Once again, the rally gods have shuffled the deck, and the teams have done their part to shape up the line-ups. For instance, Ott Tänak is back with Hyundai. There, Andreas Mikkelsen has finally secured a spot through a shared car with Lappi and Sordo. The reigning champion, Kalle Rovenperä, also opts for a shared Yaris with the multi-time former champion Ogier, while Evans and Katsuta take the regular seats.
M-Sport and Ford have made their picks, putting all their hopes on Fourmaux and Munster, both of whom competed in WRC2 last season. It will be exciting to see who can take command of the WRC series now that Kalle has scaled back his participation. Here in Umeå, we can look forward to a showdown between the two previous winners, Tänak and Rovanperä.
Car: Toyota GR Yaris Rally1
Base: Japan
Established: 2016
Principal: Jari-Matti Latvala
Driver: Elfyn Evans (UK)
Co Driver: Scott Martin (UK)
Driver: Takamoto Katsuta (J)
Co Driver: Aaron Johnston (IRL)
Driver: Kalle Rovanperä (FIN)
Co Driver: Jonne Halttunen (FIN)
Driver: Sébastien Ogier (F)
Co Driver: Vincent Landais (F)
Car: Hyundai I20 N Rally1
Base: Tyskland
Established: 2012
Principal: Cyril Abiteboul
Driver: Thierry Neuville (B)
Co Driver: Martijn Wydaeghe (B)
Driver: Ott Tänak (EST)
Co Driver: Martin Järveoja (EST)
Driver: Dani Sordo (E)
Co Driver: Cándido Carrera (E)
Driver: Esapekka Lappi (FIN)
Co Driver: Janne Ferm (FIN)
Driver: Andreas Mikkelsen (N)
Co Driver: Torstein Eriksen (N)
Car: Ford Puma Hybrid Rally1
Base: United Kingdom
Established: 2006
Principal: Richard Millener
Driver: Adrien Fourmaux (F)
Co Driver: Alexandre Coria (F)
Driver: Grégoire Munster (L)
Co Driver: Louis Louka (B)