After hosting one of the most dramatic and decisive finishes in the 50-year history of the FIA World Rally Championship last April, the WRC Croatia Rally returns — ready to deliver another chapter of high-speed sporting memories.
Highly anticipated when it debuted on the WRC calendar in 2021, the Croatia Rally has retained its position as the third round of the championship and the first pure asphalt event of the season. This means the new generation of hybrid-powered Rally1 cars will demonstrate their full potential on dry tarmac, following the snow and ice of January’s Monte Carlo opener.
After the season-opening round, the World Rally Championship continued with the winter spectacle of Rally Sweden at the end of February, where Kalle Rovanperä secured the third victory of his career and moved into the overall championship lead.
Rovanperä arrived in Croatia last year at just 20 years of age, holding a four-point advantage over Thierry Neuville. However, his lead proved short-lived, as the young Finn went off the road on the very first special stage. Twelve months later, having celebrated his 21st birthday in October, Rovanperä returns with a 14-point advantage over his Belgian rival after the opening two rounds of the thirteen-event 2022 season.
Who Will Chase Glory in Croatia?
A total of 66 crews are entered, including eight Croatian teams and eleven Rally1 cars leading the field.
Among the headline names are 2019 world champions Ott Tänak and Martin Järveoja of the Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team, alongside teammates Thierry Neuville and Martijn Wydaeghe, and Oliver Solberg with Elliott Edmondson.
Five previous WRC rally winners will compete in Croatia, including drivers from the Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team — Elfyn Evans, Esapekka Lappi and championship leader Kalle Rovanperä. Takamoto Katsuta and Aaron Johnston join them.
Together with co-driver Scott Martin, Elfyn Evans finished runner-up in the World Championship over the past two seasons. However, he has not had the best start to the 2022 campaign.
Esapekka Lappi, co-driven by Janne Ferm, makes his debut at the Croatia Rally. At the same time, Kalle Rovanperä needs little introduction as the current leader of the World Rally Championship standings, alongside co-driver Jonne Halttunen. Takamoto Katsuta and Aaron Johnston complete Toyota’s line-up. After securing a podium finish in Monte Carlo, Craig Breen and Paul Nagle will start in Croatia for the second time. Although they competed in a Ford in 2021, they now represent Hyundai. Notably, the Ford Puma Rally1 has already demonstrated its winning pedigree after nine-time WRC champion Sébastien Loeb claimed victory in Monte Carlo in an identical car. Gus Greensmith and Jonas Andersson, along with Adrien Fourmaux and Alexandre Coria, will join Breen and Nagle as part of the M-Sport Ford World Rally Team. Meanwhile, Pierre-Louis Loubet and Vincent Landais will also compete for M-Sport, marking their debut in a Rally1 car.
Klasa WRC2 u kojoj će se natjecati posade u Rally2 automobilima ima čak 29 prijava, među kojima su sudionici Otvorenog, Juniorskog i Veteranskog prvenstva. Deset posada prijavilo se u WRC3 klasi za Rally3 automobile, od kojih će se sedam bodovati za Juniorsko WRC prvenstvo.
Hrvati Niko Pulić i Ivica Siladić prijavljeni su u WRC2, odnosno WRC3 konkurenciji. Novak u WRC2 klasi Miko Marczyk stiže iz Poljske, gdje je pomagao izbjeglicama iz Ukrajine da uđu u njegovu zemlju, dok Cristiana Oprea stiže iz Rumunjske na svoj WRC debi.
The Rally Route at a Glance
The second edition of the Croatia Rally will once again be based in Zagreb, taking place from 21 to 24 April and consisting of 20 special stages covering 291.84 competitive kilometres.
On Friday, 22 April, crews head towards the rolling hills of Samoborsko gorje, Žumberak and the wider Karlovac area, west and south-west of Zagreb. Four special stages will be run twice. The action begins with Mali Lipovec – Grdanjci at 08:33, followed by the 20.77 km Stojdraga – Gornja Vas test, a demanding stage featuring a succession of technical corners.
