansson is a notable absentee, so FIA Rally Star member Romet Jürgenson and Eamonn Kelly – who won WRC3 in Croatia last year – will lead the way.
Raúl Hernández and Tom Rensonnet, who was second in WRC3 last year, come next. Diego Domínguez Jr is another likely contender as he looks to banish the memory of a difficult start to the JWRC season with an early retirement on the first leg of Rally Sweden.
Romet Jürgenson was the best of the FIA Rally Star crop in Sweden
Alongside Jürgenson, fellow FIA Rally Star drivers Taylor Gill, Max Smart and Jose Caparó are also in the field.
Among those outside the one-make JWRC, local drivers Viliam Prodan, Jan Pokos and Slaven Šekuljica also start the event in Ford Fiesta Rally3 machinery. The only non-Fiesta comes from Frenchman Mattéo Chatillon, who leads the field away in his Renault Clio having finished second in class on the Monte.
Croatia Rally itinerary
This year’s Croatia Rally covers 176 competitive miles (283km), a little less than previous editions.
Effectively, much of the route on Friday and Saturday has switched days compared with last year’s event, so Friday morning’s action begins with the rally’s longest stage, the 14.5-mile Krašić – Sošice. There are then a couple of short six-mile blasts through Jaškovo – Mali Modruš Potok and Ravna Gora – Skrad before a first pass of the 10-mile Platnak.
There will be no midday service on Friday, just a tire-fitting zone at Cernik before the loop is re-run, but with the stages in reverse order.
The Smerovišće hairpin has become one of Rally Croatia's most famous corners. It's still on Saturday's itinerary, but the crews will drive past it, do a u-turn, then approach it from the traditional direction again!
Saturday’s stages begin with the Smerovišće – Grdanjci 10-miler, before taking in the event’s second-longest test, the 13 miles of Stojdraga – Gornja Vas. Completing the loop are a pair of shorter stages, each measuring around 5.5 miles.
It’s then a return to this year’s new service park at Westgate Shopping City before the 34-mile loop is repeated in the afternoon.
The final day of the rally is near enough exactly the same as last year, 34 miles consisting of two loops of two stages close to the Adriatic coast and without a service. After Trakošćan – Vrbno, crews will tackle Zagorska Sela – Kumrovec, which doubles up as the powerstage on the second pass.
