Entry list for Tet Rally Latvia published, all three active champions set to start in Latvia
40 crews have registered to participate in the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) Latvian round Tet Rally Latvia, including all the active world champions – Sébastien Ogier, Kalle Rovanperä, and Ott Tänak. In total, ten crews will compete with full-fledged Rally1 HYBRID cars, including Liepāja-native Mārtiņš Sesks / Renārs Francis, in the front of the home crowd. Additionally, 24 crews, led by Oliver Solberg, will compete with Rally2 cars, well-know to Latvian rally fans from previously run rounds of FIA European Rally Championship in Latvia. Among WRC2 competitors, we will see the crews of two more Latvian drivers – Matīss Mežaks and Artūrs Priednieks.
For the first time in the 2024, the WRC top class representation will reach 10 crews, including all three active world rally champions. The team with the most Drivers’ Championship titles will be the Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT, featuring the French rally legend, eight-time world champion Sébastien Ogier, who will be competing on the roads of Kurzeme and the Biķernieki track. Also in the Toyota team will be the reigning world champion of the last two years, Kalle Rovanperä – the Finn began his career in Latvia, twice becoming the Latvian champion. Additionally, Elfyn Evans from Great Britain and Japanese driver Takamoto Katsuta will also compete with the Toyota Yaris GR Rally1 HYBRID car.
The Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team will feature the 2024 FIA World Rally Championship season leader, Belgian Thierry Neuville, driving a Hyundai i20 N Rally1 HYBRID car, as well as further world champion, Estonian Ott Tänak, who clinched his title in 2019. The Hyundai team will also include Finnish driver Esapekka Lappi, who works with Latvian race engineer Arturs Ozoliņš and won Rally Sweden held in winter. It should be noted that Lappi has also won a round of the FIA European Rally Championship at Rally Liepāja during his career.
After their debut rally in Poland, and making history driving a non-hybrid Rally1 car, the Latvians Mārtiņš Sesks / Renārs Francis will step up for Tet Rally Latvia, and compete with a full-fledged Ford Puma Rally1 HYBRID car prepared by the M-Sport Ford World Rally Team. Additionally, the British team will be represented by its main drivers – Frenchman Adrien Fourmaux and Luxembourger Grégoire Munster.
An exciting battle for victory in the Tet Rally Latvia is also expected among the WRC2 participants, with one of the leaders undoubtedly being Oliver Solberg, who, like Rovanperä, began his career in Latvia – progressing from front-wheel-drive cars to the highest WRC level. Among Solberg's main competitors are Finnish driver Sami Pajari, who is soon set to make his debut behind the wheel of a Rally1 car, and Gus Greensmith, who has previously competed with Rally1 cars.
In addition to the Sesks / Francis team in the top class, Tet Rally Latvia will feature two more Latvian crews. In the WRC2 category, Matīss Mežaks / Arnis Ronis will compete with a Škoda Fabia Evo Rally2, while Arturs Priednieks / Jānis Kirkovalds will participate with a Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 car.
In fond memory of the Irish rally driver Craig Breen, who won the ERC round at Rally Liepāja in 2015, the starting number 42 will not be assigned to any competitor of Tet Rally Latvia.
"Ten Rally1 cars, among which will be the crews of all three active world champions and the local crew of Mārtiņš Sesks from Liepāja. I cannot imagine a better scenario for our debut event," begins Tet Rally Latvia director Raimonds Strokšs. "These ten will be joined by a very wide range of skilled Rally2 teams, allowing spectators to fully enjoy the magic of the World Rally Championship. Whether at the Biķernieki track, in the regions of Tukums, Talsi, Kuldīga, and Dienvidkurzeme, or in the rally city Liepāja, rally spectators will be able to appreciate the most powerful world-class machinery with the world's fastest rally drivers at the wheel. And alongside the world's leading rally competitors – also three crews of Latvian drivers!" says Raimonds Strokšs.
"The energy that unites us with Tet Rally Latvia is the ability to create and realize ideas, as well as not giving up in this process. Together with the right partners, we can create world-class solutions, technologies, and events, as demonstrated by the FIA World Rally Championship stage in Latvia. This can only be achieved by dedicating all our hearts to this goal. Thanks to director of Tet Rally Latvia Raimonds Strokšs and his team for allowing us to experience such a world-class event in Latvia, which is a historic moment in Latvian sports. Together, through our actions, we prove that Latvia can! Therefore, I invite everyone to take the opportunity and witness the battle for victory among the world's most skilled rally drivers, experiencing powerful emotions alongside other fans on the gravel roads and city streets both in Riga and throughout Kurzeme!" Uldis Tatarčuks, Tet Chief Executive Officer.
Tet Rally Latvia supports initiatives carried out by Latvian Children's Support Centre,
who has created and are developing social rehabilitation facility for children with special needs.
We invite you to support this initiative, by making a donation here: http://www.lbaf.lv/lv/ka-ziedot.
Tet Rally Latvia, round of the FIA World Rally Championship, is set to take place on July 18-21, 2024. The event is possible thanks to the support provided by Ministry of Education and Science, rally city Liepāja and capital city Rīga, as well as municipalities of Tukums, Talsi, and Kuldīga. Special thanks to general sponsor Tet, many thanks to our main sponsors Ramirent, Sportland, and X3000, official car partner Toyota, as well as sponsors BTA, Fristads, and SIXT. Thanks to our partners Canon Biznesa Centrs Liepāja, Latvijas Valsts meži and municipality of Dienvidkurzeme. Informative support provided by news portal DELFI, Sporta Avīze un Talsu Vēstis. Thanks to Tet Rally Latvia supporters shopping malls AKROPOLE, AOK, Ballīte Ballītē, Biķernieku trase, Conti STL, CSDD, DHL, Eco Baltia vide, Elnetworks, Flora, FN Serviss, Getic, Jānis Pūce, Löfbergs, MB Grupa, Mission Latvia, OCT Composites, Peltors, Rentadisplay, Rīgas brīvostas pārvalde, SignTech, Swecon, Swan, Törley, Travel Latvia, as well as technical partner Sports Racing Technologies. Tet Rally Latvia is organised by RA Events in cooperation with Speed Festival Kurzeme and Latvian Automobile Federation.
