The 2022 WRC season continues and in the WRC2 category that means a new ‘massive’ duel at the Ypres Rally Belgium. The silver class of the World Cup has a total of 20 registered in the asphalt event whose main claim is the return to action of leader Andreas Mikkelsen and one of his main rivals, the Frenchman Yohan Rossel. In addition, the category will once again have a Spanish presence with the return of Miguel Diaz-Aboitiz with Jordi Hereu as co-driver.
Rally Finland allowed Emil Lindholm to enter the battle for the title by achieving a victory that had originally gone to Teemu Suninen, but lost due to a technical irregularity. The Finnish driver has 64 points with four rallies contested, although it is true that he will not be in the Ypres Rally. The leader Andreas Mikkelsen will take over from him within the Toksport WRT teamin what will be his sixth rally of the season if we take into account the two retirements he added in Portugal and Italy -one of them will be removed from his results-.
Mikkelsen is the favourite, even if tarmac is not his favorite surface, always with the permission of a Yohan Rossel who is more comfortable on black tar. In fact, the French driver can be very fast in a scenario in which he faces his fifth rally of the season. Rossel was already the winner on the asphalt of the Rally of Croatiaso he has in his hand to achieve a good result that will allow him to get closer to the leader and to overcome in the classification Kajetan Kajetanowicz and the aforementioned Emil Lindholm, absent in Belgium.
Beyond the fight in the ‘high spheres’ of the category, Jari Huttunen is also back in the M-Sport Ford Fiesta Rally2 after competing in the queen class in Finland. Another of the proper names of the category is Stephane Lefebvre, as well as Marquito Bulacia. All in all, many eyes are on the veteran freddy loix. Eleven times winner of the Ypres Rally, this year he will not be able to fight for absolute victory, but he will be able to fight for victory in the silver category of the World Championship.
It will not be the only local idol, as Grégoire Munster will also be starting at the Ypres Rally. Davy Vanneste or Niels Rynvoet also represent local motorsports in an event in which Chris Ingram wants to hit the table and rub shoulders with the roosters of the category. Other drivers to watch closely are Georg Linnamäe or Armin Kremer, as well as Olivier Burri. The aforementioned Spanish pilot Miguel Díaz-Aboitiz, as well as the Japanese Osamu Fukunaga, complete the list of registered riders..
Photos: FIA WRC