ACI Rally Monza hosts the final round of the 2021 WRC season and after twelve rounds of intense rallying, the championship title is still up for grabs. Sebastien Ogier (Toyota Gazoo Racing) is leading the championship with 204 points with title rival and teammate Elfyn Evans trailing by just 17 points. The third position in the championship is also up for grabs as Thierry Neuville (Hyundai Motorsport) and young rookie Kalle Rovanpera (Toyota Gazoo Racing) are separated by just 19 points. There are 30 points to fight for in Rally Monza which starts from November 19.
The track’s first off-road race was conducted in 1978 and since then, it became established as an end-of-season celebration event. Rally Monza entered the WRC calendar in 2020 for the first time and has been the season ending round since. This time, the tarmac of the rally will have tricky gravel along with icy sections which will make drivers and cars work hard to find grip.
Over the three days of rallying, the drivers will cover 253km of special stages and over 424km of liaison section, which will be divided into 16 sections. So without much further ado, let us now take a look at how the weekend will unfold.
Friday
Stages: 7
Timed Distance: 105.41km
Liaison: 165.38km
Friday will open up with an uphill climb in the opening stage. The fast, technical and twisty climb up the Costa Valle will provide a challenge for the riders as they try to extract the most grip from a cold track. The final stages of the day will occur at Moza and it will be conducted in darkness.
Saturday
Stages: 6
Timed Distance: 108.27km
Liaison: 253.65km
Saturday will be of a similar format and with similar track conditions. This is the day where we have the highest possibility of ice and rain. The final Sottozero tests are contested in darkness.
Sunday
Stages: 3
Timed Distance: 39.53km
Liaison: 5.72km
Sunday brings us back to Monza as we start the day with a second run through the circuit. This stage will be purely on asphalt. It is followed by two passes of the Serraglio section which will have 22 surface changes in a span of 15km. Serraglio will also be the Wolf Power Stage of the rally and will also be the final stage of the season.
The weather will be one of the biggest factors of the rally as rain and fog can be expected in Monza and on the mountains during the earlier part of the day. Pirelli’s P Zero hard compound tyres will be the primary option for the competitors, with a soft compound version also available. Wet weather could bring the Cinturato rain tyre into play while icy conditions or snow might make it a track for the Italian company’s Sottozero winter rubber.
Race conditions are also expected to deteriorate in the mountains with the passage of each car as mud and leaves will be pulled onto the surface as drivers cut corners to save vital tenths.
A special mention to seven-time World Rally Drivers' Champion Sebastien Ogier who will be participating in the last race of his epic WRC career. After working and winning with almost all the constructors in WRC. He was a natural right from his first race with the Citroën C4 and now in 2021, he is the leader of the driver’s championship title with rivals right on his toes. Just for your information, Ogier has won the 2020 Monza rally, so it is safe to think that Elfyn Evans will have to put up a massive fight to snatch the title away from the legend on his final race.
With all that said, we now wait for the cars to hit the banked corners at Monza and see which driver takes the championship away. To watch the stages live, you can tune into WRC+ or Red Bull TV. For more news and updates from the world of motorsport, stay tuned to evo India!