The 2021 edition of Rally Estonia will be remembered for one standout showing but, as Colin Clark and David Evans explain, there were a number of performances worth highlighting as the second half of the World Rally Championship season started.
There’s praise firstly for Kalle Rovanperä, who demonstrated “every attribute you’d want from a world champion” on his way to a maiden WRC success, but he was kept honest on the opening day by Craig Breen; does the Hyundai driver’s runner-up finish put him in the shop window for a full-time drive for 2022 and the start of the WRC’s hybrid era?
Breen’s second place was backed up by a podium for Thierry Neuville, but his solid run to third was tempered not only by a suspended ban handed out after the rally, but also by the fact his gain on points leader Sébastien Ogier was minimal – the Toyota driver proving exactly why he’s a seven-time champion once again.
There’s also an appraisal of the contrasting performances of M-Sport’s two World Rally Car drivers, despite their finishing positions contradicting that reckoning, and an assessment of some of the standout performances in the supporting classes.
Watch the video above to see how they rated the field, and catch the best of the driving on the stages below:
