If the last rounds of theERC Barum in the Czech Republic and especially Ceredigion in Wales had offered disappointing fields, this will not be the case in Croatia. If this Zagreb-based event was demoted in this competition this year after 4 consecutive editions in WRC, the enthusiastic Croatian public will still see a Rally1 evolve on its special stages. Having no more test days, Hyundai was forced to compete in national rallies to prepare for Central Europe, 12e world calendar meeting (October 15-19). Thierry Neuville was sent to the East Belgian Rally (September 25-27) and Adrien fourmaux will go to Croatia. With Alexandre Coria, his navigator, they will try to define good settings with the Hankook tires on this surface and will incidentally have a first taste of this meeting with the i20 before returning next year. The last WRC race on tarmac dates back to the Canary Islands in April and the Korean brand received a correction there from ToyotaShe does not want to relive the same punishment in Passau. After the French team’s visit, the event will be of great interest, as it will determine the 2025 European champion.

The Marczyk/Mabellini duel disrupted?

Two drivers can still be crowned. Before the start and after the countdown, Mikolaj Marczyk (Fabia RS) has a 2-point lead over his rival Andrea Mabellini (Fabia RS). Neither will be able to calculate, but the 29-year-old Pole will have a slight advantage over the 26-year-old Italian since he has already raced in Croatia. That was in 2022, of course, but the special stages change little from one edition to the next. Will he be able to take advantage of this little extra to be more bloody than in his last participations where he seemed a little paralyzed by the stakes? The two rivals will have to take into account the results of the many guest stars who have chosen to join the party, because some will score points.

Gryazin above the rest?

This will be the case for the one who appears to be the favorite for this meeting. Winner in 2024 with the C3 against Yohan Rossel, Nikolay Gryazin knows the terrain well and is capable of proving very fast. Winner of the Sierra Morena at the start of the ERC season, the Bulgarian had promised to return. With his Fabia RS, he could play a role in deciding the champion. He will not be alone since another world champion will also be there. Robert Virves (Fabia RS), who won the category in Estonia, will come to work on his tarmac riding while getting his bearings in the region. After triumphing in Wales, Jon Armstrong will have nothing to lose in Croatia. The driver M-Sport will be accompanied by Romet Jürgenson who will also aim for a good result after his recent success at the Rally Blendio Princesa de Asturias, the 5e round of the Spanish championship, which he was discovering. In addition to the two Ford Fiestas, several Fabia RS owners will be looking to finish the year well, such as Lauri Joona, who is more accustomed to WRC2. Mille Johansson, Jakub Matulka, and Simone Tempestini will be in the same situation. On the Hyundai side, Simon Wagner and Erik Cais will take advantage of the interesting behavior of their i20 on asphalt to liven up the debate.

Two Frenchmen in C3 Rally2

Back after missing two races, Mads Ostberg (C3) will once again be competing with a new co-driver (Lorcan Moore). The Norwegian won’t be the only one driving a Citroën. Two French crews will be on the trip, with Pablo Sarrazin/Yannick Roche in Pablo’s father Stéphane’s team, and Léo Rossel/Guillaume Mercoiret, who will be joined by the PH-Sport team. For the French hopefuls, the goal will certainly be to benchmark themselves against the fastest in the ERC, but they will also have to take advantage of the opportunity to discover and learn the specificities of this event, which will be back on the WRC calendar in 2026. Léo and Pablo will also be brushing up on their skills on the tarmac before the CER.

After Friday morning’s qualifying special, competitors will have 10 SS to compete, or 172,36 km of timed stages.