2020 Rally Estonia Explained

2020 Rally Estonia
Native Name:10. Rally Estonia
Round:4
Season No:7
Championship:2020 World Rally Championship
Previous Round:2020 Rally Mexico
Next Round:2020 Rally Turkey
Start:Tartu, Tartu County
Finish:Kambja, Tartu County
Rallybase:Tartu, Tartu County
Startdate:4
Enddate:6 September 2020
Stages:17
Stagekm:232.64
Stagekm Note:[1]
Transportkm:639.25
Overallkm:871.89
Surface:Gravel
Driver1: Ott Tänak
Codriver1: Martin Järveoja
Team1: Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT
Time1:1:59:53.6
Driver2: Mads Østberg
Codriver2: Torstein Eriksen
Team2: PH-Sport
Time2:2:08:10.9
Driver3: Oliver Solberg
Codriver3: Aaron Johnston
Time3:2:07:32.2
Driverj: Mārtiņš Sesks
Codriverj: Renārs Francis
Teamj: LMT Autosporta Akadēmija
Timej:2:21:20.5
Powerstage Driver: Kalle Rovanperä
Powerstage Codriver: Jonne Halttunen
Powerstage Team: Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT
Powerstage Time:10:12.4
Crewsreg:60
Teamsstart:59
Teamsfinish:44

The 2020 Rally Estonia (also known as the Rally Estonia 2020) was a motor racing event for rally cars that was held over three days between 4 and 6 September 2020.[2] It marked the tenth running of Rally Estonia and was the fourth round of the 2020 World Rally Championship, World Rally Championship-2 and World Rally Championship-3. The 2020 event was based in the town of Tartu in Tartu County and consisted of seventeen special stages. The rally covered a total competitive distance of 232.642NaN2.[1]

The rally marked the return of the FIA World Rally Championship after a half-year hiatus by the COVID-19 pandemic and was the 600th event since the championship was founded back to .[3] [4]

Ott Tänak and Martin Järveoja were the overall winners of the rally, winning their home event for the third straight year. Their team, Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT, were the manufacturers' winners.[5] Mads Østberg and Torstein Eriksen were the winners in the WRC-2 category, while Oliver Solberg and Aaron Johnston won the WRC-3 class.[6] [7] In the junior championship, the Latvian crew of Mārtiņš Sesks and Renārs Francis won the event.[8]

Background

Championship standings prior to the event

Six-time world champions Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia entered the round with an eight-point lead over Elfyn Evans and Scott Martin. Thierry Neuville and Nicolas Gilsoul were third, a further twelve points behind. In the World Rally Championship for Manufacturers, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT held a twenty-one-point lead over defending manufacturers' champions Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT, following by M-Sport Ford WRT.

In the World Rally Championship-2 standings, Mads Østberg and Torstein Eriksen held a nine-point lead ahead of Nikolay Gryazin and Yaroslav Fedorov in the drivers' and co-drivers' standings respectively, with Pontus Tidemand and Patrick Barth in third. In the manufacturer' championship, Hyundai Motorsport N led M-Sport Ford WRT by twenty-two points. PH-Sport sit in third, a slender two points behind.

In the World Rally Championship-3 standings, the crew of Eric Camilli and François-Xavier Buresi, Jari Huttunen and Mikko Lukka, and Marco Bulacia Wilkinson and Giovanni Bernacchini all held twenty-five points in the standings.

In the junior championship, Tom Kristensson and Joakim Sjöberg led Mārtiņš Sesks and Renars Francis by nine points. Ken Torn and Kauri Pannas were third, a slender four points further back. In the Nations' championships, Sweden held a seven-point lead over Latvia, with Estonia in third.

Schedule changes and event inclusion

See also: Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on motorsport. Following the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the championship, a number of events were cancelled or postponed indefinitely for health and safety grounds, with Rally Mexico abridged to give time for crews to head home due to lockdowns being implemented across the world. It was then announced on 2 July 2020 that the season would return with an updated calendar, with Rally Estonia hosting the resuming round between 4 and 6 September. The country became the thirty-third nation to stage a championship round in the WRC.[9]

Entry list

The following crews entered into the rally. The event was open to crews competing in the World Rally Championship, its support categories, the World Rally Championship-2, World Rally Championship-3, and Junior World Rally Championship and privateer entries that were not registered to score points in any championship. Sixty entries were received, with thirteen crews entered in World Rally Cars, six Group R5 cars entered in the World Rally Championship-2, twenty-two in the World Rally Championship-3. A further twelve crews were entered in the Junior World Rally Championship in Ford Fiesta R2s.

