The 2023 Central European Rally (also known as the Central Europe Rally 2023) was a motor racing event for rally cars which was held from 26 to 29 October 2023.[2] It marked the first running of the Central European Rally, and was be the twelfth round of the 2023 World Rally Championship, World Rally Championship-2 and World Rally Championship-3. The event was based in Passau, Bavaria, Germany, and was contested over eighteen special stages covering a total competitive distance of 311.79 km (193.74 mi).[1]
| 2023 Central European Rally Central Europe Rally 2023 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Round 12 of 13 in the 2023 World Rally Championship
| |||
.jpg) Rally winners Thierry Neuville and Martijn Wydaeghe during the event. | |||
| Host country |
| ||
| Rally base | Passau, Bavaria, Germany | ||
| Dates run | 26 – 29 October 2023 | ||
| Start location | Velká Chuchle, Prague, Czech Republic | ||
| Finish location | Passau, Bavaria, Germany | ||
| Stages | 18 (311.79 km; 193.74 miles)[1] | ||
| Stage surface | Tarmac | ||
| Transport distance | 1,355.29 km (842.14 miles) | ||
| Overall distance | 1,667.08 km (1,035.88 miles) | ||
| Statistics | |||
| Crews registered | 68 | ||
| Crews | 67 at start, 54 at finish | ||
| Overall results | |||
| Overall winner |  Thierry Neuville Martijn Wydaeghe Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT2:52:39.9 | ||
| Power Stage winner |  Elfyn Evans Scott Martin Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT8:42.3 | ||
| Support category results | |||
| WRC-2 winner |  Nicolas Ciamin Yannick Roche3:04:33.0 | ||
| WRC-3 winner |  Filip Kohn Tom Woodburn3:23:04.4 | ||
Thierry Neuville and Martijn Wydaeghe won their second rally of the season. Their team, Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT, were the manufacturer's winners.[3] Kalle Rovanperä and Jonne Halttunen became the 2023 World Rally Champions after finishing second.[4] Nicolas Ciamin and Yannick Roche won the World Rally Championship-2 category, while Andreas Mikkelsen and Torstein Eriksen won the 2023 WRC-2 title.[5] Filip Kohn and Tom Woodburn won the World Rally Championship-3 category.
Background edit
Entry list edit
The following crews entered into the rally. The event was opened to crews competing in the World Rally Championship, its support categories, the World Rally Championship-2, World Rally Championship-3 and privateer entries that were not registered to score points in any championship. Ten entered under Rally1 regulations, as were thirty-one Rally2 crews in the World Rally Championship-2 and three Rally3 crews in the World Rally Championship-3.[6][7]
| No. | Driver | Co-Driver | Entrant | Car | Tyre |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 55 | Filip Kohn
|
Tom Woodburn
|
Filip Kohn
|
Ford Fiesta Rally3 | P |
| 56 |  Fabio Schwarz
|
 Bernhard Ettel
|
Fabio Schwarz
|
Ford Fiesta Rally3 | P |
| 57 |  Martin Ravenščak
|
Dora Ravenščak
|
Marin Ravenščak
|
Ford Fiesta Rally3 | P |
| No. | Driver | Co-Driver | Entrant | Car | Championship eligibility | Tyre |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 | Adrien Fourmaux
|
Alexandre Coria
|
M-Sport Ford WRT
|
Ford Fiesta Rally2 | — | P |
| 63 |  Zoltán László
|
Gábor Zsiros
|
Zoltán László
|
Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 | Masters Driver | P |
Route edit
The route was initially revealed in July 2023.[9] The first leg would be competed in the Czech Republic, while the second and third leg would be run across Austria and Germany.[10]
Itinerary edit
All dates and times are CEST (UTC+2) from 25 to 28 October 2023 and CET (UTC+1) on 29 October 2023.