Saturday’s itinerary, again west of Zagreb and featuring two passes over each stage, opens with Kostanjevac – Petruš Vrh, the longest test of the rally at 23.76 km. Later that day, crews will tackle the new Platak stage in the south-west, close to the Adriatic coast.
Sunday’s stages begin early at 07:18 with the new Trakošćan – Vrbno test, located at the northernmost point of the route. The second pass of Zagorska Sela – Kumrovec will serve as the decisive Wolf Power Stage.
What’s New in 2022?
Platak and Trakošćan – Vrbno are new additions for 2022. Their inclusion reflects the organisers’ commitment to expanding the rally’s geographical footprint, enabling more fans to follow the action while reducing traffic congestion along liaison sections. As a result, the rally area has grown from three counties in 2021 to five counties in 2022.
Both new stages are narrow and feature multiple changes in asphalt grip levels. The mountainous Platak stage passes near the Platak Ski Resort, offering spectacular views of the Adriatic Sea and including a dedicated Fan Zone. Trakošćan – Vrbno presents a flowing, undulating profile familiar to teams who tested there last season.
The 3.65 km Shakedown, scheduled for Thursday, 21 April at 09:01, is also new. It is located near the historic town of Okić, first mentioned in 1193.
Due to damage caused by the 2020 earthquake, the ceremonial finish has been relocated from St. Mark’s Square to the service park. The ceremonial start will take place on Thursday at 18:30 in the area between the National and University Library in Zagreb and the Zagreb Fountains.
The Thrilling Croatian Power Stage Returns
On 25 April 2021, Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia made history by winning the inaugural Croatia Rally, which counted towards the World Rally Championship, by a margin of just 0.6 seconds.
In a dramatic Wolf Power Stage finale, the Toyota duo edged out team-mates Elfyn Evans and Scott Martin. At the same time, Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville and Martijn Wydaeghe secured third place, just 8.1 seconds adrift after three days of spectacular competition on the scenic roads surrounding Zagreb.
Despite bodywork damage sustained in a road traffic incident on a liaison section en route to Stage 17, Ogier and Ingrassia remained in contention.
Starting the final stage 3.9 seconds behind Evans and Martin, the French crew set the fastest time despite a minor mistake, piling the pressure on their rivals. It appeared the British pairing had done enough to secure victory — until a late slide in a right-hand corner near the finish cost them crucial grip. They ran onto a gravel bank, losing vital seconds and ultimately the rally by just 0.6 seconds.
Current Standings
WRC Drivers (after 2 of 13 rounds)
1 Kalle Rovanperä (FIN) 46
2 Thierry Neuville (BEL) 32
3 Sébastien Loeb (FRA) 27*
4 Gus Greensmith (VB) 20
5 Sebastien Ogier (FRA) 19*
6 Takamoto Katsuta (JPN) 18
*Ne nastupa na Croatia Rallyu
WRC Co-Drivers (after 2 of 13 rounds)
1 Jonne Halttunen (FIN) 46
2 Martijn Wydaeghe (BEL) 32
3 Isabelle Galmiche (FRA) 27
4 Jonas Andersson (ŠVE) 20
5 Benjamin Veillas (FRA) 19
6 Aaron Johnston (IRS) 18
WRC Manufacturers (after 2 of 13 rounds)
1 Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT 83
2 M-Sport Ford World Rally Team 59
3 Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team 47
4 Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT NG 22
Key Facts
Ceremonial Start: 18:30, Thursday, 21 April 2022 National and University Library & Zagreb Fountains
Finish: 15:30, Sunday, 24 April 2022 Zagrebački Velesajam – Service Park
Rally HQ: Zagrebački Velesajam, Zagreb, Croatia
Surface: Asphalt
Championship Status: Round 3 of the 2022 FIA World Rally Championship (including WRC2, WRC3 and JWRC)
Number of Special Stages: 20
Competitive Distance: 291.84 km
Liaison Distance: 1350.34 km
Total Distance: 1642.18 km
For more information, please contact:
www.facebook.com/WRCcroatiarally
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