No.DriverCo-DriverEntrantCarTyre
World Rally Championship entries
3 Teemu Suninennowrap Jarmo Lehtinen M-Sport Ford WRTFord Fiesta WRC
4 Esapekka Lappi Janne Ferm M-Sport Ford WRTFord Fiesta WRC
7 Pierre-Louis Loubet Vincent Landais Hyundai 2C CompetitionHyundai i20 Coupe WRC
8 Ott Tänak Martin Järveoja Hyundai Shell Mobis WRTHyundai i20 Coupe WRC
11 Thierry Neuville Nicolas Gilsoul Hyundai Shell Mobis WRTHyundai i20 Coupe WRC
17 Sébastien Ogier Julien Ingrassianowrap Toyota Gazoo Racing WRTToyota Yaris WRC
18nowrap Takamoto Katsuta Daniel Barrittnowrap Toyota Gazoo Racing WRTToyota Yaris WRC
33 Elfyn Evansnowrap Scott Martin Toyota Gazoo Racing WRTToyota Yaris WRC
42 Craig Breen Paul Naglenowrap Hyundai Shell Mobis WRTnowrap Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC
44 Gus Greensmithnowrap Elliott Edmondson M-Sport Ford WRTFord Fiesta WRC
64 Georg Gross Raigo Mõlder OT RacingFord Fiesta WRC
65 Kimmo Kurkela Reeta Hämäläinen JanProFord Fiesta WRC
69 Kalle Rovanperänowrap Jonne Halttunen Toyota Gazoo Racing WRTToyota Yaris WRC
World Rally Championship-2 entries
21 Mads Østberg Torstein Eriksen PH-SportCitroën C3 R5
22 Nikolay Gryazin Konstantin Aleksandrov Hyundai Motorsport NHyundai NG i20 R5
23 Pontus Tidemand Patrik Barth Toksport WRTŠkoda Fabia R5 Evo
24nowrap Ole Christian Veibynowrap Jonas Andersson Hyundai Motorsport NHyundai NG i20 R5
25 Adrien Fourmaux Renaud Jamoul M-Sport Ford WRTFord Fiesta R5 Mk. II
26 Eyvind Brynildsen Ilka Minor Toksport WRTŠkoda Fabia R5 Evo
World Rally Championship-3 entries
27 Jari Huttunen Mikko Lukka Jari HuttunenHyundai NG i20 R5
28 Marco Bulacia Wilkinson Marcelo Der Ohannesian Marco Bulacia WilkinsonCitroën C3 R5
29 Nicolas Ciamin Yannick Roche Nicolas CiaminCitroën C3 R5
30 Emilio Fernández Ruben Garcia Emilio FernándezŠkoda Fabia R5 Evo
31 Yohan Rossel Benoit Fulcrand PH-SportCitroën C3 R5
32 Eerik Pietarinen Antti Linnaketo Eerik PietarinenŠkoda Fabia R5
34 Kajetan Kajetanowicz Maciej Szczepaniak Kajetan KajetanowiczŠkoda Fabia R5 Evo
35 Oliver Solberg Aaron Johnston Oliver SolbergVolkswagen Polo GTI R5
36 Grégoire Munster Louis Louka Grégoire MunsterHyundai i20 R5
37 Raul Jeets Andrus Toom Raul JeetsŠkoda Fabia R5 Evo
38 Roland Poom Erik Lepikson Roland PoomFord Fiesta R5 Mk. II
39 Karl Kruuda Dale Moscatt Karl KruudaVolkswagen Polo GTI R5
40 Rainer Aus Simo Koskinen Rainer AusŠkoda Fabia R5
41 Egon Kaur Silver Simm Kaur MotorsportŠkoda Fabia R5 Evo
43 Priit Koik Alari-Uku Heldna Priit KoikFord Fiesta R5
45 Georg Linnamäe Volodymyr Korsia Georg LinnamäeVolkswagen Polo GTI R5
46 Gustav Kruuda Ken Järveoja Gustav KruudaVolkswagen Polo GTI R5
47 Jan Solans Mauro Barreiro Jan SolansFord Fiesta R5 Mk. II
48 Radik Shaymiev Alexey Arnautov Radik ShaymievFord Fiesta R5 Mk. II
49 Jarosław Koltun Ireneusz Pleskot Jarosław KoltunFord Fiesta R5 Mk. II
50 Sean Johnston Alex Kihurani Saintéloc Junior TeamCitroën C3 R5
51 Rakan Al-Rashed Hugo Magalhães Rakan Al-RashedVolkswagen Polo GTI R5
Junior World Rally Championship entries
52 Tom Kristensson Joakim Sjöberg Tom Kristensson MotorsportFord Fiesta R2
53 Mārtiņš Sesks Renars Francis LMT Autosporta AkadēmijaFord Fiesta R2
54 Ken Torn Kauri Pannas Estonian Autosport Junior TeamFord Fiesta R2
55 Sami Pajari Marko Salminen Team Flying FinnFord Fiesta R2
56 Raul Baidu Gabriel Lazar Raul BaiduFord Fiesta R2
57 Fabrizio Zaldívar Fernando Mussano Fabrizio ZaldívarFord Fiesta R2
58 Ruairi Bell Matthew Edwards Ruairi BellFord Fiesta R2
59 Pontus Lönnström Stefan Gustavsson Pontus LönnströmFord Fiesta R2
60 Marco Pollara Maurizio Messina Marco PollaraFord Fiesta R2
61 Fabio Andolfi Stefano Savoia Fabio AndolfiFord Fiesta R2
62 Enrico Oldrati Elia De Guio Enrico OldratiFord Fiesta R2
63 Robert Virves Sander Pruul Estonian Autosport Junior TeamFord Fiesta R2
Source:[10]

