The RallyRACC starts in Salou this evening

20/10/2022

PortAventura World, Salou, Costa Daurada – The 57 RallyRACC Catalunya-COSTA DAURADA, Rally de España 2022 gets underway with a ceremonial start in the centre of Salou this evening, Thursday, from 19.00hrs.

The 12th and penultimate round of the FIA World Rally Championship will then be fought out over three days and 19 asphalt stages in the hills to the northwest and west of the Catalunyan tourist destination, south of Barcelona. The RallyRACC is also the last round of the European Championship (ERC) and is part of the calendar of various national entry level categories.

With flying Finn Kalle Rovanperä already crowned as the youngest ever FIA World Rally Champion, attention in Salou turns to the battle between Toyota Gazoo Racing and the Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team to decide the outcome of the FIA Manufacturers' title. Toyota takes an 81-point lead into the weekend.

The Catalan event will also see the final appearance of Irish co-driver Paul Nagle alongside M-Sport Ford's Craig Breen. This weekend marks the 25th WRC event that the duo has tackled together but Nagle will retire from top flight co-driving after the rally.

The first day of action on Friday 21^st will feature two loops of four stages, starting with an 11.05km sprint between Els Omells and Maldà from 08.33hrs. Stages follow at Serra de la Llena (11.79km) and Les Garrigues Altes(22.64km), before the daunting Riba-roja stage is run in the opposite direction to last year to close out the loop from 11.26hrs.

The four speed tests are then repeated in the afternoon from 15.09hrs onwards before the return to Salou for a 45' service and the overnight halt.