| Date | No. | Time span | Stage name | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 October | — | After 16:01 | Tittling [Shakedown]
|
3.38 km |
| 26 October | 
|
After 13:00 | Opening ceremony, Hradčany Square
|
— |
| SS1 | After 14:05 | Velká Chuchle
|
2.37 km | |
| SS2 | After 18:05 | Klatovy
|
8.92 km | |
|
20:45 – 21:33 | Flexi service A, Passau
|
— | |
| 27 October |
|
7:00 – 7:10 | Service B, Passau
|
— |
| SS3 | After 9:50 | Vlachovo Březí 1
|
13.66 km | |
| SS4 | After 10:42 | Zvotoky 1
|
23.81 km | |
| SS5 | After 12:15 | Šumavské Hoštice 1
|
23.43 km | |
|
13:52 – 14:07 | Tyre fitting zone, Prachatice
|
— | |
| SS6 | After 14:32 | Vlachovo Březí 2
|
13.66 km | |
| SS7 | After 15:24 | Zvotoky 2
|
23.81 km | |
| SS8 | After 16:57 | Šumavské Hoštice 2
|
23.43 km | |
|
|
19:22 – 20:10 | Flexi service C, Passau
|
— | |
| 28 October |
|
7:00 – 7:16 | Service D, Passau
|
— |
| SS9 | After 8:15 | Schärdinger Innviertel 1
|
16.02 km | |
| SS10 | After 10:01 | Mühltal 1
|
27.83 km | |
| SS11 | After 11:05 | Knaus Tabbert Bayerischer Wald 1
|
11.88 km | |
|
|
13:45 – 14:16 | Service E, Passau
|
— | |
| SS12 | After 15:15 | Schärdinger Innviertel 2
|
16.02 km | |
| SS13 | After 17:01 | Mühltal 2
|
27.83 km | |
| SS14 | After 18:05 | Knaus Tabbert Bayerischer Wald 2
|
11.88 km | |
|
|
19:35 – 19:23 | Flexi service F, Passau
|
— | |
| 29 October |
|
6:30 – 6:46 | Service G, Passau
|
— |
| SS15 | After 8:15 | Böhmerwald 1
|
17.25 km | |
|
After 8:33 | Regroup, Ulrichsberg
|
— | |
| SS16 | After 9:35 | Passauer Land 1
|
16.37 km | |
| SS17 | After 10:33 | Böhmerwald 2
|
17.25 km | |
|
|
After 11:01 | Regroup, Ulrichsberg
|
— | |
| SS18 | After 12:15 | Passauer Land 2 [Power Stage]
|
16.37 km | |
|
After 14:30 | Official finish, Passau
|
— | |
| Source:[1] | ||||
Report edit
WRC Rally1 edit
Classification edit
Special stages edit
Championship standings edit
- Bold text indicates 2023 World Champions.
| Pos. | Drivers' championships | Co-drivers' championships | Manufacturers' championships | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Move | Driver | Points | Move | Co-driver | Points | Move | Manufacturer | Points | ||||
| 1 | 
|
Kalle Rovanperä | 235 |
|
Jonne Halttunen | 235 |
|
Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT | 504 | |||
| 2 |
|
Elfyn Evans | 191 |
|
Scott Martin | 191 |
|
Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT | 399 | |||
| 3 |
|
Thierry Neuville | 184 |
|
Martijn Wydaeghe | 184 |
|
M-Sport Ford WRT | 271 | |||
| 4 |
|
Ott Tänak | 162 |
|
Martin Järveoja | 162 | ||||||
| 5 |
|
Sébastien Ogier | 114 |
|
Vincent Landais | 114 | ||||||
WRC-2 Rally2 edit
Classification edit
Special stages edit
Championship standings edit
- Bold text indicates 2023 World Champions.
| Pos. | Open Drivers' championships | Open Co-drivers' championships | Teams' championships | Challenger Drivers' championships | Challenger Co-drivers' championships | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Move | Driver | Points | Move | Co-driver | Points | Move | Manufacturer | Points | Move | Manufacturer | Points | Move | Driver | Points | ||||||
| 1 |
|
Andreas Mikkelsen | 111 |
|
Torstein Eriksen | 130 |  1
|
Toksport WRT 2 | 188 |
|
Sami Pajari | 118 |
|
Enni Mälkönen | 118 | |||||
| 2 | 1
|
Gus Greensmith | 111 | 1
|
Jonas Andersson | 111 |  1
|
Toksport WRT 3 | 176 |
|
Kajetan Kajetanowicz | 108 |
|
Maciej Szczepaniak | 108 | |||||
| 3 | 1
|
Yohan Rossel | 104 | 1
|
Arnaud Dunand | 104 |
|
M-Sport Ford WRT | 146 |
|
Nikolay Gryazin | 96 |
|
Konstantin Aleksandrov | 96 | |||||
| 4 |
|
Oliver Solberg | 91 |
|
Elliott Edmondson | 91 |
|
Toksport WRT | 135 | 1
|
Mikołaj Marczyk | 77 |
|
Szymon Gospodarczyk | 65 | |||||
| 5 |
|
Sami Pajari | 86 |
|
Enni Mälkönen | 86 |
|
Hyundai Motorsport N | 128 | 1
|
Marco Bulacia | 72 |
|
Diego Vallejo | 62 | |||||
WRC-3 Rally3 edit
Classification edit
| Position | No. | Driver | Co-driver | Entrant | Car | Time | Difference | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Event | Class | ||||||||
| 24 | 1 | 55 | Filip Kohn | Tom Woodburn | Filip Kohn | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | 3:23:04.4 | 0.0 | 25 |
| 51 | 2 | 56 | Fabio Schwarz | Bernhard Ettel | Fabio Schwarz | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | 4:24:35.4 | +1:01:31.0 | 18 |
| 53 | 3 | 57 | Martin Ravenščak | Dora Ravenščak | Martin Ravenščak | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | 5:15:43.8 | +1:52:39.4 | 15 |
Special stages edit