Route

The rally features a short format schedule, which lasts only three days.[11] This leads to the change of road order rules - Saturday's first loop would start as championship order, while the second loop would revert to the standard reversed order, which usually comes into effect on the second leg.[12]

Itinerary

All dates and times are EEST (UTC+3).

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Appendix 1 Timetable. rallyestonia.com. Rally Estonia. 25 July 2020.
  2. News: WRC sets return date. wrc.com. WRC Promoter GmbH. 2 July 2020. 2 July 2020.
  3. News: Rally Estonia WRC: Tanak leads home event after shakedown as WRC returns. Nick. Garton. autosport.com. Motorsport Network. 4 September 2020. 6 September 2020.
  4. News: Preview – Rally Estonia. wrc.com. WRC Promoter GmbH. 3 September 2020. 7 September 2020.
  5. News: Tänak files to Estonia win despite late fright. wrc.com. WRC Promoter GmbH. 6 September 2020. 6 September 2020.
  6. News: Østberg takes the spoils in WRC 2. wrc.com. WRC Promoter GmbH. 6 September 2020. 6 September 2020.
  7. News: Solberg storms to WRC 3 glory in Estonia. wrc.com. WRC Promoter GmbH. 6 September 2020. 6 September 2020.
  8. News: Sunday in Estonia: Junior success for Sesks after Virves heartbreak. wrc.com. WRC Promoter GmbH. 6 September 2020. 6 September 2020.
  9. News: David. Evans. WRC reveals new calendar with Estonia restart. dirtfish.com. 2 July 2020. 2 July 2020.
  10. News: Rally Estonia 2020 Entry List. rallyestonia.com. Rally Estonia. 3 September 2020. 6 September 2020.
  11. News: Rally Estonia announces route details. wrc.com. WRC Promoter GmbH. 25 July 2020. 26 July 2020.
  12. News: WRC changes starting order rules for season return on shortened Rally Estonia. Rachit. Thukral. Giacomo. Rauli. autosport.com. Motorsport Network. 13 July 2020. 26 July 2020.
  13. News: Rovanperä hit with minute penalty. wrc.com. WRC Promoter GmbH. 5 September 2020. 6 September 2020.
  14. News: Tänak supreme on home roads in Estonia. wrc.com. WRC Promoter GmbH. 5 September 2020. 6 September 2020.
  15. News: WRC Rally Estonia: Tanak takes home win and leads Hyundai 1-2. Nick. Garton. autosport.com. Motorsport Network. 6 September 2020. 6 September 2020.
  16. News: Saturday in Estonia: Mads manages healthy WRC 2 lead. wrc.com. WRC Promoter GmbH. 5 September 2020. 6 September 2020.
  17. News: WRC 3 in Estonia: Solberg sets the pace. wrc.com. WRC Promoter GmbH. 5 September 2020. 6 September 2020.
  18. News: Saturday in Estonia: Consistent Virves heads young guns. wrc.com. WRC Promoter GmbH. 5 September 2020. 6 September 2020.