VALENCIA, SPAIN (Thursday, October 24, 2024) – No fewer than 14 nations will challenge for Rally4 glory at the 2024 FIA Motorsport Games held in Valencia, Spain from 23-27 October. On offer are three gold medals, with six countries seeking success in the mixed-surface category, seven teams specialising in the gravel class, and 10 teams tackling the tarmac stages.
The busiest of the rally disciplines (four-wheel-drive Rally2 and Historic Rally also feature) in the third edition of the “Race of Nations”, Rally4 welcomes a range of front-wheel-drive machinery. With Peugeot, Ford, and Opel represented, the field resembles classes from the FIA World Rally Championship and FIA European Rally Championship, plus a myriad of regional- and national-level series.
Key to the regulations, each crew enters under the nationality of the driver, while the co-driver may herald from a different country.
Rally4 Overall
Six nations enter with the hope of securing a mixed-surface medal, with their efforts from the six gravel and six tarmac legs combined for a total of 12 stages. They will then enter two Super Special Stages at Circuit Ricardo Tormo before the crucial Medal Stage climax.
For the Medal Stage decider, which runs directly before the Closing Ceremony on Sunday, the top three teams from the mixed-surface class will face off on a new Rallycross-style course at the circuit to determine who walks away with gold, silver, and bronze. For all stages, the precise layouts have not been disclosed to ensure sporting fairness.
Team Spain will be among the favourites from the entry list as the host nation aims to return to the podium after snaring a bronze medal in 2022. But the country has called up a new line-up for this edition of the Games, nominating Peugeot 208 pairing Sergi Perez and Axel Coronado.
They are sure to face stiff competition in the form of Slovakia’s Martin Koči / Petr Těšínský, who also enter a 208. An impressive back catalogue for Koči includes four national rally titles and two Junior WRC event victories.
Flying the flag for India is Pragathi Gowda / Gabriel Morales (208) while Brazil’s chances rest on Luis Eduardo Stedile / Carlos Enrique Lambert Morales (208). Carrying the hopes of Chinese Taipei in the overall class is Hsuan Lee and co-driver Tsungyu Hsieh (208). Finally, Germany is counting on Tom Kässer / Stephan Schneeweiß (208).
Rally4 Gravel
After the rally discipline made its Games debut in Marseille, France in 2022, the format has evolved considerably. Two years ago, the action unfolded exclusively on the asphalt roads snaking between Marseille and Toulon. This time, gravel specialists have the opportunity to shine on Friday in a dedicated gravel class.
Taking place on the twisting mountain roads situated to the west of Valencia, drivers must work their way from Utiel to checkpoints in Calderon and San Antonio. Once those six stages are completed, the competition will move to the Games’ epicentre at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo for an evening Super Special Stage.
Choosing to focus purely on the gravel category is Lithuania, who nominate Audronis Gulbinas / Vytis Pauliukonis (208). The same is true for Argentina and its pairing of Luciano Bonomi and Miguel Recalt (208). Team Portugal has placed its trust in Hugo Lopes / Valter Cardoso (208).
Spain is unchanged from its overall Rally4 line-up, thanks to Perez / Coronado. The same is true for India (Gowda / Morales), Slovakia (Koči / Těšínský), and Brazil (Stedile / Morales)
Rally4 Tarmac
On Saturday, the focus turns to the Tarmac Rally Area. The service park will shift south for six more stages around Cortes, La Cabezuela, Yatova, La Garrofera, and Gestalgar before concluding with another Super Special Stage at Circuit Ricardo Tormo.
For its Rally4 Tarmac duo, Germany has opted to enter an alternative crew of René Noller / Tim Rauber. Given the asphalt roads that dominate the national and World Rally stages in the country, the Opel Corsa duo should feel right at home. But between them and the top spot on the podium is the small matter of nine other nations.
Among the opposition, Portugal tweaks its crew to enter Rafael Cardeira / Luis Boiça (208) while Georgia’s hopes of scoring a rally medal at the Games sit with Shalva Tsikhelashvili / Irakli Chkheidze (208).
Greece is fielding 208 runners Christos Avgeropoulos /Efstratios Giavasis as Luxembourg looks to Hugo Arellano / Thomas Walbrecq (208). Sweden is counting on Heidi Ryrlén / Marcus Bengtsson (Ford Fiesta) and, from the Netherlands, is Nard Ippen / Jorie Christiaens (Corsa).
Completing the class, India, Slovakia and Spain once again stick with the same driver and co-driver pairing for all three classes.
RALLY4: DISCIPLINE INFORMATION
Rally Timetable
Entry List Rally 4
Entry List Rally 4 Gravel
Entry List Rally 4 Tarmac
The Rally4 competition caters for two-wheel-drive machinery as found in the FIA World Rally Championship, FIA European Rally Championship, plus national- and regional-level series. It is open to Rally 4 cars homologated after 1 January 2019 plus R2 cars homologated before 31 December 2018. Drivers must hold at least the international licence ITD-R.
CATEGORY FORMAT
Rally4 is split into three classes for the 2024 FIA Motorsport Games. Each one offers medals. Entrants into the mixed surface category will contest 12 stages – six gravel and six tarmac – plus two Super Special Stages and the deciding Medal Stage. The tarmac contestants will compete over six stages plus a Super Special Stage, while the gravel drivers will tackle six regular stages and one Super Special Stage.
Rally4 Roll of Honour
2022: Roberto Daprà & Luca Guglielmetti (Team Italy)