| Stage | Winners | Car | Time | Class leaders |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SD | Kohn / Woodburn | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | 2:27.2 | — |
| SS1 | Schwarz / Ettel | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | 2:05.8 | Schwarz / Ettel |
| SS2 | Kohn / Woodburn | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | 5:01.6 | Kohn / Woodburn |
| SS3 | Schwarz / Ettel | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | 8:36.6 | |
| SS4 | Schwarz / Ettel | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | 14:40.4 | |
| SS5 | Kohn / Woodburn | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | 15:19.1 | |
| SS6 | Stage cancelled | |||
| SS7 | Kohn / Woodburn | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | 14:45.4 | Kohn / Woodburn |
| SS8 | Kohn / Woodburn | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | 16:09.8 | |
| SS9 | Kohn / Woodburn | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | 9:56.7 | |
| SS10 | Kohn / Woodburn | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | 19:18.0 | |
| SS11 | Kohn / Woodburn | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | 10:27.6 | |
| SS12 | Kohn / Woodburn | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | 9:47.8 | |
| SS13 | Kohn / Woodburn | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | 19:24.4 | |
| SS14 | Kohn / Woodburn | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | 9:23.8 | |
| SS15 | Schwarz / Ettel | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | 9:35.6 | |
| SS16 | Schwarz / Ettel | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | 10:07.7 | |
| SS17 | Schwarz / Ettel | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | 9:27.5 | |
| SS18 | Schwarz / Ettel | Ford Fiesta Rally3 | 10:04.7 | |
Championship standings edit
- Bold text indicates 2023 World Champions.
| Pos. | Drivers' championships | Co-drivers' championships | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Move | Driver | Points | Move | Co-driver | Points | |||
| 1 |
|
Roope Korhonen | 100 |
|
Anssi Viinikka | 100 | ||
| 2 |
|
Diego Dominguez Jr. | 87 |
|
Rogelio Peñate | 87 | ||
| 3 |
|
Tom Rensonnet | 55 |
|
Loïc Dumont | 55 | ||
| 4 | 10
|
Filip Kohn | 52 |
|
Liam Regan | 51 | ||
| 5 | 1
|
William Creighton | 51 |
|
Conor Mohan | 49 | ||
Notes edit
- ^ Nikolay Gryazin is Russian, but he competes as a neutral competitor using the ANA flag as Russian national emblems were banned by the association due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[8]
- ^ Konstantin Aleksandrov is Russian, but he competes as a neutral competitor using the ANA flag as Russian national emblems were banned by the association due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[8]
References edit
- ^ a b c "Itinerary Central European Rally 2023". eWRC-results.com. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
- ^ "WRC poewrs into 2023 with exciting new-look calendar". wrc.com. WRC Promoter GmbH. 25 November 2022. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
- ^ "Sensational Rovanperä clinches 2023 WRC title". wrc.com. WRC Promoter GmbH. 29 October 2023. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
- ^ Wood, Ida (29 October 2023). "Rovanperä wins the 2023 World Rally Championship". dirtfish.com. DirtFish. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
- ^ "Mikkelsen claims WRC2 title in last-gasp Central European Rally push". wrc.com. WRC Promoter GmbH. 29 October 2023. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
- ^ "Entry List Central European Rally 2023". eWRC-results.com. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
- ^ "Central European Rally 2023". Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
- ^ a b "FIA announces World Motor Sport Council decisions in relation to the situation in Ukraine". Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile. 1 March 2022. Retrieved 1 March 2022.
- ^ Barry, Luke (12 July 2023). "Route revealed for Central European Rally". dirtfish.com. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
- ^ Barry, Luke (11 August 2023). "Central European Rally alters its route". dirtfish.com. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
External links edit
Wikimedia Commons has media related to 2023 Central European Rally.
- Official website (in German and English)
- 2023 Central European Rally at eWRC-results.com
- 2023 Central European Rally at rally-maps.com (in English, German, and Polish)