2018 WRC Preview: Our Predictions
- Josh Suttill
- @JoshuaSuttill
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On the panel:
Josh Suttill – Editor-In-Chief at Read Motorsport.
Anna Duxbury – WRC contributor at Read Motorsport.
Elliot Wood – WRC contributor at Read Motorsport.
Louis Ostrowski – WRC contributor at Read Motorsport.
Tweet us your predictions to @ReadMotorsport on Twitter.
Here are our predictions for the 2018 World Rally Championship season;
Who will finish in the top three in the drivers' championship
Josh: 1. Ogier 2. Neuville 3. Mikkelsen
Ogier might have only won two rallies last year and achieved fewer stage wins than Elfyn Evans, but it was more a perfectly executed championship choice than a lack of pace. With Ford backing and far greater familiarity with the Fiesta now compared to last year, I reckon Ogier will win a sixth successive title. Neuville will be second again, edging new team-mate Mikkelsen and Toyota’s new man Ott Tanak.
Anna: 1. Ogier 2. Neuville 3. Mikkelsen
Sebastien Ogier clearly still has the speed to keep on raking in the championships and with even more Ford support for the M-Sport team, there’s no reason why the Frenchman can’t make it look just as easy in 2018. If Thierry Neuville can avoid making silly mistakes he should be able to stay in the hunt and after a tough 2017 making his way back from the sidelines it will be exciting to see what Andreas Mikkelson can do with a full season at Hyundai.
Elliot – 1. Neuville 2. Ogier 3. Tanak
Neuville can’t possibly make the same mistakes two years running, and will be even better gelled with the Hyundai than ever before. His team-mates will have better road positions on most rallies, and therefore will take points off his main rivals.
Louis: 1. Neuville 2. Ogier 3. Mikkelsen
As long as he can keep out of trouble it should be his for the taking. He was the fastest driver last year but was up against someone who knows how to win titles in Ogier. Now that he has experienced a proper title fight himself he has all he needs to win it.
Who will win the manufacturers' title?
Josh: Hyundai
Tanak is a big loss for M-Sport, Evans will attempt to fill his shoes but he’s going to have to improve his consistency and iron out the errors that cost him dear in 2017. Suninen is talented but inexperienced, and those two will struggle to match Neuville’s superior supporting acts; Mikkelsen and Sordo/Paddon. Mikkelsen also has a great chance of the drivers’ title, so coupled with Neuville’s inevitable high points tally, they should be hard to beat.
Anna: M-Sport
The team performed well in 2017 and with even more backing and resources from Ford in 2018, it would take a lot for another team to end up on top.
Elliot – M-Sport
Increased support from Ford won’t automatically make M-Sport favourite to retain its title, and especially with near continuity at all outfits, but there’s simply no other team with a stronger number one or number two driver in its cars than the Cumbrians do.
Louis: Hyundai
Its lineup has definitely improved with the introduction of Mikkelsen and the Paddon/Sordo share, so if Neuville can fight for the title he will lead its charge, whereas it’s difficult to see M-Sport being on the same level next year without Tanak.
Who will win in Monte-Carlo?
Josh: Sebastien Ogier
Monte should be the perfect microcosm for the season. Ogier won’t have the fastest outright pace but uber-consistency in both driver and car, should seem him have enough to beat Mikkelsen and Neuville.
Anna: Sebastien Ogier
The unpredictable conditions of Monte-Carlo makes it difficult to decide but to play it safe it is undeniable that you have to go back to 2013 to find the last time that Ogier didn’t win in Monaco.
Elliot – Bryan Bouffier
He has another opportunity to prove his mega-talent, and I’d like to see a performance which nobody will forget in a long time.
Louis: Sebastien Ogier
Monte will be Ogier as last year, and the year before that etc, because he always gets off to a good start, whereas his challengers would mostly be happy to settle for a solid points finish (especially considering what happened to Thierry last year)
Who will be the surprise of the season?
Josh: Citroen
2018 cannot be much worse than 2017 right?
Unlike this time last year, the expectation is extremely low but the results should be much better this year. They know where they were weak last year and Meeke proved he is faster than anyone when the car is on it.
Loeb will give them a boost, and expect Breen to take a lot more risks, and reap the rewards.
Anna: Esapekka Lappi
Lappi will be looking to repeat his success in Finland, and with the Toyota team hoping to build on the achievements of their first year back in the WRC, the pair could put in some star performances in 2018.
Elliot – Ott Tanak
The Estonian claims he is capable of beating Ogier to a title, and the only way he can do this is by being in a different team. If that really does prove to be the case, then I will be surprised and impressed in equal measure.
Louis: Kris Meeke
I think it has to be a big year not just for him to save his reputation slightly, but also for Citroen to save face, and he genuinely is very quick. I expect at least two wins again this year.
Who will be the biggest disappointment of the season?
Josh: Esapekka Lappi
I found it extremely difficult to pick anyone who is going to disappoint. 2018 boasts one of the strongest fields in WRC history.
Lappi’s head dropped after his win in Finland. With the arrival of Tanak, Lappi will find it difficult to shine in a highly-talented Toyota team. He has the potential but with no experience of over a quarter of the rallies, 2018 will be a steep learning curve for Lappi.
Anna: Sebastien Loeb
With five years passing since his last full-time WRC drive I’m afraid that Loeb’s return won’t be as spectacular as the drives he is best remembered for.
Elliot – Sebastien Loeb
For ensuring we have to go back seven years to find a year when Craig Breen contested a full season of rallying (his title-winning 2011 WRC Academy season).
Louis: Esapekka Lappi
Other than Finland, he struggled a little bit. I think he’s very good, but it might get demoralising quickly if he’s not on the pace of Latvala and Tanak.
Who will win the WRC2 championship?
Josh: Pontus Tidemand
The 2018 WRC2 field is stacked but Tidemand has to be the class of the field. He’s starting the season in a Skoda but may move to debut the new Volkswagen Polo R5 in Germany. Even in a new car, Tidemand should have what it takes to outclass M-Sport’s finest juniors and Skoda’s young guns.
Anna: Pontus Tidemand
He took the 2017 title by quite a margin and with no WRC seats opening up he’s remaining with Skoda for another season, making him a prime candidate to do it again in 2018.
Elliot – Fredrik Ahlin
He may be a privateer, but Fredrik Ahlin has the raw ability to pull a title campaign together in his brand new Skoda Fabia R5.
Louis: Pontus Tidemand
No question – unless he finds himself a WRC car halfway through the season